Help a cider newb

[MNHazmat]

Need a little help from the army on my first cider. I understand the steps but am a little confused on the timelines...

I've started a cherry cider. 3 gallons apple juice + 1 gallon tart cherries/juice (canned cherry wine base). Pitched WL Sweet Mead yeast 2 weeks ago and primary fermentation appears complete. I've racked out of primary and the sample tastes ok. Not very cherry, pretty dry but drinkable, no nasty esters.

I want to do this one as a sweet, sparkling cider. I know that means sorbate, backsweeten and carb, but what I"m confused on is the timing. I know the cider needs some time to age, but do I do that before or after backsweetening? In short, do I --

1. Allow it to age in secondary as is, then sorbate, backsweeten and carb later?
2. Sorbate it now, then allow it to age, then backsweeten and carb?
3. Sorbate and backsweeten now, let it sit to age, then carb?

Thanks in advance guys!

[spiderwrangler]

Not sure that aging is all that necessary in general with juice based ciders unless it tastes like it really needs it. If you want more cherry in it, you could add more, or bump it up a bit with the flavor extract (though I'd be concerned of making it taste 'medicinal cherry-like'). As far as your steps, I guess it depends on what you are looking for from aging, and what role the yeast play in that. The Ksorb will inhibit yeast, but as I recall, not kill them so they'd still be present... to potentially aid in aging processes. If it's only fermented for 2 weeks, I'd give it another two and then Ksorb and sweeten, then keg and carb. Ksorb and sweetening would be done in the same step (wine conditioner is a product that contains both).

[MNHazmat]

Above recipe scored 41.5 and took a silver medal at UMMO. Not bad for my first try! Backsweetened with 1 can of apple-cherry concentrate and 1 of straight apple. One judge suggested bumping up the cherry to "increase the poundability for the ladies"

[Ozwald]

Shouldn't that be "increase the poundability of the ladies"?

Congrats on a nice score.

[DeezMaltz]

If you're an AHA member check out the talk that Chris Banker did. You can access the audio and the slides at the AHA Conference website. - http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/lets-brew/homebrewing-seminars/2013?cid=4lHHT33zhIXltsuoNh%2byWw%3d%3d&redirect=http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/lets-brew/homebrewing-seminars/2013

Example: He uses cheap store bought apple juice

Ingredients:
4 gal apple juice
1 gal Trader Joe's Dixie Peach juice
1/2 tsp Fermaid-K + 1/4 tsp DAP
1 tube WLP500 Trappist yeast
1.5 lbs dried apricots
5 campden tablets + 4 tsp potassium sorbate

•Process
Brew as normal with apple juice + 1/2 gal peach
After about a week, add apricots
Allow to age at least 2 weeks
Keg and stabilize as usual, adding 1/2 g peach juice

[hoodie]

+1
Just brewed a cider based on Chris Banker's presentation and it turned out fantastic! Kegged after 3 wks. I used White House apple juice from Walmart and back-sweetened with Martinelli's. I used Wyeast 1214 @ 74 deg. ambient temp. I plan on brewing it again and dry-hopping with some Nelson.

[TheDarkSide]

I was at Chris' talk in June...only wish they had the CO2 setup ready to go for the talk. I only got one sample. Prior to this talk, I had only made one cider in my life, with cider from a local orchard and wine yeast (Lavlin 71B i think). It got 2nd in 1st round but nothing in 2nd.

After Chris' talk, I made a spiced apple pie cider using Mott's, Brown Sugar, and Nottingham. It took 1st place at the New England Homebrewer's Jamboree in early Sept. I have since made a common cider and another batch of the apple pie (served most of the first batch at the Jamboree).

My procedure is mix juice and sugar, add yeast nutrients, aerate (shake carboy method), and pitch yeast. When the yeast falls, rack to secondary until it clears (didn't take more than a couple weeks). Hit it with 1 campden tablet per gallon and 1/2 tsp sorbate per gallon to inhibit yeast and wait 24 hours. Backsweeten with apple juice concentrate and spices if necessary then keg.

Even though I'm kegging, I still stabilize it in case I want to bottle for storage or competitions.

[dmtaylor]

Anyone else detect a hijack? Oh well, hell if I care, just being a dork.