How can I clear-up a cloudy cider?

Question

How can I clear-up a cloudy cider?

WA Hunt

2019年10月6日 05:03

I've finished my second batch of homemade cider and I'm a little disappointed to find that it is so cloudy. There are no off flavors, I actually am enjoying it, but it's cloudy. It's not just hazy. When in a pint glass and held up to the light, you can see some motion in the haziness. For background, my ingredients were:

5 gallons of apple juice (no preservatives)
champagne yeast
yeast nutrient
pectic enzyme
potassium sorbate
apple juice concentrate
brown sugar

My process was:

sanitize everything (I used San Star)
add juice, yeast, pectic enzyme to carboy
wait 30 days
using a racking cane, siphoned cider into 6 gallon bucket
added juice concentrate, brown sugar and potassium sorbate
bottled

So, what might I have done wrong to end up with a cloudy cider? What can I do at this point to clear it up? Filter it somehow? Decant?

Topic filtering cloudy cider homebrew

Category Mac

score 1 · Accepted Answer · 2012年7月17日 23:15

I made cider from store-bought apple cider. I didn't use any pectic enzyme, but I did clear it with sparkolloid after fermentation. It's crystal clear now. I also have a cider from home-pressed apples that is very hazy even after clearing, I should have used pectic enzyme on it but otherwise it tastes fine. I think the clearing (you can use sparkolloid or bentonite for non-animal alternatives to isinglass) is going to be important in getting a nice clear wine.

mdma · Accepted Answer · 2012年5月31日 21:49

I would use gelatin, isinglass or cold crash. If the apple juice was clear to begin with then the only particulate is the yeast, which you can either leave to settle out, or use finings to cause it to settle out faster.

For tips on using gelatin, and other finings, see Fining Agents, improving beer clarity.

Denny Conn · Accepted Answer · 2012年5月31日 15:13

You just need time. My experience is that making cider requires a schedule more like wine than beer. I usually give my ciders 1-2 months in primary and at least another 3 months in secondary. They turn out crystal clear.

bk0 · Accepted Answer · 2012年5月31日 11:37

Other than cold crashing and maybe filtering (although I haven't heard of anybody who has ever bothered to filter), I don't know of any other techniques. Do you think the cloudiness is from the juice (ie, was it there from the very beginning?) or residual yeast in suspension? Residual yeast is more responsive to cold-crashing, while protein/fruit particulates from the cider will probably require both cold-crashing and fine filtering (cheesecloth or something like that).

Frankly as long as the flavor isn't affected I wouldn't bother with anything beyond cold crashing and decanting. Since you've already bottled that is the best you can do anyway. Chill them and let them sit for at least a week and see if anything drops out of suspension.

As an aside, I wonder why you added pectic enzyme? You started with juice rather than whole fruit so I don't see how that would be necessary or even useful. Perhaps it is contributing to the haziness in some way?

How can I clear-up a cloudy cider?

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