Cider Question

[mortong]

I'm about to brew a cider next week using fresh cider straight from a local orchard.

The recipe I have from my local brew store says to add 1/4 cup of sugar per gallon AFTER the fermentation is complete and before bottling, then stir it in.

It seems to me that this could cause some oxidation problems.

Anyone have any insights on when to add the sugar?

Geoff

[Beerconnoisseur]

The sugar is added immediately before bottling, to provide a food source for the yeast, so that it will carbonate properly. It shouldn't be a huge deal oxidation-wise; if you are worried, you can always purge bottles with carbon dioxide, use oxygen-absorbing bottle caps, etc.

An alternative to stirring in the sugar, is to boil some water (to kill off bacteria), add the sugar to the hot water, place some saran-wrap over it (to prevent new bacteria from possibly falling in), let cool, then add the water-sugar mixture to your cider. This will transfer all the sugar, with no stirring necessary.