Airlock doesent hurt…
Johan, we usualy leave it in a cistern or a barrel, with a floating lid with mineral oil on top to prevent it turning in to vinegar. If you want to botle, l wuld ferment, then pour off off the sediment, put it in a new vessel and wait for some more gunk to fall down. Then bottle.
Depends. What you can also do if you want sweeter cider is cool it mid fermentation. Will stop it but will slowly ferment again. This we do for our young cider, to be drunk first. The rest we let ferment all the way, 0 sugar. It gives a tart, strong cider to be drank for thirst, mixed with mineral water.
Or, even more traditional, you throw in a pinch of soda, stir fast and drink as fast as you can. The old wooden barrels had no lid so the cider slowly turned more and more acetic. Soda kills of some sourness and gives it a nice fizz
Oh, l know the press explosions well 