# How Long Should The Fermentaion Stage Be For Cider?



## willpower (2/3/11)

Hi guys.
I have the apple juice sitting in vats with the yeast and yeast nutrient.
How long should I leave it now before racking it?
Some one told me 4 weeks.
Is this right?


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## gap (2/3/11)

If you own an hydrometer use it. This will tell you when fermentation has stopped.
2 to 3 days with no change in reading.


If you do not have one go and buy one. It is the only safe way of knowing when your 
fermentation has completed.

Regards

Graeme


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## Airgead (2/3/11)

Willpower said:


> Hi guys.
> I have the apple juice sitting in vats with the yeast and yeast nutrient.
> How long should I leave it now before racking it?
> Some one told me 4 weeks.
> Is this right?



How long is a a piece of string?

It really depends. Anywhere between a couple of days and 6 months or more depending on your juice, yeast, nutrient levels, style of cider, phase of the moon...

4 weeks would be pretty right most of the time thought. Your hydrometer is your friend.

Cheers
Dave


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## willpower (2/3/11)

Well the Hydrometer when I pit it in the mix after adding the yeast said 1050. What should it say when its time to Rack it?


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## Airgead (2/3/11)

Willpower said:


> Well the Hydrometer when I pit it in the mix after adding the yeast said 1050. What should it say when its time to Rack it?


Cider will usually ferment down to 1.000 or thereabouts (unless you add something unfermentable). What is more important is that the reading stays stable over 2-3 days. That shows that fermentation has finished completely.

Cheers
Dave


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## Greg.L (2/3/11)

It mainly depends on the temperature and nutrient content. If the temp is above 20C it will ferment pretty quick, but if you can keep it below 15C you will get it slower. Cooler is better but if you don't have refrigeration its a bit academic. Try to keep it in the coolest place possible.

If you are going to add nutrients, wait until a few days into the ferment so the yeast can utilise the nutrients in the must first, otherwise the yeast get lazy and just use the added nutrient and some nutrient gets left unused.

Greg


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## willpower (2/3/11)

well I just checked the hydrometer after 4 days of fermenting. It is sitting at 1000 now. Does that mean that the cider is ready for racking already?
And what alchohol% is it now?


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## stux (2/3/11)

My last cider went to 0.996 in 4 weeks

You need to take multiple measurements a few days apart, when it stops dropping, it's mostly done, then leave it a few more days to condition


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## Greg.L (2/3/11)

I like to rack it the first time just as it finishes fermenting, that way there is plenty of CO2 to protect it and the headspace will be full of CO2. If you don't want a MLF you should sulphite it at the end of fermentation before a MLF gets underway.


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## Airgead (2/3/11)

Greg.L said:


> I like to rack it the first time just as it finishes fermenting, that way there is plenty of CO2 to protect it and the headspace will be full of CO2. If you don't want a MLF you should sulphite it at the end of fermentation before a MLF gets underway.



I've never sulphited my cider and never had a MLF either. I'm also a fan of minimal racking so I usually just rack once - when it has cleared. I run it straight into the keg.

Cheers
Dave


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## Greg.L (2/3/11)

If you keg it then cool it that will stop MLF. If you're bottling thats a different matter, but often I don't rack at all, just leave it on the lees for a month then straight into bottle with sugar for carbonation.


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## willpower (4/3/11)

So its been steady at 1000 on the hydrometer for a few daus now.
Does that mean that the cider is 0% alcohol?
And should I leave it for another feww weeks in the fermentation stage


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## Airgead (4/3/11)

Willpower said:


> So its been steady at 1000 on the hydrometer for a few daus now.
> Does that mean that the cider is 0% alcohol?
> And should I leave it for another feww weeks in the fermentation stage



1.000 means it has fermented all the sugar that was in the original juice. The cider will be dry with no residual sweetness. That's the way I like them but others like something a little sweeter.

The Alc % is calculated on the OG-FG. So if you start at 1.050 and finish at 1.010 you have dropped 40 points. 40 points will give you 5.2%.

If you start at 1.050 and finish at 1.000 you have dropped 50 points which will give you 6.5%.

Its finished. I'd keg/bottle now.

Cheers
Dave

Edit - made calculation clearer


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