# Cider fermentation on pause?



## muddytrails (31/12/17)

I started a small 1 gallon batch of cider last Sunday using a bottled Honey Crisp cider from Trader Joes. Fermentation started off real nice, and then 2 days ago quit altogether. It's very cold in my area now, and our home brewery is not well heated. I checked the room temperature daily using a cool laser thermometer, and while low - we were in range around 63 - 65 degrees Celsius (143-149 F). 
I used an english ale yeast and did add yeast nutrient.
I moved the fermentation to the hallway where it's a little warmer (we have an ancient house) but the yeast party hasnt kicked back up. I'm leaning twords leaving it, but the bf says we can taste and force carbonate now (in a mini keg). 
Thoughts?


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## Garfield (31/12/17)

63'C doesn't sound cold... Did you convert the wrong way by any chance? 

What are the signs of stalled ferment?


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## muddytrails (31/12/17)

Garfield said:


> 63'C doesn't sound cold... Did you convert the wrong way by any chance?
> 
> What are the signs of stalled ferment?


Havnt seen any bubbles in the airlock in days. Nothing, nada. It was going pretty good too, could it have finished that quickly? (Just a gallon) I didn't think 63 was cold either.


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## Garfield (31/12/17)

muddytrails said:


> Havnt seen any bubbles in the airlock in days. Nothing, nada. It was going pretty good too, could it have finished that quickly? (Just a gallon) I didn't think 63 was cold either.


Airlocks can deceive. Have you taken a hydrometer reading?


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## muddytrails (31/12/17)

Reading came in at 1.02 !

I'm thinking its because we used yeast from the previous batch so it just went to town very efficiently? I also was surprised at how tart it came out. The original recipe used a quart of pear juice and 3 qts apple. I couldnt find pear but i thought cherry would make a nice touch to the cider . BF was surprised too, then reminded me that thats why they use cherry in making lambics (which i like). So I started calling this cider my accidental faux lambic. We transferred it to another glass jug, topped it off with some more unfiltered cider, and added a clarifying agent. I was going for a cider with a hint of cherry, this will be interesting when it finishes.


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## manticle (31/12/17)

63 deg C is hot enough to cook an egg or around the required internal temperature of medium steak so I reckon your conversion is a bit off.

Always best to check fermentation using an hydrometer as airlock activity is inaccurate.

Also do you mean 1.020 or 1.002? If 1.002, it's very close to finished but cider can get below 1.000 so wait a bit more.


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## muddytrails (31/12/17)

Whoops I ment 63F


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## Garfield (31/12/17)

muddytrails said:


> Whoops I ment 63F


As I suspected. About 18 Celsius? Give it more time and check gravity again. Cidars can take a long time to get to terminal gravity


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