Apple Cider

[Christopherb]

Dear All

Hopefully a basic question for all you experts out there.

I've had some Apple Cider fermenting for about 3 to 4 weeks now and i'm trying to work out when to bottle.

The can says bottle at an SG of 1.006, however my brew is currently sitting at 1.015 to 1.020

Does this mean i need to leave longer? or have i left it too long and need to start again? :unsure:

I'm using a small mini brew kit with some "Black Rock" cider mix

Its been cold here, so i've struggled to keep the mix at he recommended 23 to 28oC....with it generally sitting at about 20 to 22oC. Will this impact the brew?

Thanks alot!

Chris
(Brewing newbie)

 

[manticle]

Depending on the yeast, I prefer to ferment ciders cooler. 28 is way too high for most brews anyway so where you've got it is much better. I ferment mine around 14 using white wine yeast.

Cider requires patience and 1020 is definitely way too high. Can you tell us the individual ingredients?

 

[RdeVjun]

Hi Chris & welcome!

Yes, that would be a concern with it stopping at that point. So glad to hear you're using that hydrometer, but have you tested it in plain water? It should read 1.000 at the calibration temperature which should be marked somewhere on the hydrometer or the package (usually 15 or 20C). If it is out by a few points (say reads 1.002) then that's fine, just adjust your measurements with that offset, if it out by a lot then ditch it and get a new one.

If it still tastes sweet (always take a hydrometer sample from the tap and use the tube, please don't put the hydrometer in the fermenter!) and the SG is not budging from that level then there's a good chance it has stalled. The first thing I would do is rouse it, so take a well- sanitised stirrer (big spoon or spatula with a long handle), and gently stir the sediments ('trub') from the bottom of the fermenter. No need to suspend all that muck, just 10 or 20 seconds of gentle stirring to re- suspend some of the sediment should be plenty, you don't want to introduce any more dissolved oxygen at that point. Then wait a few days and remeasure the SG, if it hasn't dropped to <1.010 then repitch with a fresh yeast and also some yeast nutrient. If that doesn't move it, probably nothing will.

You're probably aware of this, but I'll reiterate how important it is not bottle above this sort of cider 1.010, and only after it has been stable over at least three days. Doing otherwise will most likely result in glass bottle bombs.

Depending on the actual strain, those temperatures should be all right. Fermenting it lower than 20 is quite OK, in fact preferred by many brewers, despite what many of the kit manufacturers say.

Hope this helps! :icon_cheers:

 

[Screwtop]

Dear All

Hopefully a basic question for all you experts out there.

I've had some Apple Cider fermenting for about 3 to 4 weeks now and i'm trying to work out when to bottle.

The can says bottle at an SG of 1.006, however my brew is currently sitting at 1.015 to 1.020

Does this mean i need to leave longer? or have i left it too long and need to start again? :unsure:

I'm using a small mini brew kit with some "Black Rock" cider mix

Its been cold here, so i've struggled to keep the mix at he recommended 23 to 28oC....with it generally sitting at about 20 to 22oC. Will this impact the brew?

Thanks alot!

Chris
(Brewing newbie)

Think it needs more time, worth checking your Hydro and your method of using it, did you swirl to remove clinging bubbles of Co2?

I could never get kits to attenuate any where near the FG stated on the can. For your next attempt just grab 20L of preservative free apple juice from Aldi plus a couple of litres of blackcurrant or Grape and toss in one pack of S-04, it'll be done in a week, easy and way better than the can goo IMO. Planning to put one down soon, culturing some yeast from a bottle of Old Rosy Scrumpy Cider in readiness.

Cheers,

Screwy

 

[Christopherb]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the responses.

To run through a few comments made by various people:

- The Cider Ingredients were as follows:

1 Can Black Rock Cider
1 Pack Brewcraft #15 Brew Booster
Water
Yeast

- Tested the Hydrometer this arvo, and it came up ok.

- Yep, figured out i needed to twist the hydro, after wondering why it kept getting higher and higher all by itself...then seeing all the bubbles on the sides. Did about 4 tests, all pretty much the same reading.

Anyone got any ideas on a way to easily warm this stuff up a couple of degrees (and keep it there)? Without over-heating it?
The recommendation seems to be to keep it lower than the 28oC......but i assume i need to be a bit warmer than 18oC...which is where it is tonight. (Grrrrrrr......maybe i should just stick to brewing in Summer!)

I gave the tub a light stir tonight and moved it to a slightly warmer location. (fingers crossed)

Do i give it a few days before testing again?

Thanks

Chris

 

[RdeVjun]

Anyone got any ideas on a way to easily warm this stuff up a couple of degrees (and keep it there)? Without over-heating it?
The recommendation seems to be to keep it lower than the 28oC......but i assume i need to be a bit warmer than 18oC...which is where it is tonight. (Grrrrrrr......maybe i should just stick to brewing in Summer!)

Seriously, it will be just fine at 18. You are quite fortunate, some brewers would give their first born for 18C at this time of year, even in ciders. So, consider yourself very lucky!
What you would do best to avoid are swings in temperature though, stability is really the key.

Do i give it a few days before testing again?

Yes. If it doesn't drop any lower within 3 days I'd repitch some fresh yeast, say Nottingham, S-04 or US05 from your LHBS but also add some yeast nutrient too- apple juice is notoriously low in the right kinds of nutrients for yeast, they should have some too and tell you how to use it (basically by keeping it sanitary!).

Check in here for more info if needed, hope it goes well! :icon_cheers:

 

[keleidoscope]

3 weeks with the black rock kit! Bloody hell, I use that kit all the time and it's always done in 5 - 6 days.

If your airlock is no longer going and the gravity reading is stable, bottle that shit!

 

[manticle]

So no airlock + stable gravity at 1020 for a cider is safe for bottling you think? Can you reattach the pieces of his eye if you're wrong?

 

[thelastspud]

If your airlock is no longer going and the gravity reading is stable, bottle that shit!

this is dangerous advice.

ive had bottles explode they dont just crack and vent the pressure. No, you find bits of glass all over the room and one normally sets a few others off as well.

wait till the reading is lower than 1.010 otherwise you just end up mopping it off the floor

 

[Screwtop]

3 weeks with the black rock kit! Bloody hell, I use that kit all the time and it's always done in 5 - 6 days.

If your airlock is no longer going and the gravity reading is stable, bottle that shit!

Joined yesterday and provides this advice................... you dick. This forum is going to the shitter!!

Screwy

 

[keleidoscope]

Joined yesterday and provides this advice................... you dick. This forum is going to the shitter!!

Screwy

It's a kit that ferments in 5 - 6 days (which I've been using regularly for the last 4 years and am pretty familiar with), the gravity is not changing, I don't think it would be a danger to bottle this after three weeks.

That being said, I would use plastic bottles. If you have bottled it too soon you can unscrew them a little to let some gas out. I've never had to do this but a friend did with his ginger beer and all was fine.

I've never taking a reading with mine, so I have no idea what it should be, admittedly. It just seems crazy that it could still be going after so long.

I had a similar problem a few years ago and I was adviced ignore the numbers, just make sure it;s stable. Perhaps that was the wrong advice.

Criticism noted

 

[bconnery]

I'm not sure what's in the brew booster but often these things contain maltodextrin in some proportion which won't ferment out much so will leave a higher FG. Not as high as yours is, but higher perhaps than the numbers people are suggesting for this kit.

If you're beer is 20 or so in the day time I'd wonder what it's getting down to at night. Not sure about the cider kit yeast but maybe it doesn't like lower temps and may have stalled a little.
Rouse and warm it up if you can. Letting it get a little higher isn't such a concern when the bulk of fermentation is finished in my opinion.

Because of these factors I'd still be concerned at bottling at such a high FG, even with stable readings.

 

[Christopherb]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the commentary. Not real keen on cider all over the house,......so i might wait a little. :icon_cheers:

As mentioned, I have moved the fermenter to a slightly warmer location in the house, which seems to have helped.

Its warmed a degree or two and is more stable too. Hopefully given the stir, it will kick off again (or already has).

I've re-checked my SG tonight, and it seems to be sitting at about 1.014....compared to maybe 15 or 16 yesterday, ...so i might be moving in the right direction. (will know for sure if it moves a bit more in the next couple of days)

Will update the post to keep you in the loop!

Thanks

Chris

 

[Christopherb]

Ok guys,

Went to the brew shop....and chatted to the guy there.

I had the brew sitting for another week with a heat pad....with the SG sitting around 1.014

The box reckons it should get to 1.006 to 1010, so the guy in the shop suggested giving it a few more days of testing, then bottle if stable.

Bottled the lot over the weekend....so fingers crossed it will all go to plan. :icon_cheers:

Will log back in 5 weeks or so, after i have chilled and hopefully enjoyed the first bottle!

After a few of the posts here, i might leave the bottles somewhere that a leak won't ruin the carpet though. (just in case.) I'm using Plastic Bottles, so i expect the tops would just let go....rather than starting a chain reaction of flying glass explosions.

Thanks for your help!

Chris

 

[manticle]

It just seems crazy that it could still be going after so long.

I had a similar problem a few years ago and I was adviced ignore the numbers, just make sure it;s stable. Perhaps that was the wrong advice.

Criticism noted

It happens. I have an ESB that sat on 1020 for nigh on 3 weeks. Brought a sample inside, warmed it and shook the shit out of it and in 3 or 4 days it had hit 1012.

Warmed the brew waited another week - sure enough - now down to 1012. Bottling 'that shit' just because it's stable could be nasty. I do bottle in glass but plastic bottles can explode too.

 

[bum]

I had the brew sitting for another week with a heat pad....with the SG sitting around 1.014

The box reckons it should get to 1.006 to 1010, so the guy in the shop suggested giving it a few more days of testing, then bottle if stable.

If the manufacturer recommends 1010 then 1014 most likely won't make bombs (though I'd still recommend you drink them pretty quick - they might get over carbed quickly). The earlier suggestion to bottle at 1020 was pretty awful though and I'm glad you listened to everyone else. I've had this kit before and it drinks alright if not too old. Enjoy!