Cider Still Fermenting!

[MattSR]

Hi Guys,

I'm doing a massive cider like the one in the recipe DB. Its now been fermenting for 16 days, it is all fizzing away madly still.. I'm using Vintners SN9 yeast, is such a long fermentation time expected? The yeast hasn't dropped out yet, theres nothing on the bottom of the fermenter!

50L apple juice
Couple of vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks
1 litre pear juice
5kg white sugar
1kg coopers brew booster (just cause I had it lying around lol)
Vintners SN9 yeast fermenting at about 20 degrees.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[Bizier]

Did you take an SG reading on that moonshine? That is a lot of sugar on top of what is already approximately a standard cider. Let it finish fully, perhaps bring to over 20c for a few days when it looks fully done, just to ensure it is finished.

 

[MattSR]

Hehe yep - start SG was 1075. Unfortunately I can't take a reading at the moment because of the location of the fermenter..

 

[kalbarluke]

What is your predicted alcohol content? It looks like it will be stronger than paint stripper.

 

[MattSR]

SN9 should ferment right out to 1.000 or close to it - target ABV is about 11% I think.. 6KG is a lot of sugar, but the final volume was about 55 litres also.

It will be very interesting to see how it turns out

 

[KudaPucat]

Sn9 will ferment 1.140 out dry. It will handle 1.075 with ease.
I'm guessing this will finishe at 0.995 unless there are some non fermentable sugars.
It's not that high an OG for SN9, but a 30 day ferment would not be unusual, especially if you didn't use yeast nutrient or oxygenate much in the first 1/3 of ferment.
Give it time, it'll be fine.