Fermentation question.

I pitched a 3 gallon batch of apple cider 2 1/2 gallons organic apple juice, no preservatives and half gallon pomegranet-blueberry cocktail mix. The cocktail had some "sulfite (grape skins)" that's how it was written on the bottle. Mixed it up, aerated it, added nutients and energizer, 2 packs coopers beer yeast which I had rehydrated first. Fermentation started in about 1 hour. Was using an overflow tube instead of an airlock. Bubbled up and out, vigerous fermentation for 3 day, then solwed. Tool a sample and Sg was down from 5.5 to 3.0. But doesn't seem to be fermenting anymore? Taste is very nice, smooth but obviously quite sweet. I know there are still fermentables in there but am wondering if the sulfite hampered the initial yeast and if I should re oitch, should i just wait and see. And since the taste is so good, is 3.5% abv strong enough for it to keep? Any info would be appreciated! Thnaks

The concentrate has unfermentable sugars in it. I made 5 gallons with 3 cans of the concentrate. Waited the month and as I took the reading before bottling was like whale I still have alot to ferment out. I waited another two weeks and had the same reading. Decided it was done, bottled two weeks ago. So far no bottle bombs.

Great to hear, I will allow to sit another couple of days and see what happens. 3.5 and sweet, good for the wifey!

ttibby said:

Great to hear, I will allow to sit another couple of days and see what happens. 3.5 and sweet, good for the wifey!

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I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but I assume the Potential alcohol went from 5.5 to 3.0?

Winemakers use the "specific gravity scale" (as do cider makers), so if you look on your hydrometer, you can see the corresponding SG readings.


Your cider isn't done, unless your yeast is absolute crap. (and cooper's is bad, but I don't know if it's "absolute" crap.) so I wouldn't bottle this for a while- I would expect the SG to drop to .990 or so.

Sg went from og of 1.055 to 1.030 for a calculated abv of 3.28% abv

Sorry for my non conventionalism! Ha, ha was always that way, even in school!

ttibby said:

Sg went from og of 1.055 to 1.030 for a calculated abv of 3.28% abv

Sorry for my non conventionalism! Ha, ha was always that way, even in school!

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If it's at 1.030, it still has a way to go before being done!

Am I reading correctly that it has only been 3-4 days in the primary at this point?

Yes, 5 days to be exact. However, there is no activity. I am away for a couple of days so my upitiness is not as tried! I will check when I get home.

I can get antsy when I have low activity for a few days too. I say, if you are still stuck at 1.030 when you get back, then you can start looking at options.

Well, 4 days away does good! Down to 0.020 and 4.6% abv. If I like the taste as it is can I kill the fermentation with campden tabs?

ttibby said:

Well, 4 days away does good! Down to 0.020 and 4.6% abv. If I like the taste as it is can I kill the fermentation with campden tabs?

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No. Campden doesn't kill wine or ale yeast- that's why winemakers use them in their wines as antioxidants.

The most dependable way to sweeten a wine or cider is to let it ferment out, stabilize with sorbate and a campden (sorbate works better in the presence of campden, but neither kill yeast) and then sweeten to taste.

The sorbate only inhibits yeast reproduction, so the cider has to be finished, clear, and without any lees on the bottom, to be effective.

Then it can be sweetened to taste. If you do this, the cider will be still. That is, not carbonated.

If you want a carbonated cider, you want to either not stabilize the cider so you can bottle carb, carb with a co2 tank, or pasteurize the cider following the "sticky thread".

If you want to hold it right where it is now, you could pasteurize it now if you want.

Thanks! I will read the sticky on pasturizing!