scottyspohn

Recipes 

So I racked into the secondary today and I used a hydrometer when I first made it and it was 1.070 today when roaching to secondary its .994 and almost no alcohol its tastes ok kinda bitter I'm thinking if I top it of with more cider or apple concentrate will that water it down at all or will it improve the taste can I add more sugar at this point and if so is more yeast reguired any help would be great thank you

UpstateMike

Recipes 

1.070 to 0.994 should give you a bit over 10% ABV. It will be dry (not sweet). Adding apple concentrate before bottling will add sweetness, and probably restart fermentation (if you want carbed cider this is a good thing). It will reduce the ABV a bit, how much I guess depends on how much concentrate you use.

What size batch is this?

__________________
"No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities." ~ 1 Timothy 5:23

Currently Fermenting:
Nothing

Bottle Conditioning:
Citron Cider
Blackberry Cider
The Five Eight Five

In Bottles / Drinking:
Cranberry Cider

scottyspohn

Recipes 

Maybe I don't know how to use the hydrometer Lol..... its a 5 gallon batch blueberry and craisons

Pickled_Pepper

Recipes 

I'm thinking that if you can't taste alcohol, that's a good thing. I'd let it age and see if the bitterness subsides and the apple flavor comes back around before adding anything else to it.

MarkKF

Recipes 

Craisons? Do you put them in the secondary? Do they add alcohol or flavor or both? How much for a 5 gal. carboy?

AndrewTodd

Recipes 

The Hydrometer scale shows potential alcohol based on the natural sugar content, So you take your first reading with no sugar or yeast added. Say it 1.070 and that gives you potential alcohol of 8.9% You take your final gravity reading at .994

According to my calculation

1.070 -.994 = .076

.076 x 131.25 = 9.975%

Your brew is at 9.975% ABV

UpstateMike

Recipes 

I use the formula
% Alcohol = (((1.05*(OG-FG))/FG)/0.79)*100

I have also seen
% Alcohol = (OG-FG)*133

Both are close.

__________________
"No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities." ~ 1 Timothy 5:23

Currently Fermenting:
Nothing

Bottle Conditioning:
Citron Cider
Blackberry Cider
The Five Eight Five

In Bottles / Drinking:
Cranberry Cider

AndrewTodd

Recipes 

You have some high test hooch for sure..

sexton69

Recipes 

I was going to do the same add a little apple concentrate to make sweeter! Now you say fermentation might set in again but if I bottle that right away and put in fridge won't the fermentation stop? Also will the pressure be to much for a bottle then?

scottyspohn

Recipes 

Hey mike I did 5-12 oz bags of frozen blueberries soaked in vodka and 2 pounds of craisons in the primary I can't really taste a difference but this is my first time making cider I was told I could add 2 more pounds to the secondary and it would bring out more flavor but I'm not going to do that I like it just fine now