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jfrans84 · 02-29-2012, 07:03 PM

Took a hydrometer reading last night. I went from an OG 1.08 to a FG 1.035 about 6.5% ABV. In 5 days. So I racked it into my bucket and stuck it in the fridge. All is well the the batch, and the taste IMO is great. Its kinda sweet, u can still taste the brown sugar a little an and almost all the apple flavor is still there.

This is my first cider so I kept it easy:
4.5 gal of tree top cider
4 lbs of dark brown
11g pack of Nottingham yeast

So when do I know it's done and ready to keg?
It was cloudy. Had pectic enzyme and didn't use it. Oh well next time. I have also seen many posts on psi for a keg priming and regular serving pressure, but very few were the same.
Sooooooo.... A little Help? Please.?!....

PoBoy · 02-29-2012, 08:34 PM

Does it not taste very yeasty?

I'm just a noob myself, so what do I know? That said, you surely used a lot of sugar, as evidenced by both your recipe and your OG. Seems like the cloud would be a lot of yeast working a lot of sugar, as your high FG would seem to indicate...seems like it needs a bit more time before kegging, but likely you have some goal in mind that I, with my limited understanding, fail to perceive.

To be more specific, I am puzzled by your use of so much sugar (as if setting out to produce a very high octane apfelwein) vs. your choice of yeast (about 11-13% ABV capable max) vs. the expectation of completion in just five days; again, I'm a noob, so perhaps the yeast choice was an attempt to leave plenty sugar for sweetness??? but completion in five days? My initial thought was that you need to thin down the mixture to two batches, but since you like the taste...what the heck, enjoy!

Dicky · 03-01-2012, 10:21 AM

If that's what he is doing than it's fine.

But...and it's a fair sized but...
If you want it to stay at that sweetness then you will need to stabilise it. Putting it in the fridge has stopped the yeast from chewing through the sugar, but once your take it out and it gets warm again it will start right back up. Which, in all fairness, is what you want if you want to carbonate it.

I suggest you leave it in the Fridge for now so it can start to clear. Then you may want to stabilise the cider and force carbonate it (if you are kegging).

Hope that's helpful!

Dicky

PoBoy · 03-01-2012, 04:32 PM

My bad, Jfranz. Just found that 5-day sweet cider thread, so now I understand your goal....I admitted being a noob and likely I failed to see where you were headed. Such was indeed the case.

jfrans84 · 03-01-2012, 05:27 PM

It's cool. I looked at it this morning and it's cleared a little. No airlock activity at all. I'm goin to let it sit for another day. I'm to impatient, I'm drinking it Saturday!