Bottling/Priming Question

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gcrisler

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I brewed 5 gallons of O'Graff's cider 3 weeks ago. Over the weekend I transferred it into secondary, and it looked and tasted pretty good, seems sweet enough. I just did a gravity reading and it is at 1.000. Should I go ahead and bottle now? I haven't seen any fermentation in a few days. Should I put more yeast in before I bottle? I put in a lot of extra sugar, like 1.5# of brown sugar and .5# of molasses so I am worried I have made the alcohol content so high that the Nottingham yeast topped out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
I think you'd be better off waiting till it's clear before you bottle, clear enough to read a newspaper through. No need to add any more yeast, there will be plenty in there even after it clears. If you bottle before it's clear, you'll get a lot more sediment in the bottles. You should be OK on the alcohol levels with Nottingham yeast. When you do bottle, prime it like beer & wait a few weeks, should carb up just fine. Regards, GF.
 
Thanks for the reply gratus fermentatio, but that leads me to another question. I used Simply Apple, the Simply brand of apple juice, for my base which was really dark, a lot darker than motts or something like that, so I am wondering how clear it will get. This is my first batch of cider so i don't really know what I am looking for. I can let it sit in secondary longer, I just dont know how clear it will get
 
No problem, just wait & let it do it's thing. It will eventually be clear enough for you to hold a newspaper against 1 side of the carbouy with your hand & you'll be able to read the print from the opposite side of the carbouy. Just out of curiosity, what hops did you use & how well do they blend with the molasses? Regards, GF.
EDIT: You might have to shine a flashlight on it/thru it if it's too dark, but it'll still be clear. Regards, GF.
 
wow, that's awesome that it will get that clear

I used Saaz, and I just threw the molasses in there because I was a few brews deep and just wanted to get the gravity up, haha. But I think it will turn out pretty good, couldn't really pick it out in the sip i had when i was transferring but I've put it in other brews and liked it and they say it gives it a buttery taste which I think will go well cider.

thanks again for the advice
 

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