Cider questions

So i got a new batch going after my first attempt was my fault at bad cider.
Im using the Musselmans Cider brand , brown sugar , and nottinghams ale yeast.

I did the following add 2 lbs of brown sugar to 4 gallons of cider. I heated 1 gallon with the sugar to get it dissolved.

My starting OG is 1.066

My questions are how long should i let it ferment for i'd like a sweet cider but something that will knock you down for when i have some friends over.

Thank you

Dan

I like my semi-dry (not dry but less sweet than Woodchuck, for example) at around 1.010 specific gravity. Can't say how many days, for my ciders that usually between 4 - 7 days, but I usually start a lower gravity than you are.

How are you planning on getting the yeast to stop? Left alone, it will eat up all the sugars and give you a dry cider. You could also backsweeten the cider, after letting it ferment dry.

Take a look at www.makinghardcider.com for a good primer for new cider makers.

Im not sure how i was going stop the yeast. What would be the best way to stop further fermentation. I may want to leave a couple bottles with the yeast going and see down the road how it is.

You can't leave them in a couple of bottles to ferment out, because you'll get bottle bombs, just as you would if you bottled beer before it was done fermenting.

Here's three ideas or methods you could use:

1. Make some of EdWort's Apfelwein, a dry, wine-like cider. You'll find the info in the wine forum, I think

2. use the method in www.makinghardcider.com - a semi-dry, sparkling, bottle carbonated cider using a method where you let the cider ferment out, add flavoring and backsweeten with a none-fermentable

3. I make a simple draft-style cider using a stove-top pasteurizing method - http://www.singingboysbrewing.com/Apple-Cider.html and there's a sticky thread about it in the cider forum

Thanks Pappers for all the help!