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jleg1986

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Hey, I have just started brewing my own Hard cider roughly three weeks ago and have certainly learned some dissapointing lessons but have had success in a great tasting carbinated sweet cider of about 7% ABV...

My questions come from my batches inconsistency with everyone else... I hear of people fermenting for weeks on end however my fermenting usually kicks off vigorously in 24hrs and the airlock stops activity by around 4 days. How am I ending up with something drinkable, tasty, and plenty alchoholic in this time frame?

Also I don't want to ever let it ferment all the way as I like sweet sparkling cider, not dry still wine... but I would rather have it naturally I stead of back sweetening or priming every batch and risking bottle bombs or geysers.

Any suggestions?
 
Temperature would play a part in the speed of fermentation.
As for it being sweet and alcoholic, there is a good chance that it may still be an active fermentation. Bubbles in the airlock are not an accurate indication of activity. I've had a few fermentations where they haven't bubbled for days on end.

Not to say that's a bad thing. If you're happy with the product, then yay! Just be careful when storing them if you're bottling. If they warm up too much the fermentation may continue and the bottles may explode.

A lot of people tend to allow their cider to ferment out totally and back sweeten because they might have better control of the taste. Or some people just enjoy really dry cider.
 
That would make sense as I have the room I use at 70º... I have always wondered if backsweetening can give the same flavor profile as if I were to force stop at the sugar level I want it to be at?
 
I couldn't tell you for sure. I imagine it wouldn't be exactly the same. But some people can taste the sulfites and stuff used to stop a fermentation if that helps at all.
 
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