ONE DAY vs ONE WEEK

In the batch I did today I used 230 grams of corn sugar. (left)

In the batch last week I used 175 grams of table sugar. (right)

Yesterday I noticed a decrease in airlock activity, and the growler was very cold to the touch. I placed a space heater in front of it and the airlock activity increased. I also noticed a sulfur-like smell coming from the airlock, and I am not sure if it's normal, or if it's due to me overheating my cider.... First batch ever.

Comments/Advice? Other than buy a hydrometer?

DeustchLehrer said:

In the batch I did today I used 230 grams of corn sugar. (left)

In the batch last week I used 175 grams of table sugar. (right)

Yesterday I noticed a decrease in airlock activity, and the growler was very cold to the touch. I placed a space heater in front of it and the airlock activity increased. I also noticed a sulfur-like smell coming from the airlock, and I am not sure if it's normal, or if it's due to me overheating my cider.... First batch ever.

Comments/Advice? Other than buy a hydrometer?

Click to expand...

Ok, lol, yes the hydrometer. It sounds like the heat woke up the yeast, and they started gassing off some of the SO2 they created during fermentation. That's natural, but don't heat your cider TOO much or the yeast may start producing off flavors.

As to the other observation, remember that cane sugar is mainly sucrose, and corn sugar is mainly maltose. Not sure which yeast you used, or if one batch has more pectin than the other?

Same exact yeast(1118) and juice from concentrate. If you look at my other posts you can see how radically the change took place in some different pictures. I am hoping my first batch isn't a dud, but worst comes to worst and I only have to wait a week for the second batch =)

I doubt it's a dud. Give it a taste. Just sanitize a straw and put it down in there like a wine thief. Depending on your ambient temps it might almost be done fermenting. 1118 is apparently a beast.

I'm not sure what you are looking for in a final product but you could always just pop it in the fridge and drink it all in one day

Same growlers in the same locations, here's the change in color since the last time I posted.

Airlock activity is damn close to nil on the right side at only 8 days. I'm probably going to cold crash it tomorrow night.

Well at least the left side looks 'normal'. It looks just like the right one from the 23rd and it appears you have your method down. Congrats.