So, I threw together a simple spiced cider a couple weeks ago (10 August) that now tastes kinda funky and seems to have stalled in fermentation. This was my first cider, so I figured I'd get some more experienced folks to throw in their 2c.
Here's the original recipe:
-6 gallons store bought, 100% not from concentrate, pasteurized, no preservatives Apple Juice (from sunny Okanagan, BC).
- 2lbs brown sugar
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- Nottingham yeast
OG: 1.060
Process:
- poured in all but one liter AJ, and heated that one on the stove top to 100F. melted/sterilized sugar and cinnamon, cooled to 70F and pitched re hydrated yeast.
- 9 days later, (Aug 19) after the SG had dropped to 1.005, there was no hint of cinnamon, and it tasted a little "off". I racked it to a secondary carboy and added 750ml AJ with 1 cup Brown sugar and 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon that I had heated to about 120F (then cooled to room temp). This brought the SG up to 1.010.
checked the SG early this A.M., and it is still at 1.010 and it still has an "off", slightly funky flavor to it. The flavor is not 'bad', per se, just a little "off". On a weird note, I left the tasting glass about half full, sitting on the counter for about 5 hours, and the funky taste seems to have dissipated...
two questions. 1) I know the fermentation is going slower now; but it seems to have stopped altogether. (no signs of bubbles in airlock or carboy, consistent hydrometer reading after 5 days). Is this to be expected? can I still bottle prime?
2) I'm not terribly worried about the funky taste (it still has just been 3 weeks), but I'm wondering if my slightly higher fermentation temperature (around 72-74 F) might have something to do with it or if it is normal with young ciders. Any thoughts?
TIA for all the help!
Here's the original recipe:
-6 gallons store bought, 100% not from concentrate, pasteurized, no preservatives Apple Juice (from sunny Okanagan, BC).
- 2lbs brown sugar
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- Nottingham yeast
OG: 1.060
Process:
- poured in all but one liter AJ, and heated that one on the stove top to 100F. melted/sterilized sugar and cinnamon, cooled to 70F and pitched re hydrated yeast.
- 9 days later, (Aug 19) after the SG had dropped to 1.005, there was no hint of cinnamon, and it tasted a little "off". I racked it to a secondary carboy and added 750ml AJ with 1 cup Brown sugar and 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon that I had heated to about 120F (then cooled to room temp). This brought the SG up to 1.010.
checked the SG early this A.M., and it is still at 1.010 and it still has an "off", slightly funky flavor to it. The flavor is not 'bad', per se, just a little "off". On a weird note, I left the tasting glass about half full, sitting on the counter for about 5 hours, and the funky taste seems to have dissipated...
two questions. 1) I know the fermentation is going slower now; but it seems to have stopped altogether. (no signs of bubbles in airlock or carboy, consistent hydrometer reading after 5 days). Is this to be expected? can I still bottle prime?
2) I'm not terribly worried about the funky taste (it still has just been 3 weeks), but I'm wondering if my slightly higher fermentation temperature (around 72-74 F) might have something to do with it or if it is normal with young ciders. Any thoughts?
TIA for all the help!
