This is the first time making cider so im a little unsure about what is going on. I made three batches of cider using their existing wild yeast. i mixed all three up on 11/16/10 i used all the same juice from a local farm and everything thing is exactly the same minus the different additives. they all are still in primary i don't have the equipment to rack it into something else.
1. 6 gallon carboy, i added 6 pounds sugar(white and brown) and raisins
2. 3 gallon carboy, i added 3 pounds of honey
3. 1 gallon jug , i added a little of everything honey, raisins, white and brown sugar(all my left over stuff)
This is whats confusing me my 6 gallon carboy is stuck at 1.020 gravity, i get maybe one bubble every 65 seconds and its cloudy. i took a reading about two weeks ago and compared it to one i took two days ago and it has maybe had a .001 change in gravity. my 3 gallon carboy is giving me a reading of 1.010. its cloudy and the gravity has pretty much halted in this one too. it bubbles about once every 70 seconds. my 1 gallon jug though has halted at 1.00 and has cleared up so i can see through it. i have tasted all three and they all taste like you would expect, varying from sweet to dry. the taste is getting better compared to two weeks ago, they are pretty tasty now.
my concerns
If they were all made from the same juice and wild yeast, is it normal for them to finish so differently. is it the difference in sugar that is giving me such different readings or is the yeast just that unstable. or is my 6 gallon carboy just fermenting that much slower or are they done. its been two months since i mixed them and i would like to get them off the lees and bottle it, but if its going to kick back into gear i don't want to make bombs.
Can anyone shed a little light on what is happening and if you think i can bottle or not, i don't know what to do at this stage of the game
-thanks for the help
1. 6 gallon carboy, i added 6 pounds sugar(white and brown) and raisins
2. 3 gallon carboy, i added 3 pounds of honey
3. 1 gallon jug , i added a little of everything honey, raisins, white and brown sugar(all my left over stuff)
This is whats confusing me my 6 gallon carboy is stuck at 1.020 gravity, i get maybe one bubble every 65 seconds and its cloudy. i took a reading about two weeks ago and compared it to one i took two days ago and it has maybe had a .001 change in gravity. my 3 gallon carboy is giving me a reading of 1.010. its cloudy and the gravity has pretty much halted in this one too. it bubbles about once every 70 seconds. my 1 gallon jug though has halted at 1.00 and has cleared up so i can see through it. i have tasted all three and they all taste like you would expect, varying from sweet to dry. the taste is getting better compared to two weeks ago, they are pretty tasty now.
my concerns
If they were all made from the same juice and wild yeast, is it normal for them to finish so differently. is it the difference in sugar that is giving me such different readings or is the yeast just that unstable. or is my 6 gallon carboy just fermenting that much slower or are they done. its been two months since i mixed them and i would like to get them off the lees and bottle it, but if its going to kick back into gear i don't want to make bombs.
Can anyone shed a little light on what is happening and if you think i can bottle or not, i don't know what to do at this stage of the game
-thanks for the help