EdWort's ApfelWein gravity ?

So I just made my first 5 gallons of Ed's Apfelwein, but I forgot to get a gravity reading before pitching the yeast. Now after I pitched the yeast, I shook the carboy up a bit and the top 1/4 to 1/2 or so got cloudy, and the bottom stayed looking like apple juice. About 30 min later I started punching it into BeerSmith and realized I needed to get an OG, so I went and took it. The sample was cloudy from the top and read in at 1.060, which is a few points short of what beersmith and Ed's recipe predicted. Is it possible that the yeast in the cloudy top already started fermenting the sugars within 30 min throwing off my reading, or is that truly my OG?

Recipe was 2Lbs of corn sugar and then Apple Juice to the 5 gallon mark(just shy of a full 5 gallons of juice). The apple juice alone has a gravity of 1.046. The OG according to Ed should be 1.066, which it's possible I have less sugar in my juice than Ed, but you never know.

Thoughts?

Just go with it. There are so many factors at this point (the addition of the yeast, potential stratification of the juice/sugar mixture, possible incomplete dissolving of the sugar) that it's really not worth worrying about.

As for the way it looks, that's how mine all start out. The yeast cloud starts at the top and within a couple days the whole carboy is fully clouded and fermenting away.

Looks like you should have a good cider on your hands in a couple of months!

Thanks for the response. I'm sure it will turn out ok, I'm probably just over analyzing this(as usual)

I just did two batches about a week ago and they were 1.062 and 1.06. I think things will turn out just fine. My last batch cleared about 1 month after fermentation began. It was about 10 deg warmer in the house at that time though so we will see what happens now that it is cooler!

Good luck!

daugenet said:

I just did two batches about a week ago and they were 1.062 and 1.06. I think things will turn out just fine. My last batch cleared about 1 month after fermentation began. It was about 10 deg warmer in the house at that time though so we will see what happens now that it is cooler!

Good luck!

Click to expand...

I'll have to see what happens with mine too, my downstairs closet keeps the carboys at around 64 during the winter months(per the temp strip on the outside of the carboy), not sure how that will affect this since it's my first cider, but I like my beers better when they ferment at that temp

"Should be more than 1.060" ??? I split mine into 2 2.5 gallon batches with 1kg(2.2lb) dextrose which is more than the recipe called for, and due to eyeballing the proportions, one batch was 1.060 and one 1.070. is that too little o.g. for this? The cloudiness descended in mine as well.

brandon0982 said:

"Should be more than 1.060" ??? I split mine into 2 2.5 gallon batches with 1kg(2.2lb) dextrose which is more than the recipe called for, and due to eyeballing the proportions, one batch was 1.060 and one 1.070. is that too little o.g. for this? The cloudiness descended in mine as well.

Click to expand...

Not sure, mines still in the carboy(been too busy to bottle), but it tasted great! Beersmith predicted 1.065, so I was a little under, but either way it's still tasty Also, I think I will be carbing this too. I probly need to degasse(think that's how it's spelled) it as it's slightly carbonated in the carboy, but I do like the light carbonation.

Based on what you reported, 1.060 is correct.

Apple juice 1.046.

2 lbs of corn sugar adds 72 points, or 14 points per gallon. 46+14=60, or a gravity of 1.060.

I suspect your difference from the recipe is that your juice has a lower gravity than Ed's original. Apple juice can vary from 1.040 to 1.060, and maybe more than that.

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but I'm having an issue with SG.

I checked the GV juice and it came in at 1.045. I added 2 pounds of table sugar to just shy of 5 gallons and it's reading 1.055... Should I be at least 1.060? As far as I can tell, all the sugar has been dissolved. Should I pull some just out and add another pound of sugar?

Nevermind... I just checked it again and it's at 1.060 on my refractometer.. Using the hydrometer, I'm at 1.062.

Looks like I'm good.

Thanks!