How to increase to 5 GAL?

Hi, I am new to brewing and this is my first batch of cider I am trying.

I have started a 6 gallon batch of peach cider from the overflowing amount of fruit I picked from my tree. ( Barely put a dent in my tree)

I used about 15-20 lbs of cut up peaches currently in a nylon bag in a 6.5 gal primary bucket.

My question is when I remove the fruit I will have less than the 6 gallons of liquid I will need to completely fill the 6.5 gallon carboy.

What should I use to increase the liquid level to get to the 6 gal? If I just add water would I be diluting the specific gravity too much or would I add sugar to the batch and get a specific gravity of the 1.045-1.05 like I started with?


Currently in process:

5 gal Elderberry wine ( hand picked berries) ready to rack first time in 1 week.
OG 1.13 ( I know about .03 too high) fermentation went crazy. Starting to clear a little now.


5 gal Peach wine (hand picked) fermenting in primary.

6 gal Peach cider fermenting with fruit in nylon bag in primary bucket with airlock.
OG 1.045-1.05.

Peaches coming out of my ears. Made jam, fruit rollups whew!!!!

Currently drinking:

Bass clone Pale Ale Yum. First attempt at brewing love it!!!

Thanks, Don

Don't worry about topping off the cider. There should be enough CO2 coming out of the cider when you rack it to avoid contamination. Plus, Oxidation isn't much of a problem with ciders. Since you have so many peaches, start another batch.

You might consider adding three or four pounds of very ripe peaches and some Campden tablets. The Campden will kill the yeast & this will give you a little extra sweetness.

The peaches have been in the nylon bag for about 5 days now and I noticed that the airlock is no longer bubbling at all.

Tonight I am going to remove the bag and rack the cider into a glass carboy.

Questions:

What should the specific gravity be around at this point.

Is there any cause for concern that there doesnt appear to be any more active fermenation since the lack of the airlock bubbling at this point?

How long should I leave it in the secondary?

Thanks, Don.

PS went and picked another 6 lbs of fresh elderberries during lunch today. Couldnt help myself.

Ironman2, where in the OC are you? I'm at work in Yorba Linda right now, but will be going to a jobsite in Irvine in a few minutes.

Hey we are pretty close. I work in Mission Viejo and live near Long Beach.

I racked the cider last night. Pretty smelly stuff. I was a little worried upon smelling it but of course I had to taste it. Definately alcohol in it. Very dry though no sweetness at all.

I measured SG took a long time to get the sample cooled down to 60 degrees in my freezer.

The SG measured 1.00. I guess it will drop down to below 1.00 in the next two weeks of so?

Yesterday during lunch I picked arouind 6 lbs of elderberries here in Mission Viejo. There are tons of ripe berries on the trees right now. My elderberry wine is really coming along well. Starting to clear a little but its early and will need the first racking in a week.

Any ideas on which siphon is better than the darn hose and tube. I really dont like that system much especially when you get down to the bottom and while trying to tip the bucket to get all of the good stuff out you let air into the siphon because you need 3 hands to do everything. LOL.

Thanks, Don.