High FG?

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Wingy

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Hi all, this is my first time making cider and I'm a bit concerned about my high FG (1.007-1.009) after 3.5 weeks in the fermenter. It tastes great so I'm not worried about infection or anything, but I'd prefer not to have my bottles kersplode when I add the priming sugar. SG has been stable for 5 days.

I used 5.0 gal of apple juice, 0.5 lb of table sugar, and added a dry yeast packet without rehydrating (I know, I know...). Yeast was a white wine yeast, possibly Montpellier (? Don't have my notebook in front of me) and OG was around 1.055(ish). I'd like it to finish around 1.000 or 0.998 just to get that extra bit of dryness (going for a lower ABV Apfelwein for summer).

It was only my second time throwing something into a fermenter, so I didn't aerate as well as I should have. Is my fermentation stuck due to poor aeration/pitching yeast without rehydrating? What's the best way to rouse the yeast? Or should I just RDWHAHB? Thanks!
 
Hi all, this is my first time making cider and I'm a bit concerned about my high FG (1.007-1.009) after 3.5 weeks in the fermenter. It tastes great so I'm not worried about infection or anything, but I'd prefer not to have my bottles kersplode when I add the priming sugar. SG has been stable for 5 days.

I used 5.0 gal of apple juice, 0.5 lb of table sugar, and added a dry yeast packet without rehydrating (I know, I know...). Yeast was a white wine yeast, possibly Montpellier (? Don't have my notebook in front of me) and OG was around 1.055(ish). I'd like it to finish around 1.000 or 0.998 just to get that extra bit of dryness (going for a lower ABV Apfelwein for summer).

It was only my second time throwing something into a fermenter, so I didn't aerate as well as I should have. Is my fermentation stuck due to poor aeration/pitching yeast without rehydrating? What's the best way to rouse the yeast? Or should I just RDWHAHB? Thanks!

I'd wait at least a couple more weeks- it should finish at .990 or so with that yeast. Is it clear? Once it's totally clear, it's probably finished.
 
I'd wait at least a couple more weeks- it should finish at .990 or so with that yeast. Is it clear? Once it's totally clear, it's probably finished.

Not quite clear yet, I'll just relax a bit and wait until the last of the haze goes away and check again. Thanks!
 
You could gently raise the temp, too, to encourage the yeast to finish their work. I'm with Yooper, I would have thought that yeast would ferment it completely dry, and there's nothing in your recipe that would change that.

On the other hand, if its done, its done.
 
you could gently raise the temp, too, to encourage the yeast to finish their work. I'm with yooper, i would have thought that yeast would ferment it completely dry, and there's nothing in your recipe that would change that.

+1
 
Thanks, I've been at 66-68 so I'll move the fermenter up to 70-72 and see if that helps.
 
I had a batch that stopped fermenting but when I transferred it to a secondary it mixed things up and it took off again.
 
Quick update - the move was a success! Went from the cold basement (ale fermenting temps) to the office where it's closer to 70 and packed some sweatshirts around it to keep the heat in. Apfelwein is now crystal clear in a glass, SG 0.998-1.000. Tastes a bit hot, but I'm hoping that this will mellow with age. I'll let it sit for 10 more days and get it into bottles. Thanks for the all the advice.
 
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