Cider primary fermentation length

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Eamster

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My cider(apple juice) has been fermenting for 4 weeks now with little activity in the air lock as of late. I decided to take a reading today and it came out to be 1.008. I didn't know if I should bottle it or wait until the fg came down a bit more. I was planning on adding some primer sugar (sucrose) so I could be carbonated. Also the sg was 1.056 and I used us-04 yeast.
 
4 weeks isn't unusual for my ciders. As the SG drops lower and lower, the rate of change also decrees. So it might take two to three weeks to go from 1.060 to 1.010, but then another week or two to drop form 1.010 to whatever the FG ends up being (commonly 1.002-1.004 for S-04 in my experience) Best to wait it out, as bottling too early can result in bottle bombs.
 
Sounds goods I will wait a couple more weeks and see where it is at.
 
Sounds goods I will wait a couple more weeks and see where it is at.
 
LeBreton said:
4 weeks isn't unusual for my ciders. As the SG drops lower and lower, the rate of change also decrees. So it might take two to three weeks to go from 1.060 to 1.010, but then another week or two to drop form 1.010 to whatever the FG ends up being (commonly 1.002-1.004 for S-04 in my experience) Best to wait it out, as bottling too early can result in bottle bombs.

HI LeB, what about bottling at 1.010 and Just doing the stovetop pasteurization when it gets to the desired carbonation level.... If you start bottling at 1.010, by the time it gets to the desired carbonation level won't you have a semisweet cider? Stovetop pasteurizing after it is at that desired level of course...
 
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