Graff Question

I am making my first batch of Graff. But of course, I can't just follow a recipe. So, I did a version of jalgayer's Graff with a pound of lactose and 1/2 pound of malto dextrine. And along with the 4 gallons of cider, I also added 4 frozen concentrate containers of apple raspberry juice.

The Graff had an original gravity reading of 1.080 and it has been fermenting for about 10 days with the airlock bubbling about once every 30 to 40 seconds.

I just took a gravity reading and it is at 1.020. Additionally, for lack of a better word, there was a bunch of brown "gunk" on top of the fermenter (I am fermentation in a plastic fermenting bucket). By the way, the sample I took tastes quite good.

I really have two questions: 1) is the bubbly brown stuff on top normal and will it settle with additional time? and 2) how much longer would you wait until you bottle? Would I be making bottle bombs if I bottle now?

Anyone who has experience with this type of beverage, I would greatly appreciate your input. Thank you.

The gunk is krausen, it's normal. It should drop eventually. I would bottle once the gravity reading is stable for two to three days in a row. I would NOT bottle it before then. It doesn't sound like it is done fermenting.

Realistically, I'd probably let it sit for a week or two after it's done fermenting before I bottled it.

Thanks for your input. My only concern about letting it sit that long is the weather and where I have my fermenter (I don't have a basement -- which would be perfect in this case).

Thanks again.

Leave it a couple of weeks. Don't worry about it getting warm at this stage. Warm temperatures will help the yeast to finish.

You didn't give the details of your recipe, but with the lactose and malto-dextrine in there, it will end relatively high; somewhere around 1.015 to 1.017 would be my guess.

Calder said:

Leave it a couple of weeks. Don't worry about it getting warm at this stage. Warm temperatures will help the yeast to finish.

You didn't give the details of your recipe, but with the lactose and malto-dextrine in there, it will end relatively high; somewhere around 1.015 to 1.017 would be my guess.

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Yep, good point!

Thanks again for all the helpful input. Jalgayer's graff recipe stated that the final gravity reading with 1lb of lactose and 1/2 lb of malto dextrine was 1.017.

I was just worried about the coloring and consistency of the krausen -- much darker than when I brew and more consistent on top than when I brew beer. But I am a newb when it comes to cider.

I think I will leave it in the primary until next Saturday and shoot to bottle over the weekend.

This is the first time I have posted on Homebrewtalk (though I have lurked for quite some time). I just have to say, I am very impressed with the quality of the information and the tone on this board. Just excellent. Thanks again.