Question - How many ferment cider to completion vs. stop at a FG to maintain sweetness?

[quid_non]

Lots of threads out there on backsweetening cider post fermentation to get the desired final sweeetness or additional taste. I also have been doing this - it's easy and requires less attention to the product on a regular basis.

Was wondering how many of ya'll stop the fermentation in the 1.010 to 1.020 range ( or thereabout) to maintain some sugar and perhaps apple flavor with out the need to add "stuff"?

Any advantages/disadvantages?
I typically BS then keg to carbonate. I appreciate those that bottle need to be concerned bout "bottle bombs" if you stop the fermentation process before all of the fermentable sugar is depleted.

Thoughts - - votes?

 

[z-bob]

I let it go until the yeast is totally finished. Then bottle-condition it like beer. (you can add a little sugar or Splenda when you drink it) If I wanted it sweet and fizzy I would add sorbate and sugar, and force-carbonate it in 1L and 2L plastic pop bottles using a carbonator cap.

 

[JimRausch]

It's actually quite difficult to stop things mid-fermentation. Think about it- you have trillions of active yeast in there and you are trying to shut them all down.
Possible techniques : 1. pasteurization 2. Deep chilling to slow fermentation and settle the yeast, rack off the lees, and treat with both sorbate and metabisulfite. Even this is iffy.
Much easier to let it ferment to completion and let the yeast go to sleep on their own. You can then stabilize and backsweeten.

 

[bmd2k1]

Following tips from @CvilleKevin I frontload the SG via FAJC and cold crash at 1.01 - 1.03 depending on sweetness desired....using S04 for ciders below 11% & D47 for above 11%. I've been Very happy with results so far. Don't ever use any chemicals...and so far no nutrients.....never get rhino farts [emoji16].

Currently all my ciders go back into 1gal containers & put in fridge -- never any issues with bombs. 2019 goal is to get kegerator and force carb some.

Cheers [emoji111]

 

[Chalkyt]

I guess another question is "how sweet is sweet?" I got fairly good results this year from letting SO4 and WLP773 go all the way (which ended up being just a bit above 1.000 at 1.002-1.003, then adding original juice plus "home made" FAJC back to 1.005 before bottling. I have to assume that it went down to 1.002 again in the bottles. Anyhow, I ended up with just a nice amount of carbonation and a little sweetness to counteract the natural tartness. Overall I was quite happy with the result.

I would like to get a slight sweetness level something like Strongbow Dry. So for 2019 I will try stovetop pasteurising, probably somewhere around 1.008-1.010, but I don't really know what to aim for. I am guessing bottle at 1.010-1.012, keep some out to monitor SG,then stovetop pasturise two or three points below this.

Any thoughts?

 

[Kees]

Jolicoeur describes a couple of methods in his book.

 

[Maylar]

I guess another question is "how sweet is sweet?" I got fairly good results this year from letting SO4 and WLP773 go all the way (which ended up being just a bit above 1.000 at 1.002-1.003, then adding original juice plus "home made" FAJC back to 1.005 before bottling. I have to assume that it went down to 1.002 again in the bottles. Anyhow, I ended up with just a nice amount of carbonation and a little sweetness to counteract the natural tartness. Overall I was quite happy with the result.

I would like to get a slight sweetness level something like Strongbow Dry. So for 2019 I will try stovetop pasteurising, probably somewhere around 1.008-1.010, but I don't really know what to aim for. I am guessing bottle at 1.010-1.012, keep some out to monitor SG,then stovetop pasturise two or three points below this.

Any thoughts?

Consider using Xylitol as a sweetener. Tastes like sugar with no aftertaste and can be measured with a hydrometer too. I have used it for bottle conditioned cider with great success, at about 1.008 SG.

 

[dmtaylor]

I try to keep fermentation very very slow by fermenting in the garage and bringing into my 53 F basement if it gets too cold and letting the yeast get tired and die by themselves. It's working so far for me this season. Last I checked, my cider was at 1.018 and seems to not be moving much but will probably come down a few more points now that I warmed it up again. My perry is at 1.006 and done and ready to bottle. All with Cote des Blancs yeast. Keep the yeast real cold and tired, and they'll finish high.

Oh, and, uh..... Rack early and often to remove most of the yeast. I always do this.

Otherwise, cheat with xylitol. I do this too. But might not need to this year.

 

[Maylar]

I try to keep fermentation very very slow by fermenting in the garage and bringing into my 53 F basement if it gets too cold and letting the yeast get tired and die by themselves. It's working so far for me this season. Last I checked, my cider was at 1.018 and seems to not be moving much but will probably come down a few more points now that I warmed it up again. My perry is at 1.006 and done and ready to bottle. All with Cote des Blancs yeast. Keep the yeast real cold and tired, and they'll finish high.

Oh, and, uh..... Rack early and often to remove most of the yeast. I always do this.

Otherwise, cheat with xylitol. I do this too. But might not need to this year.

Just as an FYI - Claude Jolicoeur documents in his book that if your cider stalls before you want it to, adding 25 ppm of DAP will drop the gravity by an additional 10 points. That's if the stall is due to the yeast running out of nitrogen. This has also been confirmed by Andrew Lea.

 

[dmtaylor]

Just as an FYI - Claude Jolicoeur documents in his book that if your cider stalls before you want it to, adding 25 ppm of DAP will drop the gravity by an additional 10 points. That's if the stall is due to the yeast running out of nitrogen. This has also been confirmed by Andrew Lea.

Thanks. I might end up trying that. I've never used nutrients in a cider but perhaps might need to in this rare instance. I don't have Jolicoeur's book(s?) yet but based on everything I've ever heard, I think I agree with dang near everything people have said that he said.

 

[z-bob]

I have been using 1/2 tsp of DAP (might be blended with urea, I don't know) per gallon when I make cider using filtered juice. The package says to use 1 tsp per gallon. I add it at the beginning.

 

[ebbelwoi]

I always let it finish fermenting. Then I backsweeten with apple juice if I want to reduce the alcohol content, or sweeten with table sugar. I get the most control over sweetness that way.

 

[CatsCradle]

I try to keep fermentation very very slow by fermenting in the garage and bringing into my 53 F basement if it gets too cold and letting the yeast get tired and die by themselves. It's working so far for me this season. Last I checked, my cider was at 1.018 and seems to not be moving much but will probably come down a few more points now that I warmed it up again. My perry is at 1.006 and done and ready to bottle. All with Cote des Blancs yeast. Keep the yeast real cold and tired, and they'll finish high.

Oh, and, uh..... Rack early and often to remove most of the yeast. I always do this.

Otherwise, cheat with xylitol. I do this too. But might not need to this year.

Quick question with the yeast that finished at 1.018. How do you know it just stopped rather than it being a stuck ferment? I mean if the alcohol tolerance of the the yeast is in the 12-14% range wouldn't it technically be a stuck ferment? Im in the same boat with a cider with OG 1.050 and SG of 1.010. Been maintained at 1.010 for a couple months now, and who knows if its a stuck ferment or if the yeast simply petered out

 

[dmtaylor]

Quick question with the yeast that finished at 1.018. How do you know it just stopped rather than it being a stuck ferment? I mean if the alcohol tolerance of the the yeast is in the 12-14% range wouldn't it technically be a stuck ferment? Im in the same boat with a cider with OG 1.050 and SG of 1.010. Been maintained at 1.010 for a couple months now, and who knows if its a stuck ferment or if the yeast simply petered out

I can’t remember what happened with my 2018 cider but I believe it was just stuck for a while then picked up again later, because in my recollection, all of my recent ciders have been dry. These days I would not advocate for trying to hope for stalled yeast like this, at least if bottling, because results could be dangerous or gushers later on.

 

[Maylar]

I've never had a cider stop above 1.002 and that was with S-04 at 60°F. Most batches finish between 0.996 and 1.000 for me. But if you've been at 1.010 for a couple months I'd stabilize it and drink it.