Quick alcohol content question...

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eatwake

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ME and my uncle (he who has made cider for 25 years) pressed some cider this fall. I followed his strategy he has been using since he started making it in his youth. First we killed the natural yeast w camp den tablets and rep itched yeast 24-48 hours after the tablets were added. I took a OG reading with just the natural sugars and it was 1.042. Fast forward 6 weeks of primary fermenting to the transfer period. I take a second reading and it's down to 1.000 so according to beersmith I have 5.5% ABV. Here is where my question comes into play... My uncles next step is adding additional sugar (4lbs per 5gal). I took another reading and it was 1.028. What will my final ABV be once this ferments out to 1.000? Will it be the combination of both alcohol contents added together (1.042 to 1.000 = 5.5% PLUS 1.028 to 1.000 = 3.6% totaling 9.1%)?

Thx in advance!
 
Exactly! It doesnt matter if it was ferment together or not. You rougly have .13% of abv per converted points. So you have 42 + 28 = 70ppg * .13% = 9.1%
 
eatwake said:
ME and my uncle (he who has made cider for 25 years) pressed some cider this fall. I followed his strategy he has been using since he started making it in his youth. First we killed the natural yeast w camp den tablets and rep itched yeast 24-48 hours after the tablets were added. I took a OG reading with just the natural sugars and it was 1.042. Fast forward 6 weeks of primary fermenting to the transfer period. I take a second reading and it's down to 1.000 so according to beersmith I have 5.5% ABV. Here is where my question comes into play... My uncles next step is adding additional sugar (4lbs per 5gal). I took another reading and it was 1.028. What will my final ABV be once this ferments out to 1.000? Will it be the combination of both alcohol contents added together (1.042 to 1.000 = 5.5% PLUS 1.028 to 1.000 = 3.6% totaling 9.1%)?

Thx in advance!
Click to expand...

As long as you took correct hydrometer readings, these #'s should be correct. :)
 
I should research more before I post, but since I already have a thread I'll just add to it. My uncle and I both have out five gallons bubbling after adding the additional sugar. He snuck a sample from his about 5 days after the additional sugar was added ( so do I, ha). Both of our ciders tasted great but when you tipped the glass up to take a swig it smelled like butt/dirty feet/awful/raunchy!!! Would a cold crash take care of this or do I just need to let it bubble some more? The taste was plesent but the smell would scare away a lot of folks! Help!!
 
eatwake said:
I should research more before I post, but since I already have a thread I'll just add to it. My uncle and I both have out five gallons bubbling after adding the additional sugar. He snuck a sample from his about 5 days after the additional sugar was added ( so do I, ha). Both of our ciders tasted great but when you tipped the glass up to take a swig it smelled like butt/dirty feet/awful/raunchy!!! Would a cold crash take care of this or do I just need to let it bubble some more? The taste was plesent but the smell would scare away a lot of folks! Help!!
Click to expand...

Very typical of a struggling yeast to 'protest' by creating bad smells. If you can, add a bit of nutrient.
 
eatwake said:
So of I add some nutrient to it, it should be ok?
Click to expand...

Yes. Fermentation may pick up a bit, and make sure all that smell gets pushed out of your brew. Happy yeast make good beverage. Nutrient is always part of my cider fermentation routine because it's so scarce to begin with.
 
Ok flash forward a few weeks and I have another few questions...

I transferred my cider from the carboy to bottles this evening, and the smell was gone, woohoo!! I noticed when I moved the carboy there was small bubbles (which turned out to be co2). My airlock was not plugged so how could that happen? Is my alcohol still 9% (hydro reading was 1.04?? Because of carbonation)??

Also I bottled 8 bottles before I realized I didn't add any potassium sulfate to stop fermenting (did not back sweeten those), are those ok in the bottle or will the become bottle bombs? Lastly the final 4 gallons I back sweetened w apple cherry concentrate, and added potassium sulfate also (added both, stirred it and immediately bottled) are these bottles good to go or will they be bottle bombs?

Sorry if these are noobish questions, this is my first run ever.
 
I don't know exactly what you mean by potassium sulfate (?) but if you meant sorbate, that works well to inhibit yeast reproduction. The thing is, it's usually added about 3-7 days before sweetening. If you added them at the same time, I'd be very worried about bottle bombs.
 
Would a pasteurization stop the bottle bomb? How long do they generally sit before pasteurization?
 
eatwake said:
Would a pasteurization stop the bottle bomb? How long do they generally sit before pasteurization?
Click to expand...

"It depends" is a terrible answer, I know, but it's true. It depends on how active the yeast is, how much sugar is still in the mix, how warm it is, how healthy the yeast are, etc.

Many people bottle one bottle in a plastic bottle, and then when it's hard, pasteurize the whole batch. If you dont' have hydrometer readings, it'd be just a wild guess as to when to pasteurize to avoid bottle bombs.
 
Well luckily for me one gallon is in a plastic pickle jar, so monitoring it with that might be my ticket to avoiding the bombs. Being I added the sugar and potassium sorbate together is there a chance it won't ferment again as fast, or even at all again? I just bottled at about 6pm so nothing should go bang over night, should it?

Idk how I missed the addition of potassium sorbate 3-7 days before back sweetening! Idiot!

Is my alcohol content still 9% then? I'm quite sure the secondary was finished up because I didn't see any activity in the airlock. But then having co2 bubbles threw off my FG reading.
 
eatwake said:
Ok flash forward a few weeks and I have another few questions...

I transferred my cider from the carboy to bottles this evening, and the smell was gone, woohoo!! I noticed when I moved the carboy there was small bubbles (which turned out to be co2). My airlock was not plugged so how could that happen? Is my alcohol still 9% (hydro reading was 1.04?? Because of carbonation)??

Also I bottled 8 bottles before I realized I didn't add any potassium sulfate to stop fermenting (did not back sweeten those), are those ok in the bottle or will the become bottle bombs? Lastly the final 4 gallons I back sweetened w apple cherry concentrate, and added potassium sulfate also (added both, stirred it and immediately bottled) are these bottles good to go or will they be bottle bombs?

Sorry if these are noobish questions, this is my first run ever.
Click to expand...

Did you bottle with the gravity still at 1.040??

If so then I am worried very much about bottle bombs as well! I would pasturize sooner rather than later just to prevent this.

Fermentation should always be allowed to go to completion IMO, then work on sweetening. You have much more control over the process that way.
 
My2nd hydro reading was 1.028 after iAds additional sugar. It was at like 1.04? When I bottles it but it was sparkling, which makes me wonder why if my airlock was not plugged?

On another note, my plastic pickle jar has not become hard from carbonation at all...
 
Well bottles Arron the dishwasher now on high heat wash! Popped one successfully w/o a bombing!
 
The 'bubbles' are occurring from the fermentation process. A drop of only about .006 points will create about 2.5 atmospheres of pressure, which usually off-gasses through the air lock.
 
Well dishwasher cycle is through and it looks like I may have a clearer cider w some sediment in the bottom, could this be dead yeast? I never tested the dishwasher but I had it on high temp cycle.
 
Cider turned out good with no bottle bombs! Only have a handful of 12pz bottles left!

On a separate note, I have transferred my last 10 gallons into carboys. I didn't have my airlocks and stoppers at my temporary house (extensive remodel of primary house), so I covered them with aluminum foil. Fast forward about a week and I still haven't gotten the airlocks from my house so they are still covered with foil. I've read that as long and the batch is still active that it's harmless because bacteria can't climb, essentially making it impossible to get infected. The down fall is once fermentation stops there is a chance oxygen can cause issues being there is no more co2 to fill the head space. Would you guys agree that this is an ok alternative for now, or until I stop seeing active co2 bubbles?
 
Yes you should be safe until fermentation stops, but don't wait that long airlocks and stoppers are cheap and I always try to keep extras hanging around just for these sorts of instances!

Glad to hear that the cider came out well. Yes the sediment at the bottom of your bottles is mostly dead yeast. How was the taste in your opinion?
 
I, and everyone that tried it loved it.... Makes you feel like you accomplished something! I feel like it was probably only around 6%, maybe less even... Which isn't the end of the world.
 
Pic of batch 1

ImageUploadedByHome Brew1389993855.673719.jpg
 

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