When Will This Torture End?

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I made a dry cider almost six weeks ago I call Hardcore Apple Cider. I made it with 2 gallons of Treetop no additives from concentrate apple juice and properly rehydrated Nottingham yeast and absolutely nothing else. It had a great primary fermentation and then it just lightly bubbled and bubbled and bubbled for the last 5 weeks after primary fermentation (cider is still in primary vessel as we speak). Seriously, I love brewing beer so getting my fermentors back is a priority. One way or another I will be done with this cider soon. Here are my options and I am pretty set as to how this is going to roll. 1. This weekend, test my cider with a hydrometer, if it is 1.004 or lower bottle with priming sugar and prime for 2 weeks. If it is 1.005 or higher I will put it in a 2 gallon spigot water container with a loose fitting top and drink it as a mildly effervescent cider over ice. OR based on your recommendations continue fermentation for a maximum of 2 more weeks (8 total) if you all think it will be 97 - 100% done then and I can bottle a stable primed hard cider at that time, I will wait based on that advice.

 

[madscientist451]

Cider isn't beer and you can't expect a quick turnaround. If it tastes ok, Go ahead and drink it, but it will likely improve if you give it some more time.
Maybe this is a good time to justify spending $25 on another 3 gallon better bottle to rack it to.

 

[Maylar]

Cider isn't beer. The sugars in cider are 100% fermentable, and Nottingham will bring it below 1.000, typically to 0.996 - 0.998. If you bottle before it's done you risk over carbing and possibly bottle bombs.

The ferment will be done when it's done. We usually advise people that if gravity hasn't changed in a week you can consider it finished. 2 gallons will rack to 1-1/2 + so maybe you should pick up a couple glass jugs to keep for secondary. A brewer can't have too many one gallon carboys.

 

[Maylar]

Cider isn't beer and you can't expect a quick turnaround.

Great minds think alike

 

[ExperimentalBrewer]

one option is to bottle in plastic soda bottles. no bombs. if it tastes good, drink it.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

After 9 brutal weeks of waiting, signs point to yes. My FG was right at 1.000. Not knowing what to expect for flavor, I was very pleasantly surprised. I eat very little sugar, so "sweet" is very pronounced for me and this dry cider was exactly what I was looking for. I am very excited about how it will taste once it is carbonated. I expect it will be like an apple champagne. The flavor to me is very reminiscent of gose beer. I wonder if anyone ever puts a little salt in their dry cider to accentuate that gose flavor. I probably wouldn't do this again unless I could get some super cool organic local fresh pressed cider, but now that the lion share of waiting is behind me, I am looking forward to the fruits of my waiting.

 

[Maylar]

Just FYI, the cider that I will keg this weekend was made back in November 2016. Nine weeks to me is quick-turnaround lol.

Congrats though, and enjoy the fruits of your labor (and patience).

Now, go start another batch...

 

[MarkKF]

Just FYI, the cider that I will keg this weekend was made back in November 2016. Nine weeks to me is quick-turnaround lol..

Hahaha. I just kegged two 5 gal. batches. One started last fall the other last winter. Not that I need more done now but I like to start off the fall with all my carboys empty. By Monday I'll start two more batches.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

It seems that good cider includes some waiting. I thought waiting 6 weeks for a barleywine was a long time. I will brew again soon, but cider is not on my list for a while. We all are home brewers, but I paint in acrylic while you all paint in oil.

 

[stamasd]

one option is to bottle in plastic soda bottles. no bombs.

Agree with that. I use 1L PET bottles (the ones Polar seltzer and the like come in). They are incredibly resilient to pressure, not that I need that mind you. And the 1L size is just perfect, holds 2 pints if you allow for headspace and the lees at the bottom. Makes 2 people happy for a little while.