Cider and Est Final Gravity?

[TEEKIZZLE]

I'm very new and appreciate any help.

I scooped a hopped cider recipe from northern brewer forums (link) and I got an OG of 1.060 and it's been 4 weeks and I'm getting a bubble every 5 minutes. I feel like I'm close to bottling but I don't want to bottle and get bombs (going to bottle carb with 5oz primer baggy, prob 3.5oz).

I wanted to take a hydrometer reading to see where I was but even if I do I don't know what my target is.

I used Wyeast 4766 and what I need to find is my estimated final gravity and I am trying to learn about yeast attenuation and hasty googling tells me "attenuation * the OG = estimated FG" but when I try to find info on the Wyeast 4766 their product page has "Attenuation: NA".

Thanks for any help,
TK

 

[jflongo]

I used WYeast Liquid Cider yeast on my last 5.5 Gallon Batch. It took mine from 1.079 all the way to 1.000. I would take a hyrdrometer reading, and if it's 0.995 - 1.000 then you are probably ready.

 

[TEEKIZZLE]

Appreciate the response. Will take a reading or two and see if I'm there / if any change over the next few days.

As far as the estimating not possible with this liquid yeast?

 

[jflongo]

Appreciate the response. Will take a reading or two and see if I'm there / if any change over the next few days.

As far as the estimating not possible with this liquid yeast?

That is the exact same yeast I used on my last 5.5 Gallon Batch. All I can tell you is it easily fermented out my cider all the way to 1.000. from 1.079, so did a great job.

 

[vinylrooster]

For cider it really depends on the final sweetness you want and whether or not you want it be still or sparkling.

The BJCP guidelines for cider (http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/ciderintro.php) very specifically outline the desired sweetness/FG guidelines:

Dry: below 0.9% residual sugar. This corresponds to a final specific gravity of under 1.002.

Medium: in the range between dry and sweet (0.9% to 4% residual sugar, final gravity 1.002 to 1.012). Sometimes characterized as either 'off-dry' or 'semi-sweet.'

Sweet: above 4% residual sugar, roughly equivalent to a final gravity of over 1.012.


That being said, if you want to stop the fermentation before going completely you will have to do something to halt the yeast (additives, pasteurization, etc.), which stops you from carbonating your cider. I'm currently experimenting with kegging my pasteurized cider around 1.006-1.008 and then bottling from the keg.

Another nice thing about cider is that you can let it ferment completely dry, stop the yeast, and then back sweeten. There are tons of possibilities with cider.

Anyway, that's my 0.04¢

 

[TexasWine]

Take gravity readings on two to three consecutive days. If the gravity doesn't change then you're done fermenting. If it does change, then you're not done.

Keep in mind that you can always estimate what your final gravity will be, but a specific final gravity number is not an indication that fermentation is complete.

 

[454k30]

my 1.060 cider finishes at 1.002 with what they call their sweet mead yeast. To alleviate your worries, to get to that 1.002 takes right around 4 weeks. I hope this helps.

 

[jflongo]

my 1.060 cider finishes at 1.002 with what they call their sweet mead yeast. To alleviate your worries, to get to that 1.002 takes right around 4 weeks. I hope this helps.

Mine went from 1.079 to 1.000 in about 2 weeks.