Cider vs Beer final gravity

[JLem]

Why do ciders ferment out while beers do not? Even using the same yeast.

Ciders generally finish with a FG at, or even under, 1.000 while beer tends to finish in the 1.010 - 1.015 range.

EDIT: and how does this relate to yeast attenuation?

 

[Clonefarmer]

I think this has to do with the different sugars available for the yeast to eat. The beer has sugar the yeast can't eat.

 

[david_42]

The simple sugars in cider are 100% fermentable, so you end up with much lower gravities. Real attenuation is 100% and apparent attenuation is over 100%.

The unfermentable sugars in beer are responsible for most of the non-hop flavor, so you want some leftover.