First batch, not sure what I did

[Jim Anbro]

Hello all,

I've brewed beer many times in the past and thought I'd try some cider. Purchased 5 gallons of sweet cider from a local orchard here in MN, ingredients on the jug did not mention any chemicals. Used White Lab 775 cider yeast, let it start with about a quart of the cider then pitched it into the fermentation bucket - after sanitizing all with Star San. Seemed to start fermentation but then slowed considerably. Let it sit in primary for about a month, siphoned into a glass carboy with pectic enzyme for secondary/clarification. Just bottled today after a month and the alcohol content is only around 1.3% (OG 1.042, FG 1.032). After reading some of the threads here I'm thinking that I should've added a yeast nutrient. Any other ideas? Tips for a cider newbie? TIA

 

[Pappers_]

I'm not sure what happened either. I'm wondering if your gravity readings are right. Although I've never used 'cider' yeast, only ale yeast. You might try pitching a packet of Nottingham in it and see what it does. I've never had that yeast not take a cider all the way to dry.

Also, my understanding is that Pectic enzyme works when you pitch it prior to fermentation, but that is just something I read on the internet

 

[Gilbert Spinning Horse]

You're not using a refractometer to measure your FG are you?

 

[4of7]

If it has added chemicals... I could not get fermentation even though i bought it from a Apple orchard.. I had to ask for clean chemicals free which is no preservatives.If you did get chem free and it has . completely fermented...freeze distilling.. dump in ss kettle and freeze..pick out ice next.. repeat till you are happy with the results