First Cider in Years

[Stretch1991]

So I bought one of those cider house select kits to make a 6 gallon batch. I used distilled water, an eyeballed 2lbs of dextrose (I made this at 3 am after work and couldn't find my scale), and followed the directions for the most part. I didn't boil the water to dissolve the corn sugar (it did so on its own) and the gravity to start was 1.040

The room that it's fermenting in is always super cold even when the house is warm. It's sitting at 62 degrees so I'm expecting a longer slow fermentation which if I remember right gives you a better cider flavor.

In a week or two when things level out, is it worth putting this into a secondary or should I just bottle it right away?

 

[MarkKF]

apple juice plus dextrose and your only 1.040?
something doesn't seem right

 

[Stretch1991]

I thought that seemed a little low as well, the kit didn't give me a start gravity only that it's supposed to end at 1.004

 

[Stretch1991]

It's been 1.004 for a couple days now. The instructions say it ferments fast (6 days) so I check on the 12/13 and it stayed the same. If it's still 1.004 I'll bottle it before work today

 

[madscientist451]

Taste it before bottling. You may want to make some adjustments. Once its in the bottle, there's not much you can do.

 

[Stretch1991]

Taste it before bottling. You may want to make some adjustments. Once its in the bottle, there's not much you can do.

Between the sweetener packet and the apple cider flavoring packet this isn't anything I'm stoaked about

However if reminded me how easy ciders where and I am splitting up that yeast cake into a couple more different cider batches I'm going to do after bottling (hopped pineapple cider and a tart cherry/wildflower honey zombie killer spinoff. Not a true clone)

 

[dmtaylor]

6 days is much too fast. I'd give it a month. Otherwise bottles go BOOM.

 

[fofusak]

A month? I usually don't ferment ciders for more than two weeks and Ive been fine. (No bombs)

I usually get between
(Edit, I had said .008 lol) 0.998 and 1.004, so if it's been stable I'd say you are safe.

+1 to the juice + sugar = 1.040 seems too low

 

[Stretch1991]

It was a weird concentrate, so I added water to make it 6 gallons (not 6 gallons of water though) and followed the instructions to almost a T (I didn't fully measure the amount of dextrose but I feel I added a little over 2lb)

The only thing I can think of now after a week, I didn't check the temperature when I did my hydrometer check. It could have been a few degrees or more off of what the hydro is calibrated at.

I think I'm going to rack it into a secondary and just let it sit another week or so while I start a new batch with the left over yeast

 

[fofusak]

Well, if you added water, maybe that's the reason of the low OG. 4% ABV is a bit low for me, but I think it's allright. About the hydrometer not being calibrated, maybe you won't know your real ABV, but if it's been consistent at 1.004, you won't have bombs.

About secondary, I never do it, unless I'll dry hop. I bottle and I can choose whether to drink a young cider, or let it condition longer

Still, some people may get upset about me advocating for no secondary. Specially for ciders.

 

[Stretch1991]

Yeah, the instructions where vague at best. Not having a starting gravity on them really threw me off to know if I under or over diluted. It does say it's a super low abv cider but it is what it is

As for the secondary, if this started it's life in a carboy and not a bucket I would probably have no issue letting it stay but I hate leaving stuff in buckets for longer than two weeks

 

[Drewed]

....
About secondary, I never do it, unless I'll dry hop. I bottle and I can choose whether to drink a young cider, or let it condition longer

Still, some people may get upset about me advocating for no secondary. Specially for ciders.

I secondary only for the chance for more crap to settle out, especially the stuff I might have sucked up when transferring it.
I end up with less crap in my bottles that way