first time at brewing

[suck3rs]

I am brewing my very first batch of cider. I added a cup of sugar to 1 gallon of store bought apple juice and threw in some champagne yeast. It has been probably 5 days since I started it. I still see active brewing. Should I wait till it subsides to deem it complete? My apartment is on the chilly side so I wonder when it gets cold if it slows the process. It was warmer outside for some of the days but I keep it about 65.

Also once it is complete will much of the sugar be left? I tasted it and it seemed pretty sweet, but real good and fizzy.

 

[dinnerstick]

what do you mean complete? cleared, aged and bottled? done fermenting? if you decide what your finished product should be then it's up to you when it's complete. if you are going to drink it out of the jug (banjo plucking cider) then bottoms up. if you are going to bottle it then you really need to let it finish fermenting, at which time it will be very dry tasting, and this can take a few weeks to a few months.

 

[ellicit]

My cider done with sugar, juice & champagne yeast took a month at 70F before it was done and yes it was dry and had a FG of .994 the only way to tell it is DONE is to use a hydrometer. However if you want a sweeter and lower ABV cider you can cold crash it or use camden tablets to stop the fermentation.

 

[Pappers_]

However if you want a sweeter and lower ABV cider you can cold crash it or use camden tablets to stop the fermentation.

Ellicit, I only use campden to prepare water for brewing, so don't speak from personal experience, but many here say that campden won't stop fermentation, only stops the yeast from re-producing. Here's one of those posts https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/how-stop-fermentation-211870/#post2483429

I make sparkling, semi-dry, bottle conditioned cider by bottle pastuerizing on the stove top.