Hard Cider is Too Sweet - Suggestions?

[hifall2001]

I recently tried a couple of test batches of hard cider and I thought I had it dialed in but I've run into a problem. My last three batches were WAY too sweet and had low alcohol content.

Here's what I started with:

1st batch
1 gal pressed apple juice (put all but about 2 or 3 cups into my fermenter jug)
1/4 tsp Wyeast Beer Nutrient
1/2 tsp Lallemand Windsor Yeast
4 cups confectioners sugar (It was on sale)
21 days fermentation time.
I had infrequent bubbles in my airlock and slightly carbonated
Cold crashed, racked and added the remaining 2-3 cups of juice after fermentation.
Fairly sweet with good apple flavor.
"Strong" alcohol but didn't have hydrometer to get any numbers.

2nd batch
1 gal pressed apple juice (put all but about 2 or 3 cups into my fermenter jug)
1/4 tsp Wyeast Beer Nutrient
1/2 tsp Lallemand Windsor Yeast
3 cups confectioners sugar (I ran out of sugar)
21 days fermentation time
I had infrequent bubbles in my airlock and very slightly carbonated.
This one was tart and dry with less apple flavor. Reminded me of Granny Smith apples and sour cherry's.
I agitated this one and set it back to ferment another week.
Agitation just made it cloudy and removed all carbonation without a resurgence of fermentation.
Cold crashed, racked and added the remaining 2-3 cups of juice after fermentation. this sweetened the final cider somewhat but didn't increase the "apple flavor" very much.
"Strong" alcohol but didn't have hydrometer to get any numbers.

3rd batch
1 gal pressed apple juice (put all but about 2 or 3 cups into my fermenter jug)
1/4 tsp Wyeast Beer Nutrient
1/2 tsp Lallemand Windsor Yeast
4 cups - Granulated Sugar (Changed from confectioners sugar to granulated sugar because THIS was on sale)
21 days fermentation time.
I had infrequent bubbles in my airlock and very slightly carbonated
Cold crashed and racked. Did NOT add straight juice.
THIS one turned out syrupy sweet with very low alcohol. It was almost cough syrup sweet.

Started 4th and 5th batches with higher yeast amounts, but two weeks in, and it seems like they are going to turn out just as syrupy!!

Here's my QUESTIONS:
1. Does changing the TYPES of sugar have that much of an affect on the outcome?? I didn't think it SHOULD HAVE!
2. If these two batches turn out to be as syrupy sweet, is there a way to "save" them and restart the fermentation to dry them out??

 

[laredo7mm]

If you are measuring by volume you have to take into account the difference in the sugar types.

Doing a google search says that one cup of confectioners sugar weighs 4.5 ounces, while one cup granulated sugar weighs 7 ounces. So when using 4 cups of granulated sugar you are adding 10 ounces more sugar than when using confectioners sugar.

You are trying to ferment a cider with a very high SG. If your juice is 1.051 and then you add 18 ounces (4 cups confectioners sugar) of sugar your SG is about 1.12 assuming you have 0.8 gallons. This equates to a possible ABV of 17%

Doing the same 4 cups of granulated sugar is adding 28 ounces to 0.8 gallons of juice will give an SG of 1.16 and 25% alcohol.

Your ale yeast probably dies at around 12% alcohol.

So, no the type of sugar is not making it syrupy, it is the amount of sugar you are using.

To "save" them you can dilute your "syrup" with more juice to lower the SG. You will probably have to pitch more yeast to get the fermentation going again.

 

[fuelish]

Pitch some rehydrated lalvin EC-1118 yeast , it's a beast. I generally use wine yeasts in my ciders/cysers, ferments nice and crisp/dry and bottle carbs easily.....have never had a cider not go dry

 

[madscientist451]

The easy way, get some more apple juice, put 1/2 gallon in your 1 gallon fermenter, add existing cider that's too sweet, see if it the fermentation kicks off. If no fermentation, add more yeast.

 

[hifall2001]

laredo7mm
What is this magical tool called Google of which you speak! I too would like to have such powers!!
(Seriously though, that's brilliant! I never gave a thought to the denser sugar. AND thank you for doing the math too! LOL)


fuelish
Thank you for the referral. I will look into that yeast!


madscientist451
Yep, Looks like that's what I'll have to do. Thanx!