Hard Cider with 8% ABV - Spicing and aging time

[Gaiusmaximus]

Hi, I have a 20 Liter hard cider with 8% ABV, I used apple juice extract to make it with the addition of yeast nutrients and bentonite.

Oddly the gravity reached about 1.00 after only 3~4 days. I waited a few days to see that it stayed the same and than racked it to two small kegs each with 10 liters of volume.
After two weeks I tasted it, it is of course very dry and little bit bitter, there is a small hint of green apples, it is very sour an there is a kick, it feels a little bit carbonated.

I wonder -
1. How long should I leave it in secondary
2. Why was the fermentation over so fast? (The recepie called for several table spoons of the yeast nutrient which I found a little bit odd, but I don't know if this is the reason)
3. Should I add spices, which (I mean which combination would pair good with a sour and bitter high gravity hard cider like this), when and how?

Kind regards

 

[Kickass]

I typically make my store bought apple juice ciders at 6.5-7% ABV. I ferment and leave in the primary for 3-4 weeks.

You mentioned 10L kegs so I’m assuming you’re kegging and carbonating with CO2. I keg and stabilize with K meta and K sorbate, let sit 2-3 days, then back sweeten with 1 can frozen pineapple juice concentrate (thawed) and 1.5 cans frozen apple juice concentrate. At this time I add about 15ml of cinnamon tincture.

Set your pressure and drink when it’s ready.