Summary: Cider batch sits almost a year at 1.003 SG after two weeks of fermentation with K1-V1116 wine yeast (tolerance 12%-14%). Why did fermentation stop & how can I improve?
I just bottled my first batch of cider after a year of fermentation, or more specifically, two weeks of fermentation and 11 1/2 months of sitting there like a bump on a log. I noted that the final gravity was 1.003 (temp-adjusted). So apparently it stopped fermenting. It sat most of the time on the bottom floor of my house. The cider tastes delicious so I bottled it (did NOT add sugar) but I'm doing a post-mortem to determine what went "wrong" since from what I know this should not happen. Yeast has NOT hit its limit.
OG: 1.051
FG: 1.003
Final ABV: 6.3%
Details: Following the advice of my experienced cider-making friends, I used only primary fermentation in a carboy. On 11/15/2014, I added 7 Campden tablets, which turned out to be overkill. After adding Fermax, pectinase, and yeast, determined on 11/18 that I needed to repitch yeast (same SG); did that. No added sugar. Next few days the airlock bubbled to beat the band and Krausen formed. On 11/21 it was down to 1.030; on 11/23 1.018. On 11/27 I noted that the turbulent phase was over. On 11/28 the SG was 1.003. At this point my experienced cider-making friends browbeat me into leaving it alone until the following fall, which I did. When I went to bottle yesterday (11/6/2015), the SG was still 1.003.
So far I have seen no carbonation in the bottles (no I did not add anything before bottling since it had been sitting a year without doing anything).
Any ideas on why it would sit a year without fermenting?
Thanks!
I just bottled my first batch of cider after a year of fermentation, or more specifically, two weeks of fermentation and 11 1/2 months of sitting there like a bump on a log. I noted that the final gravity was 1.003 (temp-adjusted). So apparently it stopped fermenting. It sat most of the time on the bottom floor of my house. The cider tastes delicious so I bottled it (did NOT add sugar) but I'm doing a post-mortem to determine what went "wrong" since from what I know this should not happen. Yeast has NOT hit its limit.
OG: 1.051
FG: 1.003
Final ABV: 6.3%
Details: Following the advice of my experienced cider-making friends, I used only primary fermentation in a carboy. On 11/15/2014, I added 7 Campden tablets, which turned out to be overkill. After adding Fermax, pectinase, and yeast, determined on 11/18 that I needed to repitch yeast (same SG); did that. No added sugar. Next few days the airlock bubbled to beat the band and Krausen formed. On 11/21 it was down to 1.030; on 11/23 1.018. On 11/27 I noted that the turbulent phase was over. On 11/28 the SG was 1.003. At this point my experienced cider-making friends browbeat me into leaving it alone until the following fall, which I did. When I went to bottle yesterday (11/6/2015), the SG was still 1.003.
So far I have seen no carbonation in the bottles (no I did not add anything before bottling since it had been sitting a year without doing anything).
Any ideas on why it would sit a year without fermenting?
Thanks!
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