OG Too High

[bradthebold]

This is my second batch, I just kegged the first one and pitched some of the slurry into my new batch. I put 5 gallons of cider in a 6 gallon bucket and blindly put in the same 2lbs of brown sugar I put in last time without measuring the cider first, but these must have been much sweeter apples. My OG is 1.076. Is there anything I can do to dilute or prevent this from becoming a 10% 'cider'?

I don't like it dry, from sampling my first batch today, so an apfelwein is out.

 

[Johan]

I would test spec. grav. daily for a few days. When it gets to the point you want, you can stop the fermentation with Camden tablets. I would also taste test it each day when taking the SG. That would be the ultimate determination on when to top the primary fermentation.

 

[Silver79]

You could cold crash it in the fridge at your desired f.g. to taste.
You could add water to dilute your current must
You could ferment it dry and mix each drink with some apple juice when you serve it.

 

[Maylar]

I would test spec. grav. daily for a few days. When it gets to the point you want, you can stop the fermentation with Camden tablets. I would also taste test it each day when taking the SG. That would be the ultimate determination on when to top the primary fermentation.

You can not stop fermentation with Campden tablets.

 

[Drewed]

You can not stop fermentation with Campden tablets.

Hello you can’t barely stop an active fermentation with a nuclear bomb! Heat is about the only 100% sure way to stop it permeatly. Cold crashing and chemicals may get there, but I’ve had a few shrug them off.

 

[tomakana]

Are there any ways to cut OG prior to fermentation other than adding water? Similar to the OP, I just started a small batch where the base cider (from a local orchard) had an OG north of 1.100! I'm letting it run to see what happens, but I'm looking at an apfelwein otherwise. May turn out we like that and it's a great thing, but in the future is there a way to cut OG? Presumably you can do it with any liquid that doesn't have fermentables in it, but I'm struggling to think of what would be a reasonable alternative to water (which seems like it would dilute the flavors as well as the gravity).

Or are the only options the various post-fermentation techniques?

 

[bradthebold]

Yeah, I figured adding water would just dilute it too much. And since the cider is apparently so sweet, diluting it with that wouldn't help all that much. I'll probably try to cold crash it around 1.008 and see what happens. That would keep it at 9% at least.

 

[HoppyDaze]