Slow start?

[jonathanovision]

I started out with two batches one with nottingham yeast and one with D47. Both started at 1.055 and now 7-8 days later they are at 1.040.
Is that slow? Should I put it into glass carboys and let them continue drop in there?

They are in my basment, so probably 64f (18C) degrees or so

I was thinking closer to 1.000 from the reading I've been doing.

Thanks

 

[Zymomancer]

I haven't used either of those yeasts, but this doesn't sound out of the ordinary. As long as the SG is going down, you should be fine. The temperature sounds perfect.

With S-04 I've gone from a starting gravity of ~1.055 to a final of 1.000-1.002 and it's taken a month each time. It seems to go down somewhat logarithmically: when the SG is high it's fairly quick, but it takes a whole week just to get through the last 0.010.

Reading these forums, many cider makers are of the opinion that a slow fermentation is just fine, or desirable. This thread in particular is really interesting: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=518060 .

 

[jonathanovision]

I am just worried about leaving it in a big plastic bucket ( with a lid ) for that long. Did you leave it in the primary for a month?

Thanks ks for the link

 

[Yooper]

I am just worried about leaving it in a big plastic bucket ( with a lid ) for that long. Did you leave it in the primary for a month?

Thanks ks for the link

I wouldn't. At 8 days, it should be about done. Are you 100% sure of the readings, taken with a hydometer (and NOT a refractometer)?

 

[stella_tigre]

I also would rack into carboys and airlock. Especially if it's not fizzing like soda pop. At 64 deg my ciders don't usually rush through primary, but part of the timing would include whether you added nutrients, whether you've been swirling or stirring to get rid of CO2, stuff like that.
I had 5 qts of grape-aronia must I had dumped into a 6 gallon carboy with D47 cider lees. Just racked it into smaller containers, which degassed it and it is burbling away happily. It fizzed like crazy during racking, would have helped to degas it better beforehand!

 

[jonathanovision]

Are refractometers no good?
I have both.

 

[eber1988]

from what i have read and heard is refractometers work well before yeast is pitched but once the sugars start being converted to alcohol they are not very reliable or accurate and a hydrometer should be used