Specific Gravity seemingly rose...?

[jasonq]

Hi all -

So I've got a batch of the 5-Day Sweet Country Cider going. Started 10/22 with OG of 1.077. The carboy was in a warmer-than-usual spot with unusually warm weather, so it was bubbling away quite vigorously for a couple days.

Checked on the 24th, and the SG was down to 1.040 (I checked it twice to make sure I was reading correctly, and I could *swear* it was that.) So I cold-crashed it in the fridge for a few days.

Then, last night, I went to siphon off a little bit to do a test bottling run. I checked the SG one more time for posterity, and I got a reading of 1.045, which would put the ABV at around 4.2%, whereas I was hoping for around 6%.

Needless to say, I am mighty confused. Anyone had this happen? It seemed pretty bubbly when I was measuring SG - could that throw off the readings? (Yes, I spun the hydrometer.)

Any suggestions?

 

[Maylar]

One reading or the other was wrong. It can't go up. You're still a long way from done, so don't worry about it.

 

[dmtaylor]

Specific gravity changes with temperature. If one reading was taken fairly warm, like above 80 F, and the other fairly cold from the refrigerator, then this explains the difference. Totally possible. A matter of physical science.

 

[jasonq]

Specific gravity changes with temperature. If one reading was taken fairly warm, like above 80 F, and the other fairly cold from the refrigerator, then this explains the difference. Totally possible. A matter of physical science.

Well, the temp was 48F at the time of measurement, and I got a reading of 1.046, which, adjusted for temp, is 1.045 (4.2%).

 

[JimRausch]

Any particular reason you decided to try and stop it at 1.040ish? Ciders typically will ferment down closer to 1.000, or lower. Be very careful if you are thinking about bottling at that high an SG(beware of Bottle Bombs).

 

[jasonq]

Any particular reason you decided to try and stop it at 1.040ish? Ciders typically will ferment down closer to 1.000, or lower. Be very careful if you are thinking about bottling at that high an SG(beware of Bottle Bombs).

I'm using this recipe:

%-Day Sweet Country Cider

...which calls for pulling at around 1.040. It obviously has to be pasteurized or permanently refrigerated.

 

[jasonq]

Any particular reason you decided to try and stop it at 1.040ish? Ciders typically will ferment down closer to 1.000, or lower. Be very careful if you are thinking about bottling at that high an SG(beware of Bottle Bombs).

My last post wound up in the approval queue because (I think) I included a link to the "5-Day Sweet Country Cider" recipe on this forum. It specifies pulling at 1.040, then pasteurizing or permanently refrigerating (I generally do the former).