When to stop fermenting

[mikeygh2]

Hello!

I'm currently working on my first batch of cider; they've been fermenting for 7 days and I wanted some advice on when I should stop fermenting.

I have 2 recipes.

Recipe 1: This one I used primarily chemicals; 3/4tsp Acid Blend, 1/4 tsp tannin, 1/2tsp Pectic, 1/4 tsp yeast nutrient, and 3/4 tsp of ascorbic acid, plus a campden tablet and some ale yeast(Nortingham I believe). I also used a gallon of cider fresh from an orchard that had been pasteurized(don't know how). This recipe started bubbling a couple days after I dropped the yeast. Currently this one produces a bubble out of the top about every 11 seconds.

Recipe 2: This one is based more on sugar; 1/4cup of brown sugar, 1/4tsp tannin, 1/4 yeast nutrient, and the same ale yeast and cider as recipe 1. This recipe starting bubbling a few hours after I dropped the yeast and was very active(I know, probably because of sugar) and is slowing down to about a bubble every 32 seconds.

I'm going for a sweeter hard cider with preferably a higher alcohol content, and if anyone has comments on when I should rack/stop fermenting I would really appreciate it.

Right now, I don't have any equipment to test the alcohol/carbonation levels, etc. I plan on buying them in the future if these turn out well. Also, I plan on just storing them in gallon containers, not bottling.


Thanks for your time!
-Mikey

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Any wine or ale yeast will take these dry. If you want to backsweeten, you'll need to chemically stabilize. You could also add sugar & heat pasteurize. If you're not bottling or kegging, then these will be still ciders, temporarily petillant. If you want them carbonated, you'll need to bottle or keg.

As far as when to rack, I'd wait till they slow down or even stop to rack, unless you have a lot of sediment. After racking, wait till the cider is clear enough to read a newspaper through the carbouy full of cider, then rack again. It'll taste a lot better after a bit of aging.
Good luck. Regards, GF.

 

[Maylar]

You'll learn eventually how to judge when primary is finished, but without a hydrometer I'd let it go another week. A gallon of orchard cider with Nottingham and yeast nutrient has always finished in less than 14 days for me.

 

[ohiochris]

I only let it sit in primary for a day or two after I notice no more activity in the airlock. I think getting it off all the muck at the bottom as soon as possible is important for better tasting cider. Then I let it sit in secondary for as long as I can stand to leave it , usually another week or two but longer may probably be better.