Which is more important: time or Specific Gravity?

[bama_new_wine]

We are making our first cider, and we are using apples from our orchard. The recipe comes from "Mary's Wine Recipes." The recipe says to add sugar to the juice to reach SG of 1.060, wait 24 hours (to allow Campden tablets to halt natural yeast), float yeast, then leave in primary fermenter for 3-5 days or until SG is 1.020.
Q: Is the time (3-5 days) or SG more limiting?[/B][/B][/B] It has been 8 days, and the decrease in SG has slowed to .001-.002 per day, and is now at 1.030 in one batch (starting SG = 1.075) and 1.028 (initial SG 1.060) in the other.

We sanitized all our equipment before use. We used a meat grinder to crush/ grind the apples (with the largest-holed plate we could find), and out 15 lb. sausage stuffer to press the pomace. They worked like a charm. We have pictures if I can ever figure out how to load and share them.

 

[bama_new_wine]

We are making our first cider, and we are using apples from our orchard. The recipe comes from "Mary's Wine Recipes." The recipe says to add sugar to the juice to reach SG of 1.060, wait 24 hours (to allow Campden tablets to halt natural yeast), float yeast, then leave in primary fermenter for 3-5 days or until SG is 1.020.
Q: Is the time (3-5 days) or SG more limiting? It has been 8 days, and the decrease in SG has slowed to .001-.002 per day, and is now at 1.030 in one batch (starting SG = 1.075) and 1.028 (initial SG 1.060) in the other.

We sanitized all our equipment before use. We used a meat grinder to crush/ grind the apples (with the largest-holed plate we could find), and out 15 lb. sausage stuffer to press the pomace. They worked like a charm. We have pictures if I can ever figure out how to load and share them.

 

[Yooper]

The SG is what is important. In a warm room, the same must will ferment out in as little as 24 hours, while in a cool room it might take 7 days. Yeast health, the amount of yeast pitched, the temperature of the yeast, the temperature of the must, etc, all play such a huge part that saying "XX days" is unrealistic.

 

[WilliamSlayer]

The SG is what is important. In a warm room, the same must will ferment out in as little as 24 hours, while in a cool room it might take 7 days. Yeast health, the amount of yeast pitched, the temperature of the yeast, the temperature of the must, etc, all play such a huge part that saying "XX days" is unrealistic.

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What she said.

Not familier with "Mary's wine recipe", is it from a book?

 

[bama_new_wine]

Mary's Wine Recipes is a book available at our local supplier. They have a wide variety of things not available in our area, but they sure are proud of them! They tend to stock the high-end items (YETI coolers, Big Green Egg grills, etc.).

 

[bama_new_wine]

Update: It took 8 days to reach SG of 1.020. Now it is all in the secondary, working.

 

[WilliamSlayer]

Thanks! I'll ask about it at my lhbs.