Major Issues with malted cider gravity might be to high?

Just added 1 cup of water with 1 cup DME melted it and put it in 1 gallon of cider.....issue is I decided to add 1 pound of honey too....Well once all was mixed in an instant head formed. Even in my hydrometer flask I have a 1/8 inch head....Problem is I can't get an accurate reading with all that head...I used safale s04 this time around....about 1/3 teaspoon. Now in in the hydrometer test tube with a 1/8 of head im getting a reading of 1074 if this ferments dry then that 10% the limit of safale S-04.....So if thats the limit then how do I bottle condition? I do plan on racking to a secondary so if its for real 10% abc then should I pitch a tiny amount of champagne yeast to the secondary?

perhaps a table spoon of sugar with a 1/2 teaspoon on ec118 to the secondary then bottle condition once cleared?

any help how to carbonate would be awesome....otherwise I might pitch and try again later....

fermentation has started looks like if it fermints dry it will be exactly 10% ABV....anyone one know how I could bottle condition? if not I recogn I'll figure it out for you ********

carvindc125 said:

fermentation has started looks like if it fermints dry it will be exactly 10% ABV....anyone one know how I could bottle condition? if not I recogn I'll figure it out for you ********

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Add wine / champagne yeast at bottling if you're worried.

CiderRules said:

Add wine / champagne yeast at bottling if you're worried.

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I was thinking about this...I came up with 0.1252369 teaspoon's im guessing about a pinch? LOL

I have never added yeast at bottle time I imagine just add it when I rack it in the bottling bucket mix then bottle? Or do I need to wait a little time after mixing to bottle?

carvindc125 said:

I was thinking about this...I came up with 0.1252369 teaspoon's im guessing about a pinch? LOL

I have never added yeast at bottle time I imagine just add it when I rack it in the bottling bucket mix then bottle? Or do I need to wait a little time after mixing to bottle?

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I would pitch while racking and let it do most of the mixing for you .

Will doing this take away from the flavour the safale s-04 will leave? I hope not.

Shouldn't. I mean, it will only be consuming the priming sugar when it is in a bottle.

CiderRules said:

Shouldn't. I mean, it will only be consuming the priming sugar when it is in a bottle.

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Thanks a lot for all your help on this.

I would be worried about potential `bottle bombs`
A champagne yeast can eat up more sugar than an ale yeast.
So any unfermented sugars the ale yeast didnt get the champagne yeast will.
This on top of the priming sugar can lead to a big mess and potential harm.
Take a hydro reading before adding any priming sugar,if there asre sugars left in it i reccomend not adding priming sugar or recalculate how much to add.
Just my 2 cents.

Paps said:

I would be worried about potential `bottle bombs`
A champagne yeast can eat up more sugar than an ale yeast.
So any unfermented sugars the ale yeast didnt get the champagne yeast will.
This on top of the priming sugar can lead to a big mess and potential harm.
Take a hydro reading before adding any priming sugar,if there asre sugars left in it i reccomend not adding priming sugar or recalculate how much to add.
Just my 2 cents.

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I thought about this and might add the champaign yeast to the secondary.

I thought of something else. I didnt add table sugar or anything I added Honey and Malt. IF it ferments dry it will be 10% However it may not go dry because perhaps S-04 wont eat all the sugar in the Honey or Malt. If it doesnt then I can just bottle condition as normal. Does anyone know if S-04 will ferment all sugars in golden malt?

The recipee I used

1 gallon Apple Juice
1 cup of malt (light golden) melted into 1 cup of water
16oz clover honey (1 pound)
Safale s-04
Starting gravity 1.070

I've not used S-04 myself so i cannot say from any experience what it will or wont do. If there are ANY sugars left unfermented when you bottle it is likely yes that they will to some degree further ferment in the bottles which yes will produce CO2.
HOW MUCH is the major concern here....
Too much sugar = exploding bottles
Too little sugar = low carbonation.
I personally would rather deal with a low carbed beverage than an exploding glass bottle any day.