I have well over 65 gallons of successful beer under my belt, and yet when making cider I've had one infection, one mediocre cider, and one tolerable one. So here we go: another "something's amiss, can you tell me what it is?" post.
My lovely girlfriend started a cider with my equipment: October 7th. SG: 1.072
4 lbs turbinado sugar, 6 gallons of apple cider, 1.5 teaspoon pectic enzyme, 1 tsp yeast nutrient, 2 packs of lalvin KI-V1116, and several gallons of tears.
Fast forward to December 28th. Neglected it the whole time. I take the gravity: 1.030 (dubya tee eff, mate?). The flavor is a bit rough around the edges (what i identify as 'green'), but not ruined by a long shot. Siphon it off into a larger carboy (6.5 was all i had available) top off with more cider and move it to my warmer room (about 70 degrees).
Fast forward to today (January 30th). I check the airlock as I have been doing and notice that the water level wasn't as "fine" as I had suspected, and that somehow the pressure in the airlock had pulled most of it into the carboy. That raised the internal level of the carboy from in the neck of the carboy to in the tube of the three piece airlock. I pulled out the excess with a thief and took the SG reading. (it tastes and smells very juice-like, which she might enjoy)
Here's the kicker. Specific gravity reading of 1.030. I had to add almost a gallon and a half when I transferred, which should have done something to the gravity. What is going on here guys?
Also while you're at it, she likes sweet things so this isn't "bad" if it's "done". She also doesn't want any carbonation in the finished product if I can help it.
Thanks guys!
My lovely girlfriend started a cider with my equipment: October 7th. SG: 1.072
4 lbs turbinado sugar, 6 gallons of apple cider, 1.5 teaspoon pectic enzyme, 1 tsp yeast nutrient, 2 packs of lalvin KI-V1116, and several gallons of tears.
Fast forward to December 28th. Neglected it the whole time. I take the gravity: 1.030 (dubya tee eff, mate?). The flavor is a bit rough around the edges (what i identify as 'green'), but not ruined by a long shot. Siphon it off into a larger carboy (6.5 was all i had available) top off with more cider and move it to my warmer room (about 70 degrees).
Fast forward to today (January 30th). I check the airlock as I have been doing and notice that the water level wasn't as "fine" as I had suspected, and that somehow the pressure in the airlock had pulled most of it into the carboy. That raised the internal level of the carboy from in the neck of the carboy to in the tube of the three piece airlock. I pulled out the excess with a thief and took the SG reading. (it tastes and smells very juice-like, which she might enjoy)
Here's the kicker. Specific gravity reading of 1.030. I had to add almost a gallon and a half when I transferred, which should have done something to the gravity. What is going on here guys?
Also while you're at it, she likes sweet things so this isn't "bad" if it's "done". She also doesn't want any carbonation in the finished product if I can help it.
Thanks guys!