Headline: Veteran Beer Brewer Can't Make Cider!

[DSorenson]

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!

 

[AJCider]

I haven't had much luck with lalvin. Or montracet. They have turned out too wine-y for me. Try some Nottingham ale yeast. I have made three batches, one gallon of musselmans apple cider + cup of brown sugar, three week ferment one week second before I had to rack it to my belly, one with a cup of honey and one with half a cup of each. I really think the notty made the difference tbh. It's a different flavor, richer maybe. If you didn't care for the lalvin, it's probably for the same reasons I didn't.

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[Shutteringfocus]

I have also abandoned the lavin 1116. Local shop recommended it, but the final product always tasted buttery to me.

Trying some ale yeast now on recommendation of this forum.

 

[bernardsmith]

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!

I don't pretend to be an expert but something is going on here.
The sugar would likely add about .023 gravity to the juice in which case the juice itself was about 1.049. Not sure what yeast you are using but in my experience (and I use QA23 or Nottingham or 71B and the like ) I would expect the gravity to fall to 1.000 after a couple of weeks (the brown sugar seems to slow down the fermentation). But your point is that adding more juice did not have any significant effect on the gravity and I would think that it shouldn't if the gravity of the juice was about 1.050 and you added a 25 % of the volume to top up the cider. (1.5 gallons at 1.049 to 4.5 gallons at 1.030)
I have no good idea why the fermentation seems to have stalled (although you may want to check the pH to see if it is too low for the yeast).
I have no good suggestion for killing the remaining yeast except perhaps pasteurizing the cider

 

[Upthewazzu]

KISS, man, KISS.

5 gallons cider + 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1 can frozen concentrate (OG = 1.054). Add yeast (whatever kind you like, I used Wyeast Cider yeast). Check SG after a week or so and rack to secondary when you feel its done. I waited until it hit 1.001, then back sweetened with 1 gallon cider. Bottled, then conditioned for 1 week. Pastuerized, and then threw 'em in the crawlspace (~44°F). Tasted pretty damn good, IMO!

 

[DSorenson]

Thanks guys, looks like I have some decisions to make...

 

[Randzor]

Check the orginal juice... I wonder if it had preservatives....

 

[AJCider]

It might have. I have had really good luck with the musselmans apple cider that comes in the gallon jugs. I can't find the tree top brand where I live or some of the others that folks here talk about. I still think it's the yeast you are using though. Those wine yeasts ferment dry and loses a great deal of sweetness. I haven't found that to be the case with notty.

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[DSorenson]

perservatives could have been a problem. My girlfriend purchased the Aldi's apple cider. I'm not sure if I remembered to check to make sure it wasn't preserved.

 

[Randzor]

ANd if it tastes dry, just let it sit for 6 months... the flavor will come back, or add a little bit of apple juice at drinking time.