I think I broke it - help needed

[hbrookie]

I started a peach cider last week on Friday night. Here's my recipe. My problem follows

3 lbs fresh chopped peaches
2 lbs table sugar
1 gallon apple juice (motts)
3 cups brown sugar
2 gallons tap water (boiled)
wlp300 yeast (enough for a 5 gal batch)

Added gallon of apple juice to 3 gallon fermenter.
Added yeast to fermenter

added peaches to kettle
added enough water to kettle to cover peaches
boiled 10 minutes
in second kettle, boiled remaining water for 10 minutes, adding sugar during last two minutes to dissolve sugar
ice bathed peaches and water kettle both until cool.

added peaches and sugar water to fermenter.

OG was 1.068
after 6 days, OG is still 1.050

I had an extremely rapid ferment for 24 hours (which included an explosion that landed peaches on my ceiling and resulted in my learning about blow off tubes). SG has only changed 0.002 over the last two days.

Did I cook my sugar into non-fermentables?

 

[hbrookie]

I found my problem. It was my expectations. My first cider was fermented with champagne yeast. That crazy little bug goes through stuff at a mad rate. I didn't expect this yeast to move as fast, but I didn't expect it to take 4 times as long either.

My fermentation is still chugging along at a fairly constant rate, just a little slower than I'd anticipated based on my (one) prior experience.

 

[hbrookie]

my fermentation stopped on this at FG 1.016. Cider was clear and got the same reading 5 days apart. I primed and bottled tonight. What are the odds that it was a stalled ferment vs fully done? I'm a bit concerned that I may be cooking glass grenades off in my laundry room right now.

 

[Pratzie]

Next time, add yeast nutrient. I usually have three additions of 1 tsp every 2-3 days. Ive gone from 1.070's down to around 0.998-1.000 with Nottingham that way. I think champagne yeast can usually take it down to around the same.

Also, pop a bottle after two days, three days and four days. When u hit ur desired carb level, either cold crash or pasteurize to keep the bottom bombs away.

 

[Kashue]

Just want to add that you should NOT pasteurize if on opening your bottle the foam fully escapes the neck. If you do there's a good chance they'll just detonate in your kettle like little fruity grenades.

 

[hbrookie]

Just for anyone that looks this thread up because they are interested in a peach cider..... While fermenting and immediately after fermentation, this cider was delicious. As it aged, all those German Hefe notes came out and the body and flavor really changed. It's actually quite overwhelming now. I've only got two friends that like the stuff and they both drink moonshine, so their taste buds might be a bit burnt out.
I've got some English cider yeast in the fridge and i'm picking up 10 lbs of peaches tomorrow for another go.

 

[JtotheA]

Hey there. Consider doing a secondary if you add that much to your primary. With all the sugar you added...other than the peach, that stuff is going to have to mellow.
On your second go, I would recommend not adding that much sugar. If you're going for a "peach" flavor, feel free to add them in the primary, but to get that peach flavor you're going to have to add more to a secondary. The reason I say that is because not a whole lot comes through in the end unless you rack to a secondary and add the flavor you're looking for.
The bad thing is that if you add more solids to the secondary, you may have more "floaties" if you bottle from secondary. I try to introduce an additional flavor in secondary via "juice only" because of that. Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents.