Cider Brewing Temp (ferment)

[garthur]

Hi,

First post here so sorry if I have missed the answer to this somewhere.

I have for along time wanted to make my own alcohol. I always thought it was hard but then a Wilkinsons opened up near me and after browsing I seen that they sold homebrew stuff. So asked what I needed and how hard/easy it was and found out there is kits so decided to make cider with a youngs homebrew kit :) What I would like to ask is, on the instructions it says to leave it while fermenting in a room that is between 18-21C so its currently in the hall which is a constant 20C. However after reading online I'm not sure if its supposed to be the room temperature or the temperature of the liquid inside the bin that has to be between 18-20C?

Thanks

 

[Bru4u]

Hi and welcome : .
It will be fine in the hall, it would generate about 1 deg of heat itself for the first few days of fermenting, one or two deg less would be better for the room temp but not critical.
You have a warm house
Bru

 

[garthur]

Just the hall, I have a tortoise so it has to be that temp. :)

It also says it takes a week to ferment but that is 8 days today and it still has bubbles and when I do a test the hydrometer is still closer to 1 than 1.070 (not sure the exact reading as I'm not in the house and I tested it this morning and didn't take a reading as it was no where near where it should). I'm guessing this is because of the temp being too high and give it another few days or is it possible the hydrometer doesn't work?

Thanks for the welcome :)

 

[Bru4u]

I presume you mean closer to 1.010 than 1.007, if it is in that zone your almost done, one of the bigest things to overcome when starting out is to give it some time, when you get two readings the same a day apart and the reading is close to the expected then your done. It's a long time since I did a cider kit so I'm not up to date with the expected FG (final gravity), I'm sure one of the lads will be along shortly to confirm this for you, it will depend on how much sugar you added.
Test the hydrometer in some water at 20 deg C, it should read 1.000 or close to it.
Once you've done a few and built up a bit of a stock you'll fly it and then the experimenting starts
Bru

 

[Tony]

Hi garthur .. nice to meet you!


:

 

[garthur]

I presume you mean closer to 1.010 than 1.007, if it is in that zone your almost done, one of the bigest things to overcome when starting out is to give it some time, when you get two readings the same a day apart and the reading is close to the expected then your done. It's a long time since I did a cider kit so I'm not up to date with the expected FG (final gravity), I'm sure one of the lads will be along shortly to confirm this for you, it will depend on how much sugar you added.
Test the hydrometer in some water at 20 deg C, it should read 1.000 or close to it.
Once you've done a few and built up a bit of a stock you'll fly it and then the experimenting starts
Bru

Thanks for the help. Now that I'm home I will explain it better :)

Hydrometer in normal tap water is 1.000
Hydrometer in my brew is 1.010

The instructions I have say it should be at 70 (with NOT 66 next to it). Although the more I look at it the more I may think its just a picture saying how to use it and not for cider (was sent by the place I bought the kit off on Ebay so maybe its wrong or maybe the pic is of an extremely accurate one as the one I have starts at 0.990 and ends 1.120).

Its 5 gallons and has 1KG sugar in it.

1 more thing, if I sterilize the hydrometer can I just put it in the bucket after a few days and leave it? Running out of sterilizer having to clean it every day lol.

 

[Bru4u]

I'd say the instructions are a bit missleading, I would think they refer to 1.070 before fermenting, bleady strong cider, however, I'd bottle/keg in the next day or two, as for leaving it in, it's up to you, I don't. Your hydrometer is normal :thumb:

 

[garthur]

I'd say the instructions are a bit missleading, I would think they refer to 1.070 before fermenting, bleady strong cider, however, I'd bottle/keg in the next day or two, as for leaving it in, it's up to you, I don't. Your hydrometer is normal :thumb:

Thanks for everyones help :)

Think I will be leaving the Hydrometer in for my next go. Less chance of me breaking it. It slipped out my hand after testing earlier and landed on the floor in bits

When I get home tomorrow first thing I'm doing is getting it in the pressure barrel Its now running 2 days behind so will have to put my planned party back a week lol (if I test it myself and no one else tries then it will be the best Cider ever no matter what!).

Thanks again for all your help. See you in another post somewhere.