First attempt

[Aardy]

Hi there folks. I just noticed that it's been nearly a month since I've joined and haven't posted anything yet.
Anyway the cider is coming on ok (I think). It's been brewing for 10 days now and seems to be doing fine. Can anyone give us an idea of how long it will take to finish brewing? It's currently in my clients house at around 20 degrees, most of the day.

 

[Stevieboy]

It's probably finished fermenting by now...have you taken hydrometer readings ? 3 days of the same reading means it's done. Or no airlock movement.

 

[Aardy]

Thanks for that. I did take a hydrometer reading a week ago, and it was nearly at zero. So I've left it for another week and will go and see it tomorrow. Does it matter how long it is left for after it is finished fermenting?

 

[Stevieboy]

Thanks for that. I did take a hydrometer reading a week ago, and it was nearly at zero. So I've left it for another week and will go and see it tomorrow. Does it matter how long it is left for after it is finished fermenting?

A week or two is fine normally, I have due to laziness left mine for longer - in theory, it's all still sterile....but the longer you leave it the greater the risk...get it packaged now I would say.

 

[Aardy]

Well we transferred it into two demi johns and left it another week or so to clear up a bit. I really couldn't believe how clear it became. Especially after what it looked like to begin with! Then into bottles with some sugar to try and get some fizz. So at christmas we opened a bottle and found it was ok but pretty bitter. However with a teaspoon of sugar it became quite pleasant. Do you know how you can add sugar without it turning into alcohol or carbon dioxide?

 

[MattH1973]

couple of answers
1. I just left a batch in primary for over 3 months and it was fine. The most important thing is that the vessel is sterilised and well sealed.
2. theres lots of stuff on here you can read about back sweetening, to get around the issue of additional fermentation. For example, some non fermentable sweeteners exist, but I have never tried them as i like dry cider,

 

[SaffaStu]

Erythritol. It's a non-fermentable sugar, meaning tht no matter how much yeast may be left in your brew, you can add as much as you like and it won't do anything other than sweeten. It's also a good choice if you have pets, as some other sweetening products like xylitol are toxic to dogs.
I use erythritol when I want to be absolutely certain that there will be no chance of re-fermentation. It's available at Tesco's for a reasonable price