What next (cider kit problems)

[donny_1972]

I am currently fermenting a samsons west country cider kit but have a slight problem. Bubbles have stopped rising and it has been in the vessel for 8 days but my hyrometer reading is a bit above what it says on the kit instructions. My reading is 1.004 and the kit say it should go down to 0.998 before bottling. So is there anything i can do to bring the gravity down a bit?

 

[corby_brewer]

I would say it finished fementing, i think that most people will agree with me when i say that kit manufactures can be a little optamisic when it comes to the FG of there product.

If i was you what i would do is if you get the same reading for 3 concecutive days i would go ahead and bottle or keg it.

DaveSiv

 

[brobin]

Yep - I would agree - 1.004 is low enough - If it does not change over 3 days then I would go ahead and bottle

 

[tubby_shaw]

Firstly have you checked your hydrometer is reading correctly ?
To check draw some tap water(ideally distilled water should be used) at 20C into your trial jar and float the hydrometer in it, it should read 1.000 :thumb:
You'd be surprised how many hydrometers are wrong :shock:
Also has the fermentation been conducted at a constant temperature, ideally 18 to 20C? Yeast behave themselves best when given constant temperatures.
If your hydrometer is correct and the temperature was OK, try gently stirring the yeast sediment back into suspension with a sterilised long handled spoon, taking care not to splash the cider too much, this may restart fermentation.
If it doesn't then my advice would be to either bottle in PET bottles or if using glass, use no more than 1/4 tsp of priming sugar per 500ml bottle as with a gravity of 1.004 there is still quite a lot of potentially fermentable sugar in solution and the risk of exploding glass bottles is a very real one :shock:

 

[donny_1972]

Thanks for the info guys. I have learned another lesson today. : Just checked my hydometer and its spot on.

 

[Moley]

I'm glad yours is reading true Donny, but as TS says, you'd be surprised how many are out.

I've got a cheapo Young's hydrometer which reads correctly, and then I bought a slightly more expensive Stevenson Reeves one with a longer stem and easier to read scale (well Moles aren't blessed with the best eyesight). Although it states that it is calibrated at 20°C, water at 20°C measures 1.004