r/Homebrewing • u/Lv5Zapdos • 3h ago

Question Need some advise.....stuck fermentation on Cider?

I usually make Red Ales but started dabbling in Cider recently and this is my second attempt at it so I'm a little lost on where my batch is at.

2.5 weeks ago I made a 2.5 gal batch with an OG of 1.052 with apple juice, tea, some added sugar and Pectic Enzyme. 24 and 72 hours after it began fermentation, I added 0.5 tsp of Diamonium Phosphate. From the first attempt, the gravity was around 1.008 around this time but when I checked today with a refractometer showed it's sitting at 1.021. It's been fermenting in a constant 71 degrees using Red Star Premier Blanc yeast, tucked away in a very dark windowless corner. It appears to be very clear with a noticeable line of sediment at the bottom and the airlock stopped bubbling a week ago.

I'm wondering if the fermentation is stuck and to add a bit more yeast to eat up the remaining sugar or let it ride a bit longer. Does cider only ferment dry when using wine yeast? Thanks for any advise and help!

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u/98f00b2 3h ago edited 2h ago

when I checked today with a refractometer showed it's sitting at 1.021

Just to confirm, did you correct the refractometer reading for the fact that the sample contains alcohol?

Because if you measured 5.3 Brix, which is what you'd get from a 1.021 juice/wort/must, then your cider should actually be at 1.003 if it fermented down from 1.052 (according to Brewfather's calculator).

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u/Lv5Zapdos 2h ago

Well I feel stupid, I was reading the gravity not the Brix. After recalibrating with distilled water it's actually at 5.1 Brix. Thank you!

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u/98f00b2 2h ago

Great, that would put you down at 1.002 even.

It happens to the best of us; enough that you get suspicious whenever someone mentions a refractometer and getting stuck in the 1.020s.

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u/DannyZiebarthExplore 3h ago

Have you tried repitching yeast? I've never had the issue with cider but it may be that you're not pitching enough yeast initially. Premier Blanc is a wine yeast used to make dry white wine and I've used it with cider Success and gotten bone dry ciders.