Is it ready for bottling?

[mcfadden295]

Hi! I am new to cider making and have just finished the 7 days of fermenting. I tasted a bit and it is fantastic! However, it is still "bloopinng" (I suppose this would be called releasing gas? Sounds like blooping to me.) Also it still looks pretty cloudy. Should I bottle or wait? Would it hurt anything if I waited a couple more days? I am making the plain regular cider with no fruit added. Thanks!

[bpgreen]

I think the 7 days fermenting schedule is too aggressive. I did that when covid hit in order to get a pipeline started (I hadn't brewed in a while). But I keg, so if it was early, it could continue fermenting in the keg with no danger of bottle bombs.

But I usually go at least two weeks and more often three.

In your case, you're still seeing airlock activity. A lack of airlock activity doesn't necessarily mean a lack of fermentation, but it's rare to have airlock activity without fermentation (it's possible, but very unlikely).

I would wait at least another week if I were you.

[mcfadden295]

Thanks!

[FrozenInTime]

I always wait 21 days. If you want to bottle quicker, pick up a hydrometer and check gravity. When it stops dropping, cold crash and bottle. 7 days is too soon. IMHO

[tdracer]

I'm a bit of rookie at this, but I've noticed that as the weather has cooled, it has taken progressively longer to brew a batch of cider. In September (with the furnace off, temp control opening and closing windows), the house stayed in the mid 70 degree F range, and it took about 7 to 10 days before the cider stopped 'blooping', the cider tasted quite dry, and I deemed it ready to bottle. Now, the house is usually in the high 60's (lower at night) and the last batch took a full 3 weeks.

[mashani]

I'm a bit of rookie at this, but I've noticed that as the weather has cooled, it has taken progressively longer to brew a batch of cider. In September (with the furnace off, temp control opening and closing windows), the house stayed in the mid 70 degree F range, and it took about 7 to 10 days before the cider stopped 'blooping', the cider tasted quite dry, and I deemed it ready to bottle. Now, the house is usually in the high 60's (lower at night) and the last batch took a full 3 weeks.

The same strain of yeast will usually work more slowly at lower temperatures. Another strain of yeast might work faster at those lower temperatures though. But assuming you are always using the same strain, this would sound perfectly normal to me.