I dropped a hydrometer into one of the fermenting vessels for my downie cider brew a few days ago and the reading was much higher than I expected. It didn’t seem to have moved much and the froth on top of the brew looked like it might have been on the edge of going mouldy so I sterilised some bottles this afternoon. However, on racking it to a different vessel and taking the opportunity for a quick sample, it still seemed somewhat sweet.

I’ve decided to let it ferment out a bit longer as I don’t want the bottles slowing turning explosive over the next few months! The fermenting vessels were cleaned and sanitised and I’ve racked the cider back into them. New reading: about 1.038 at 18.5°C. If it doesn’t shift over the next couple of weeks, I’ll take the risk on bottling (it isn’t unpleasant but just a lot sweeter than I’d expect).