Let the cider making begin!

[smokinghole]

I just got called from the orchard I dropped my carboy off at saying that it's filled. I'll remove my english cider yeast from the fridge in preparation for dropping it in the cider tonight. I need to add some sugar for fermentation fuel. I figure it might be drinkable by Christmas.

Right now the cider is in a better bottle carboy which will be my primary fermentation vessel. Since it is clear siphoning into the secondary fermenter will be easy and it's a ported barrel so no siphoning equipment needed. It will then sit in the secondary for about two weeks and I will then bottle it. In order to obtain carbonation I will add a half teaspoon of sugar per pint of cider. I'll be bottling in Grolsch flip top bottles. I am drinking my second case of it right now. \

My next experiment with cider making will be using lager yeast and fermenting in my garage over the winter since lager yeast requires lower temperatures. I just don't know how that will go with a cider. Only trying it will tell!

 

[smokinghole]

Alright I sort of reversed my ways a bit. I still did not use campden tablets to kill off the wild/natural yeasts from the apples. However I ended up using my ale pale bucket for the primary fermenter and then I will pour that into the clear bottle fermenter I have for secondary fermentation. I have a half gallon reserved to take up air space in the secondary fermenter.

For fermentation fuel I used 4 lbs dark brown sugar and a 1.5 lbs of white table sugar. This is a recipe close to a homebrew site and the dude ended up with a ABV around 15% according to his calcs. I doubt mine will go that high but I am using the same yeast. He use more table sugar and corn syrup instead of brown syrup.

 

[blooz4u]

I didn't understand a word in either post, but let me know how it turns out, if it's ready by Christmas!! :grin:

 

[smokinghole]

Ooh and by the way if you would like to try your hand at this you can use apple juice as long as it's preservative free type stuff. I'll be doing another batch with just apple juice as it already have the solids from the cider filtered out.

 

[Angry Bill]

Yeah, what Adam said! hehe.

 

[Moro]

A few months ago I wouldn't have understood shite either. Good luck, Adam!

 

[smokinghole]

What did you learn a few months ago that now allows you to understand?

Do they teach you fermentation in culinary school?

 

[Ed Monton]

Sounds like a great project. What type of apples are you using?

 

[smokinghole]

Hell I have no idea it's mix of whatever the orchard grows. Which is about any I can think of naming. I guess it depends on what they still have on the trees this time of the year as they can't use windfall apples even if perfectly good. Well that's my understanding from one orchard owner, whether everyone follows the rules is one thing. I don't care either way. It tastes good fresh though!

 

[Moro]

What did you learn a few months ago that now allows you to understand?

Do they teach you fermentation in culinary school?

Mead brewing. :smokingbo

But first batch isn't close to done yet.

 

[Ed Monton]

I might have to do this. Alcohol content?

 

[smokinghole]

The recipe I'm roughly following supposedly got the guy over 10% ABV. The alcohol produced depends on how much sugar is left/consumed by the yeast (also depends on the strain of yeast). In order to properly measure you need a hydrometer which are cheap $7 but I didn't even think to get one so I can't accurately measure my original gravity this time. In order to know your alcohol content you need to know your original gravity (OG) via hydrometer then measure your final gravity (FG). You take OG-FG= _ x 131 =ABV%

So for example my OG is probably close to 1.1ish and I hope to end up at 1.0 give or take. That leaves me with 1.1-1=.1x131=13.1% ABV Obviously it's more of a wine level at this point because of how much sugar I added. Hopefully it has a body to it and a slight sweetness. I don't want wine to be honest but a high alcohol cider with bubbles is what I'm going for.

If you decide to give it a try look for a home brewing store near you. Read up on the equipment needed. Then go in and ask the store proprietors for hand getting what you need. It could be fun! Like I said you can use just non preservative applejuice because it's only cider that's been filtered.

 

[smokinghole]

Everything is bubbling along just fine for an update. The wife was quite turned off by the smell from the fermentation so I used a little bit of my ingenuity and taped an old gas mask filter to the top of my vapor lock. So now the charcoal and other media in the filter is keeping the smelly stuff from populating the normal breathing air.

 

[gibbleguts]

What I would really like here is a post about the name change. saw the post and it took me by surprise as I thought it was started by EODcole. Now I see that it is the same person but you are really screwing me up without and annoucement.

 

[smokinghole]

Fine fine.

 

[smokinghole]

Okay it's been over two weeks for the first batch and I tested it last night it has fermented down to 1.010 SG. I have a little ways to go but I tasted it and even with the yeasty taste it's good. There's definitely a bunch of alcohol in it. That will be transferred into a secondary fermenter this weekend.

I also started a second batch that is sort of like a beer/cider hybrid using malt and hops with the cider. That is coming out of the fermenter this weekend and being bottled. Should be drinking it in two weeks. Probably end up at about 8%ABV I will know for sure because I measured the starting gravity of the hooch.

 

[smokinghole]

This stuff is bottled. Has a strong boozey flavor right now that should mellow out a bit over about 6 months. I estimate that I ended up at about 10.8% ABV. Based on my final gravity and estimating my original gravity of the 5+lbs of sugar.