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Zakath posted:I'm sure this has been answered previously in the thread, but what's the best way to back-sweeten a cider? I used white labs sweet mead for mine, but it still took it from 1.062 to 0.998. It's tasting pretty good but it's slightly dry. What should I do? Bottle conditioning or force carbing? If you're bottle conditioning, lactose isn't fermentable so you could probably use that as part of your priming solution. If you're kegging, you can just campden it and mix in some table sugar.
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Dec 3, 2012 17:43
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Inevitable update:Jo3sh posted:Soon it will get into the actual ferment phase, which is when you see foam and CO2. This happened.
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Dec 3, 2012 18:04
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Zakath posted:I'm sure this has been answered previously in the thread, but what's the best way to back-sweeten a cider? I used white labs sweet mead for mine, but it still took it from 1.062 to 0.998. It's tasting pretty good but it's slightly dry. What should I do? If you're not carbonating it use wine conditioner.
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Dec 3, 2012 18:21
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internet celebrity posted:If you're not carbonating it use wine conditioner. From http://www.eckraus.com/wine-conditioner-pint.html: quote:INGREDIENTS: Liquid invert sugars (fructose and glucose), potassium sorbate. Seems like something one could make themselves for a fraction of the cost.
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Dec 3, 2012 18:23
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safety dan posted:This happened. Cool. The freakout does happen a lot on early batches. I'm glad you asked so we could talk you through it.
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Dec 3, 2012 18:25
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I did campden and K-sulfite on mine, then took a bunch of 1/4 cup samples and sweetened them to different levels with turbinado sugar. Once I found a good blend, I just scaled the proportions back up.
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Dec 3, 2012 18:27
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I'm used to using buckets so I have a question. I am going to be brewing 3 gallon batches with the girlfriend, I was planning on using 3 gallon carboys but wasn't sure if it would be too small. Are carboys designed to ferment the amount of gallons they are specified for, or are they designed to hold that much liquid? I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I'm just wondering if I should get some 5 gallon carboys or 3 gallon.
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Dec 3, 2012 18:28
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Zakath posted:I'm sure this has been answered previously in the thread, but what's the best way to back-sweeten a cider? crazyfish posted:If you're bottle conditioning, lactose isn't fermentable so you could probably use that as part of your priming solution. Wouldn't lactose also increase body and mouthfeel? This might or might not be desireable. I've heard of people using sucralose or other sugar alcohols as they are not fermentable.
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Dec 3, 2012 18:28
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Midorka posted:I'm used to using buckets so I have a question. I am going to be brewing 3 gallon batches with the girlfriend, I was planning on using 3 gallon carboys but wasn't sure if it would be too small. Are carboys designed to ferment the amount of gallons they are specified for, or are they designed to hold that much liquid? I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I'm just wondering if I should get some 5 gallon carboys or 3 gallon. You want some headspace in there. You might try 2.5 gallon batches in 3 gallon carboys, but I'd be ready for blowoff just in case.
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Dec 3, 2012 18:30
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I've successfully fermented 5 gallon medium grav beers in 5 gallon carboys (due to necessity) but like Jo3sh said they needed a blowoff and it wasn't pretty. The carboys hold more than their #gallon but not by much.
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Dec 3, 2012 18:40
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Midorka posted:I'm used to using buckets so I have a question. I am going to be brewing 3 gallon batches with the girlfriend, I was planning on using 3 gallon carboys but wasn't sure if it would be too small. Are carboys designed to ferment the amount of gallons they are specified for, or are they designed to hold that much liquid? I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I'm just wondering if I should get some 5 gallon carboys or 3 gallon. You could do it if you fermcapped.
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Dec 3, 2012 19:00
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I'm guessing I would be better off doing 3 gallon batches in a 5 gallon carboy then. Thanks. Edit: BTW it's worth noting that almost every beer will be low-medium gravity at most so there won't be a need for long term storage.
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Dec 3, 2012 19:09
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Fermcap S is amazing. Anyone have experience with WY1214? I just pitched it into a Dubbel recipe and I'm wondering how fast I can/should ramp up the temperature? I started it at ~69, but want to get some good esters out of it.
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Dec 3, 2012 19:26
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My cider was fermented for 2 weeks and in bottle for 1 more. Its nicely carbed and has a decent, if basic flavor... ...But it smells like yeast. Will that fade in another week or two or is there something I need to do to avoid that next time? Recipe was Honeycrisp cider + light brown sugar + wyeast cider. Also based off this flavor I'd use dark brown sugar next time. I think thats how I'd get a more distinct flavor from it.
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Dec 3, 2012 23:35
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Midorka posted:I'm guessing I would be better off doing 3 gallon batches in a 5 gallon carboy then. Thanks. You can do 3 gallon batches in a 3 gallon carboy just fine with a blow off tube. However if the slight difference in price and space isn't an issue then just get a bigger one and don't worry about it.
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Dec 3, 2012 23:44
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ChiTownEddie posted:...But it smells like yeast. Will that fade in another week or two or is there something I need to do to avoid that next time? Let it settle longer next time. Cider takes a while longer than beer to really drop clear. I don't package my ciders for at least 4 weeks after pitching. It will continue to settle in the bottles, just leave it someplace cool and be careful when you pour.
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Dec 3, 2012 23:55
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Zakath posted:I'm sure this has been answered previously in the thread, but what's the best way to back-sweeten a cider? I used white labs sweet mead for mine, but it still took it from 1.062 to 0.998. It's tasting pretty good but it's slightly dry. What should I do?
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Dec 4, 2012 00:19
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Jo3sh posted:Wouldn't lactose also increase body and mouthfeel? This might or might not be desireable. I've heard of people using sucralose or other sugar alcohols as they are not fermentable.
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Dec 4, 2012 00:32
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ChiTownEddie posted:My cider was fermented for 2 weeks and in bottle for 1 more. Its nicely carbed and has a decent, if basic flavor... Using regular "table" eating apples tends to make plain tasting cider. Ideally you want a blend of sweet, tart, aromatic, astringent, etc apples. It's pretty hard to find these "cider" apples unless you grow them yourself though. The alternative is to experiment with adding acid blend and tannins to perk it up. Xylitol is another option for sweetening. It sounds like a horrible chemical but it's derived from the fibers in plant materials.
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Dec 4, 2012 00:38
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Zakath posted:I've been thinking about bottling the cider so I may have to go the sugar alcohol route. I know of at least one person I'm going to be sharing this that's lactose intolerant, so unfortunately that idea won't work. What's a good starting point for something like Truvia? Fill a glass with unsweetened cider. Add some amount of your preferred unfermentable sugar, starting on the low end. taste. Add more as required until it tastes how you like it. Multiply to get the amount you need for your batch. Again, shoot low. Mix with the batch. Add any sugar you require to carbonate. Package.
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Dec 4, 2012 03:56
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Celebrating our first all-grain batch and first outdoor/full volume boil!   Boy this sure is more work than extract. Better be worth it you assholes :aaarg:
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Dec 4, 2012 05:18
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Ugh, like all things brewing related, I've totally missed out on like 4+ months of this thread. Is the Secret Santa past registration? Hell, was there even one?
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Dec 4, 2012 05:41
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Darth Goku Jr posted:Ugh, like all things brewing related, I've totally missed out on like 4+ months of this thread. Is the Secret Santa past registration? Hell, was there even one? No. Yes.
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Dec 4, 2012 05:43
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almost fucked around with this message at 11:05 on Dec 15, 2013 |
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Dec 4, 2012 16:56
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almost posted:Has anyone primed/carbonated anything in a bottle with a screw-on cap? How much carbonation can those things hold? Never tried carbing in a bottle with a screw on lid. You can move a bucket once fermentation has started, just don't slosh it around. The primary gas released during fermentation is CO2, which can be incredibly deadly at certain levels. Those levels will not be reached unless your room seals airtight, is fairly small, and you start with a high gravity.
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Dec 4, 2012 17:03
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Darth Goku Jr posted:Ugh, like all things brewing related, I've totally missed out on like 4+ months of this thread. Is the Secret Santa past registration? Hell, was there even one? Paladine_PSoT posted:
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Dec 4, 2012 17:03
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almost fucked around with this message at 11:02 on Dec 15, 2013 |
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Dec 4, 2012 17:23
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almost posted:Thanks. The reason I ask about the gases is I will probably have the bucket in my basement, but the only room in the basement that won't be cold is my computer room, and I keep that door closed ( You might catch a whiff of hops every once in a while but I don't think I've ever noticed persistent smells from sealed fermenters.
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Dec 4, 2012 17:54
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). Is the smell usually very strong?
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almost fucked around with this message at 11:02 on Dec 15, 2013 |
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Dec 4, 2012 18:24
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Thufir posted:You might catch a whiff of hops every once in a while but I don't think I've ever noticed persistent smells from sealed fermenters.
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Dec 4, 2012 18:58
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Imasalmon posted:Never tried carbing in a bottle with a screw on lid. You can move a bucket once fermentation has started, just don't slosh it around. The primary gas released during fermentation is CO2, which can be incredibly deadly at certain levels. Those levels will not be reached unless your room seals airtight, is fairly small, and you start with a high gravity. CO2s danger is if you can't get away from it because it is impossible not to realize you are in a dangerous level. Ask all of us idiots who have ever stuck their head in a fermentation freezer. Beer generally smells like beer when fermenting, wonder of wonders. Screw tops work in a pinch but you should really just drink a bunch of beer in regular bottles, and then you'll have a bunch of bottles while also having had a bunch of beer.
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Dec 4, 2012 19:05
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almost posted:Has anyone made cider from a brand of apple juice/cider that's available at the Canadian store Sobey's? I haven't looked yet to see which brands they sell that don't have preservatives. I already know I should avoid sulphites, sorbates, and Sodium Benzoate, and that Vit C/Ascorbic Acid and Vit A/Malic acid are OK. Sobey's sells 3.78L (1 gal) jugs of Sunrype that's nothing but 100% juice and Vitamin C. I used a few jugs in the cyser I have going .
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Dec 4, 2012 19:58
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I've never found the level of CO2 released even in a chest freezer to be particularly noxious when there's only one of them - however, it seems to almost multiply when there's two of them in there and you can really gently caress up your sinuses sticking your head in there.
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Dec 4, 2012 20:26
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zedprime posted:CO2s danger is if you can't get away from it because it is impossible not to realize you are in a dangerous level. Ask all of us idiots who have ever stuck their head in a fermentation freezer. Unrelated question: What's the limiting factor on how much a yeast can reproduce? yeastcalc.com tells me if I take 100 million yeast cells and put it in 0.5L of starter on a stir plate, I'll end up with roughly 4 billion yeast cells. If I put 1 billion in the same volume of starter, I end up with almost 14 billion. How does the starter only support the growth of 3.9B cells in the first instance but 13B in the second assuming every cell needs the same food/O2/etc?
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Dec 4, 2012 20:38
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I'm looking at making a Gotslandsricka based on Randy Mosher's recipe in Radical Brewing. The only problem is, the bog mrytle and blessed thistle aren't really easy to come by. The amounts are pretty small in any case, so I was thinking of using some other gruit-type ingredients, like heather or mugwort. Are there any other good substitutes for something like that? Also, I guess it's traditional to use bread yeast for the Gotlandsdricka fermentation. I've heard that bread yeast is hyperactive and tends not to flocculate very well. Is there anything else to know about it before starting?
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Dec 4, 2012 20:43
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Ever held your breath? That oh god oh god gotta breathe gotta breathe feeling is from CO2 buildup. You kinda notice that. Interestingly our bodies don't have any warning system like that for when we don't get enough oxygen.
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Dec 4, 2012 20:50
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CapnBry posted:Idiot checking in. You'll know if the CO2 levels are high. Your nose burns and your eyes water. It isn't like CO (carbon monoxide) that is odorless and will just knock you out and kill you. I stuck my head down into an airtight fermentation chiller to try and read a temperature gauge. I don't know how high the concentration was or how close I just was to dying, flopped over into a freezer, but I could tell immediately that I needed to get my head out of there. It's a small point to make, but I suspect it has a lot less to do with the freezer being airtight and a lot more to do with CO2 being denser than air. Even if the lid wasn't even close to airtight, you'd still be in danger.
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Dec 4, 2012 21:54
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almost fucked around with this message at 11:02 on Dec 15, 2013 |
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Dec 4, 2012 23:08
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Sionak posted:Also, I guess it's traditional to use bread yeast for the Gotlandsdricka fermentation. I've heard that bread yeast is hyperactive and tends not to flocculate very well. Is there anything else to know about it before starting? They are designed to produce a lot of CO2 quickly. I've used some that flocced quickly and others that never did. I would try to use active dry yeast and avoid the rapid-rise and bread-machine yeasts.
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Dec 5, 2012 00:03
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So, kegging. It's time for me to upgrade. Is this deal on homebrewing.org the best deal to be had online for a starter kit? I was going to add on the 10lb steel tank, threaded disconnects, o-rings, and poppits and with all that it comes to just under $200. Is there a better deal out there I'm not aware of?
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Dec 5, 2012 01:15
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