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**RichBrewer** · 01-22-2007, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toot

I think I will try an ale-yeast next time. Though I must confess I like the dry-ness as a quality of the drink, I'm wondering if a little more residual sweetness could result in more recognizably-apple flavors.

If I back sweeten this I'm going to use apple juice. Not a ton of it just enough to take the dryness off and to add apple flavor.

***Yooper*** · 01-22-2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichBrewer

If I back sweeten this I'm going to use apple juice. Not a ton of it just enough to take the dryness off and to add apple flavor.

Do you think you'll need to backsweeten it? I think it would be really good dry, like a wine.

Post a picture after it clears, ok?

Lorena

**RichBrewer** · 01-22-2007, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yooper Brewmistress

Do you think you'll need to backsweeten it? I think it would be really good dry, like a wine.

Post a picture after it clears, ok?

Lorena

I'm going to wait and try a sample after it finishes. I might keep it dry if I like it. At 8 point something percent it might not be too dry anyway.

LOL

**Jester** · 01-22-2007, 12:38 PM

it took a day or so, but mine is bubbling like crazy... smells great too...

butler1850 · 01-22-2007, 01:47 PM

After fermenting out the first batch, I went for a second...

Poured the new juice right onto the old yeast cake (WLP 775 English Cider Yeast) and propped it up on the dining room table while I brewed my new stout.

In less than an hour it was bubbling. Overnight, a hurricane has formed in the bottle, the likes of which haven't been seen since Katrina. Yeast clumps swirling, jumping up & down, and air blasting out of the airlock like a politician on election night.

Now... if I was the type to use some sort of herbal products, this would give a hell of a visual... It's still pretty darn entertaining! The wife has even spent 5 minutes or so watching it swirl.

The first batch went into bottles for carbonation, with some lactose to sweeten it up. This batch will go unsweetened.

Orpheus · 01-22-2007, 01:55 PM

Great idea! Was the activity enough to warrant a blow off tube? With the ease of making this stuff, doing what you've done would make brewing up a second batch even easier. I use a 5 gallon carboy filled all but a couple inches to the top, so would I be in trouble?

Quote:

Originally Posted by butler1850

After fermenting out the first batch, I went for a second...

Poured the new juice right onto the old yeast cake (WLP 775 English Cider Yeast) and propped it up on the dining room table while I brewed my new stout.

In less than an hour it was bubbling. Overnight, a hurricane has formed in the bottle, the likes of which haven't been seen since Katrina. Yeast clumps swirling, jumping up & down, and air blasting out of the airlock like a politician on election night.

Now... if I was the type to use some sort of herbal products, this would give a hell of a visual... It's still pretty darn entertaining! The wife has even spent 5 minutes or so watching it swirl.

The first batch went into bottles for carbonation, with some lactose to sweeten it up. This batch will go unsweetened.

butler1850 · 01-22-2007, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orpheus

Great idea! Was the activity enough to warrant a blow off tube? With the ease of making this stuff, doing what you've done would make brewing up a second batch even easier. I use a 5 gallon carboy filled all but a couple inches to the top, so would I be in trouble?

This doesn't Krausen the way that malt based beverages do.

At most, the foam has only ever been about 1/2" tall.

I'm using the same sort of setup, with only a few inches of room, and I'm not worried at all about blowout. (If it doesn't blow out with this WHOOSH of fermentation, it's not ever going to).

**Schlenkerla** · 01-22-2007, 05:42 PM

Toot,

I have some natural carb questions;

1.) How would you rate the carb level at 1.5 weeks?

2.) When did you carb or how many weeks from pitching the yeast?

3.) Did you wait for it to clear before bottling?

4.) How well does the yeast pack at the bottom, carboy or bottle?

Just curious - Thanks!!!!

Preliator · 01-23-2007, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdWort

Yeah, you need to go 4 weeks. I really don't bother with a secondary, I just use a 5 gallon carboy.

It will ferment out dry, but you'll still note the apples and it can be sweetened with Splenda or Lactos, but everyone who has sampled mine tends to like it just the way it is. It shows by the speed of the empty kegs.

Ed,

On a note of curiousity with sweetening this project up a bit as the wife wants her share sweetened, i was playing around with 1 glassfull and some small single serve bags of splenda.....turned out to be just to her liking.....

my question is should this be an add and taste......a bit at a time or would you have a particular amount to use per gallon? we werent very accurate as we shook a bit out of the pkg. at a time and sampled.
secondly would i still use the same 3/4 cup of dextrose to carb in the bottle? or should i decrease that slightly.....

for me the recipe came out exactly as you described it would and was perfect with the exception of the stillness i would need carbanation for my pallet to be more fufilled. cant wait to make another batch!!!!
thanks for the help and this great thread
anthony

**Sir Humpsalot** · 01-23-2007, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schlenkerla

Toot,

I have some natural carb questions;

1.) How would you rate the carb level at 1.5 weeks?
At room temp, with a heavy-handed pour, the foam will rise 2 inches in a normal pint glass... and then reduce to nothing in a matter of maybe 5 seconds. After that, you're left with a couple bubbles hanging on, a distinct CO2 tingliness on your tongue (which you could almost perceive as bitterness... that is, it takes away from sweetness by lightening the drink). If you pour it out of a fridge, nearly all the CO2 will remain in suspension at this stage and the tingliness on the tongue is more pronounced and longer-lasting as it warms, but there is no head to speak of whatsoever.

2.) When did you carb or how many weeks from pitching the yeast?
Mine sat in the carboy for maybe 5-6 weeks before bottling.

3.) Did you wait for it to clear before bottling?
Yes. definitely. And there's still a bit too much yeast in the bottom of my bottles for my taste.

4.) How well does the yeast pack at the bottom, carboy or bottle?
I don't have a lot of experience here, but on a scale of 1-10, I'd say it's a 4 or 5. You definitely need to make a conscious effort not to disrupt the sediment, but it's not a frustrating thing to do.. it just takes a bit of care.