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BoxerDog · 01-24-2007, 08:54 PM

I did a bacth in my Mr. Beer since my Carboy is full and I was wondering what to look for in my mr.beer keg to make sure that yeast was pitched right.

I noticed in Eds carboys that you could see how cloudy they got , yet it didnt have much krausen at the top. The Mr.Beer keg is dark brown.

Also when I pitched my yeast, it sank to the bottom of the keg, it was a champagne yeast.

There was an increased smell that I noticed this morning, pitched it
Any suggestions? How do I know that the yeast took and if it didnt should I repitch it?

Pitched it yesterday at around 6. Thanks

Torchiest · 01-24-2007, 09:24 PM

So, the original recipe calls for just bottling it without priming sugar. Also, you leave it in primary for a month or more to complete clearing, so almost all the yeast has flocculated out. I'd prefer to carbonate mine, when I make it. How long could I leave it in primary without having to worry about losing too much yeast when it comes to bottling time? Three weeks? I get the impression fermentation actually takes a fair amount of time.

MidRex · 01-24-2007, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLynchLtd

MidRex

I used K1-v1116 in mine, and it cleared right away, within three weeks. If it's still not clear for you, stick it in the fridge for a couple days and it should start to drop some sedement. After that you can either bottle if it's clear enough for you or rack and let it sit. Mine cleared on its own pretty good, but cold stabilizing worked wonders.

mike

I could move it to the basement. It's 55degF down there. Would that work?

**Schlenkerla** · 01-24-2007, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoxerDog

I did a bacth in my Mr. Beer since my Carboy is full and I was wondering what to look for in my mr.beer keg to make sure that yeast was pitched right.

I noticed in Eds carboys that you could see how cloudy they got , yet it didnt have much krausen at the top. The Mr.Beer keg is dark brown.

Also when I pitched my yeast, it sank to the bottom of the keg, it was a champagne yeast.

There was an increased smell that I noticed this morning, pitched it
Any suggestions? How do I know that the yeast took and if it didnt should I repitch it?

Pitched it yesterday at around 6. Thanks

Boxerdog,

Grab a bright flashlight put it up against the MRB Keg and look for bubbles, millions of tiny bubbles or foam on top of the liquid.

If you see that, its working. Let it go. If you have no activity wait at least 12-24hrs with it at 65'f for higher.

When the bubbles stop and the cider clears its probably close to being done. To be sure you should use a hydrometer, it should measure less than 1.000. If you don't have one, dispense a shot into a shot glass and look at it for clarity, then bottoms up. If its sweet and/or yeasty wait. Then taste a few days later. Don't do this too much or you'll have nothing to bottle.

What yeast did you pitch?

Kadmium · 01-24-2007, 10:25 PM

Yeah, mines been fermenting for a good 2 weeks. Slowed right down over the space of about 36 hours from a bubble every 3 seconds, to 3 bubbles a minute. Its allready cleared up nicely. Took a lil taste this morning with a thief, and DAMN that stuff is so dry its like eating sand! JUST THE FREAKING WAY I LIKE IT!!! heheh. The main reason I made this stuff is that there are only 2 companies in Australia that sell comercial cider, strongbow and mercury. Both are not dry enough for me, as I hate sweet stuff. But this apfelwein was like an appley, dry as the sahara champagne. It is going to absolutley ROCK! I used a lavlin EC-1118 yeast, and the bubbles in the carby were definatley tiny, but millions of them for about a week, and now its slowed way down. I cant wait!

Just a quick question. If I leave this baby to clear right the hell up, then re-pitch some yeast for bottling, will this not make the apfelwein cloud up in the bottles? granted, there will be less trub. Just wondering about repitching on ultra clear brews?

BoxerDog · 01-24-2007, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schlenkerla

Boxerdog,

Grab a bright flashlight put it up against the MRB Keg and look for bubbles, millions of tiny bubbles or foam on top of the liquid.

If you see that, its working. Let it go. If you have no activity wait at least 12-24hrs with it at 65'f for higher.

When the bubbles stop and the cider clears its probably close to being done. To be sure you should use a hydrometer, it should measure less than 1.000. If you don't have one, dispense a shot into a shot glass and look at it for clarity, then bottoms up. If its sweet and/or yeasty wait. Then taste a few days later. Don't do this too much or you'll have nothing to bottle.

What yeast did you pitch?

It was Red Star champagne yeast, its hard to see the bubbles, but there is a lot of "yeast" smell in the closet that its stored. Its somewhat cloudy, no foam (krausen) on the top. It smells like when I would brew beer, minus the krausen. what do you think?

Kadmium · 01-25-2007, 12:56 AM

I think that is perfectly normal mate. If you have the yeast smell, and there is no krausen yet, that is no big one. With champagne yeast, and the montrachet etc, you tend not to get a very big krausen on top, just check EDs pics at the start of this post, almost no bubbles! Wine yeasts tend to take off slower then pick up for a good 2 weeks. I know mine took about 2 days before I noticed any real signs of fermentation. Give it another day or so then check up on it! Enjoy!

**Schlenkerla** · 01-25-2007, 01:04 AM

Its probably cranking up, it doesn't get as bubbly as a beer wort.

Mine is fairly calm with millions of bubbles rising to the top. The air lock has been blowin' out a steady stream of CO for 14 of 19 days. I can't see the top level of mine, to see if I have krausen, its got to be less than an inch from the airlock. The carboy cap is covering everything.

I made 5 gal, according to Ed's recipe with one addition, 2oz of yeast nutrients.

I wouldn't bother doing anything other than look at it for 3-4 weeks. It'll do its thing, then you'll have cider.

By the way don't get alarmed if you smell a rotten egg sulfur like smell, it seems to do that during the ferment. If you don't want to be bothered by the smell put the keg in a cooler. It will keep the stench at bay.

**Schlenkerla** · 01-25-2007, 02:47 AM

Ed, Ed, Ed....

I found this in kegging.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/2-5-gal-keg-system-20426/

I'm jealous...

...If SWMBO likes this I'm sure I'll be getting one of these. Nice Apfelwein sticker!!

**EdWort** · 01-25-2007, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schlenkerla

Ed, Ed, Ed....

I found this in kegging.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=20426

I'm jealous...

...If SWMBO likes this I'm sure I'll be getting one of these. Nice Apfelwein sticker!!

Thanks. I used that to haul 3 gallons to a local neighborhood homebrew fest. Surprise, the keg blew pretty quick. Someone posted a site that makes the custome stickers and I got the idea from that, then I just whipped them up in Paintshop Pro.