Cider Tests

Indiana Red · 03-14-2006, 01:45 AM

I found a nice 1gal glass jug of "fresh" apple juice and will be making a couple-few side by side ciders with different yeasts and/or spices.
It will be interesting to compare the differences. Going with standard WL 001 on one of them and WL 072 sweet wine/cider on another.
Just gonna pitch and airlock the "fermenters" they came in.
Should I dump a little out to make room for the yeast activity or do theu not make much foam/krausen as I have heard.

**RichBrewer** · 03-14-2006, 01:56 AM

I've never made hard cider but what you are saying makes sense. I was thinking of doing that same thing if I can find cider in glass jugs. I think it would be a good way to start. I'd rather ruin a 1 gallon batch rather than pour 5 gallons down the drain. I'll be interested to see how your experiment turns out.

Indiana Red · 03-14-2006, 05:26 AM

Yeah, I'll be sure to share the results. Right now #1 is just straight juice with about 1/3 vial of the Cal ale WLP001. I'll get another started with a cinniman stick a couple cloves and some brown sugar with the some of the same yeast then do 2 more splitting the cider yeast.
I'm pretty confident they won't be ruined but your'e right. I won't be so heart broken to dump out 1 gal of something I hate.
Forgot to get a grav reading on this first one I just pitched. Ill have to get that on the next as I'm sure each bottle will be very similar.

Indiana Red · 03-25-2006, 01:46 AM

Well, both ciders have slowed down to a steady 1-2 bubbles per min for the last few days. #1 with the ale yeast had furious activity for a few days requiring me to replace the airlock twice, should have used a blow off. #2 was with a full vial of the swet cider/wine yeast and never really seemed to get going like the other did. Took a reading just now and it is 1.000 even. Wierd.
They both taste pretty good and I will rack to secondary to let them finish.

Caplan · 03-25-2006, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indiana Red

Well, both ciders have slowed down to a steady 1-2 bubbles per min for the last few days. #1 with the ale yeast had furious activity for a few days requiring me to replace the airlock twice, should have used a blow off. #2 was with a full vial of the swet cider/wine yeast and never really seemed to get going like the other did. Took a reading just now and it is 1.000 even. Wierd.
They both taste pretty good and I will rack to secondary to let them finish.

Good work Indiana Red - So you used Ale yeast in #1 and cider/wine yeast in #2 but what ingredient quantities finally went into the two brews? I'll be interested to know.