Did I ruin it all??!!

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Babinski892

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Hey all so Im new to the community and recently went ahead with my first inmate brew! Im attaching a video of what I basically used/how I started the brew.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw5I5BYSw9U[/ame]
- Whole foods 1 gallon organic AJ
- I packet Fleischmans yeast
- #6 bung and three piece air lock(with vodka)

So the day after pitching the yeast, there was a significant amount of cider within the air lock. I cleaned the air lock and, because I didnt have the means to create a blow off tube I read that Simethicone can be used to reduce krausen and excessive foaming.

So there is still notable bubbling within the carboy, but the airlock is bubbling any more. Did I screw it all up by adding simethicone? Does the bubbling still indicate that the cider is still fermenting? Is there I can do to revive the brew or am good to go.

Also whatever krausen is lining the neck of the bottle interiorly, should I wipe that clean prior to bottling? Will that amount of krausen affect the taste of the brew afterwards if it comes in contact while pouring?

Lastly should I let it ferment for more than one week, or basically until there is no longer bubbling within the carboy?

Thanks in advance and appreciate all the help!
 
Hi Babinski, If you are using a one gallon carboy to ferment one gallon of any fruit juice you really need to remove at least 1 cup or so of liquid to provide room for the foam created by the yeast. If you store that cupful in a sanitized container in your fridge you can add it back when the activity has slowed and there is very little sugar left in the gallon for the yeast to ferment - a gravity reading of about 1.005 or thereabouts.

As to why activity in the airlock has ceased perhaps there is some active or inactive ingredient in the OTC meds you gave the yeast that stunned them or killed them. Or perhaps your airlock and bung are allowing the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast to escape because of poor fitting rather than bubble up through the vodka. Or perhaps the yeasts on the apple skins are competing with the bread yeast... and each may be creating an environment that the other dis-prefers
What you really need is an hydrometer to measure the change in the specific gravity of the cider. You should ferment the cider until the gravity drops to below 1.000 - perhaps as low as .994 and is stable for several days. You can always stabilize the cider and back sweeten with more sugar or apple concentrate or honey or maple syrup.
Without an hydrometer you might allow the cider to ferment two weeks to a month. If you use wine or ale yeast it would likely to have completed fermentation at most household temperatures.
IMO, you really do not need to use vodka in your airlock. Water is quite adequate.
 
Thanks for the quick reply I really appreciate it.

I did remove a cup of juice, there was sufficient room for foam(or so I thought...haha). If the yeast were completely shot, wouldnt gas formation(bubbling with the cider have completely halted no?).

So at the moment I didnt want to invest in a hydrometer experimenting the first time.

In regards to the foam within the neck of the carboy, to clean or not to clean(should I clean it right now or is that completely out of the picture dont want to pollute the brew) ? Should I repitch some more yeast?

Lastly when I bottle, should I filter it as I pour into the new container(coffee filter or steel mesh strainer)?

Again thanks alot for the quick response, really appreciate the help.
 
You need to read a few FAQ threads on here...

You can't pour your fermented cider as it surely will oxidize.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Not sure that a gallon of cider will show evidence of oxidation if you were to pour it. Not that I would recommend pouring but it's a bit like rust on your car. Sure your car will rust if some paint has been scratched off but it won't rust in five minutes... and a gallon of cider may be drunk and enjoyed in a few days... so any "oxidation" will be a minor concern - unless you were planning on storing it for a year or so.
Should you add more yeast? If you don't know what in fact your cider is doing then adding more yeast may be a waste of time and yeast. I would urge you to invest in that essential (and very inexpensive ) tool- the hydrometer. You really have no idea what is happening without one. For example, your airlock could be bubbling away and the cause of the activity might be CO2 (carbon dioxide) being released from the liquid because of a change in air pressure in the room or temperature of the room. Or the airlock could be perfectly inactive and the yeast could be converting sugar to alcohol at incredible rates - but if there is a poor seal between the bung and the jug or between the airlock and the bung then you won't know this. For about $7.00 you can pick up a fairly accurate and reliable hydrometer.
As to cleaning the neck of your carboy, I might clean it but only with a sanitized cloth or paper that was soaked in K-meta. You don't want to introduce any bacteria or wild yeast into what was a pasteurized must. What I might prefer to do is pour in some of the juice you had removed before and clean it that way.
One last point: during the first few days of fermentation there really is no need to seal the carboy with a bung and airlock. You want the yeast to hav access to air and you want to aerate the must. I would place a napkin or towel over the mouth of the carboy to keep out dirt and flies and I would two or three times a day, place the original cap back on the bottle and give the bottle a good shake to keep the yeast suspended and to introduce air.
Oh, a last , last point. Personally, the only fruit which I think is almost perfect for fermentation are grapes. With all other fruit I would add yeast nutrient as there may be insufficient nitrogen in the fruit for the yeast. When the yeast does not have enough nitrogen this stresses the yeast and they can produce hydrogen sulfide (smells like rotten eggs) or they stop their conversion of sugar to alcohol. You can get nutrient from your LHBS or you can simply boil some yeast , allow it to cool and add that to your must.
 
You don't pour the cider from the primary fermenter... you use a siphon. Otherwise you get the brown foam (krausen) and the goo that collects in the bottom of the bottle (lees).

That video has a few things that I don't like. Using bread yeast, fresh squeezed apple juice, and no mention of sterilized equipment.
 
Gentlemen we're back in business! So I hate to admit it out of embarrassment but essentially I just didnt put enough vodka within the air lock, refilled er and plenty of bubbles were being made.

Thank you Maylar and bernardsmith, all the sincere advice is much much appreciated and will definitely being looking into a hydrometer.

As far as siphoning is concerned, I knew it was involved, had seen it mentioned in a few articles, just wasn't sure thanks for clearing that up.

@Maylar - I feel you I dont think I will be using bread yeast in the future, and No I did not use fresh apple juice nor did I use any pectic enzyme(it was my first experiment).

@bernardsmith - its my understanding that making wine is arduous, and complicated when it comes to specifically backsweetening. No I will not be sealing during the first few days of fermentation with an airlock in the future, and the hydrometer for 7 bucks where may I acquire that? the LHBS was selling them for about $20, so I forwent it at the moment.

Lastly something Im just abit confused about. Im looking to produce a nondry, carbonated end product(whether it be this brew or a future on). Whats confusing me is how bottling w/either an artificial sweetener or sugar, until I reach the level of carbonation I like and how to do this without having a bottle bomb. And Im aware that once you do achieve the desired carbonation level, one should stovetop pasteurize the bottles, how does prevent the bottles from bursting and after pasteurizing how long can I keep those bottles in the fridge for?

Sorry for all the noob questions, I really appreciate all the help.
 
To be human is to have questions. To learn is to have questions. Only those who have ceased to learn or are arrogant don't have questions. So don't apologize for your questions.

Regarding carbonation - and others with far more knowledge than I may very well disagree - to provide enough CO2 for a sparkling drink (pettilant has less effervescence - merely a hint of CO2) I would add 1 oz of sugar (table or corn) to every gallon of cider once you know that all the residual sugar has been consumed by the yeast. One oz per gallon can be safely held in a beer bottle or a champagne bottle with cage and plastic cap. A corked wine bottle will likely pop. More than the equivalent of about 2 oz may explode a regular wine bottle if the cork is caged.
So the question is how do you both sweeten AND carbonate? And the answers different folk will give will depend on their backgrounds and experience. Some will suggest that you add more than enough sugar to sweeten and you pasteurize the bottle after you know it has fully carbonated (the equivalent of 1 oz per gallon). If you are using plastic soda bottles that may work. There is always a risk when you apply heat to a glass bottle under pressure from CO2. But yer pays yer money and takes yer chance. Me? I don't gamble.
Another technique is to backsweeten with non fermentable sugar- stevia, for example, lactose - and then prime with fermentable sugar.
There is a third technique which involves riddling and is used in the making of traditional champagne but this is a complex process and involves a fair amount of dexterity and skill but basically you add sugar and very small amount of yeast to dry wine (or cider) and then force the yeast to gather in the neck of the bottle, freeze the neck and use some of the carbonation to eject the frozen plug of yeast. Turn the bottle the wrong way and the cork will rifle towards your face. Be slow to recap the bottle and you will lose much of the cider and much of the carbonation. But if you do this successfully you might then add more sugar (chaptalize) via needle and syringe through the cork. Since the yeast has been removed and the carbonation has taken place BEFORE the addition of more sugar you have both a sparkling and a sweet drink. There may be other techniques but I can't think of any.
After carbonation you can store your cider in the fridge or a cupboard in your kitchen or basement for a year or more. IMO, cider improves with age over about 18 months. After a year malic acids tend to soften and may be converted to lactic acids via bacteria in the juice. The flavor of the cider improves by a magnitude. After two or three years - IMO - the flavors seem to break down and it goes past its prime.
 
There's also the method of forced carbonation with a small CO2 tank. A bit of an investment but takes all the guesswork out of it. Sweeten with non-fermentable then add bubbles...
 
actually failure to fill your airlock with sufficient liquid (I prefer water) seems to me to be something you really do need to monitor if you want to avoid problems down the road of oxygenation .
 
Thanks gents for all the help, really appreciate it. Ill be sure to scrutinize the vodka/water level in the future, thanks for the heads up.

Im going to try stove top pasteurizing one of the bottles and probably drink the rest. see how it goes, if it bursts it bursts just not a fan of artificial sweeteners(ive already polluted the brew with simethicone).

Thank you all again i will be buying a siphon and hydrometer shortly.
 
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