Recent content by bigego236

Don't give up on it! My first batch went kind of like yours. No hydrometer, messed up on ingredients, but in the end I still had a gallon of half way decent cider to drink and some great learning experiences.

I also use a turkey baster but for a test tube I use the tube the hydrometer comes in. Because I only do one gallon batches to me it makes since to use a smaller size test tube. Plus I always plan on pouring it back in but usually end up drinking it:)

Wish I had seen this thread yesterday. Just got rid of five bottles. They weren't just gushers they were fountains! Opened up what was supposed to have been a STILL apple/blackberry cider and destroyed half my kitchen, part of the hallway and living room. Oops:) Out of 3 500ml, and 2 22oz...

Thanks. I too had seen these and thought about using them but the packaging doesn't say much, and the guy at the hbs had never used them. Still think ill stick to using priming sugar, just because I think I've got it down and don't want to mess with the process. I like what I've been producing:)

I'm under the assumption that if you carb that you need to pasteurize to stop the fermentation process to avoid bottle bombs.

I know the answer will probably be yes, but is there still a need to pasteurize when using these?

I just had the same thing happen with a batch I used ale yeast with, but I put it outside for a few days. Temps were around mid fifties during the day and high forties at night. It didn't stop the yeast but sloooowwwed it way down. Enough for it to only drop a hair and let it clear up enough for...

What are the benefits of a slow ferment?

Found this. http://www.realspellers.org/forums/orthography/704-old-grouch The word cider originally was used in reference to any drink that got you drunk. And at one point in time we were all referred to as girls, no matter your gender.

When you bottle, take an empty 20oz plastic bottle and fill with cider than screw the lid on tight. Every day or two give the plastic bottle a squeeze until its hard. Than take one of your bottles of cider and pop it open and check the carb level. If its good than follow the directions on the...

(losing liquid to foam is better than losing flavor in an entire batch), My last two batches have had a lot of foam/krausen (spelling) so I have had to syphon off which lowered the amount of cider, and then syphoning off the yeast has lowered even more. Just wondering if maybe I was doing...

Potassium Metabisulfite is the same thing as Campden right? I just used some on another batch and when I crushed the tablets up after almost a week they were still floating along the edge of the jug, even after several swirls. Would it be better to just add more juice and hope for the best taste...

Just racked to secondary after 8 days and I have a bit of head space. I've noticed a lot of people in threads topping off with juice. So my question is, how much space is to much and if my final gravity is where I want it what can I do to get it back down or is that even possible? Here's a pic

Rack to bottling bucket/or whatever, back sweeting with a can of apple juice concentrate than bottle. Read the stovetop pasteurize sticky before bottling (if you haven't already). Maybe start with half a can of concentrate first, sample and add more if needed.

I too have a 1gl batch I just bottled that had a slight sour/off taste to it. It's an apple blackberry cider I did with coto de blanc and let it ferment dry. As I'm a noob and its my first run at a dry cider, not sure what to expect but going to let it sit in the bottles for awhile and see how...