ShadowZero26
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- Oct 29, 2008
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So I went to the nearest home brew shop and told the dude I wanted to make hard cider and told him "I think all I need is a bucket, cider, some yeast, and an airlock." and he says "yeah, there's the mix behind you." In the package was the acid and the other stuff and the potassium bicarbonate, i think... anyway
He says "Just add everything in that packet and the yeast into the bucket and give it a stir and put the lid and the airlock on." So I did.
I didn't know you were supposed to put water in the airlock. I didn't know you were NOT supposed to add the potassium bicarbonate, and I didn't know it was that necessary to add one of those tablets to kill the foreign yeast.
Anyway, since I didn't see any "bubbles" because I'm apparently stupid and didn't put water in the airlock, I went back after a few days and asked him and we deduced that it wasn't starting yet. So I wait until day 8 and smell it and it smells a little like vinegar. I go back and we discover that I added the bicarbonate and I wasn't supposed to. But he says, since it smells it must have done something. So I opened it up and there was all this CRAP at the top. Yes, it looked like that, brown and disgusting looking.
I tried some, fishing around the crap, and it was ok. Not vinegary or bitter, still sweet. At this point I still didn't realize that the airlock was not primed. I put the lid on, gave it a shook and put it in a slightly warmer area of my basement, in hopes to start the fermentation again, not understanding and still not understanding what the crap at the top really is.
I'm wondering if it's still salvageable and if I'm going to get sick from drinking it. I'll have to strain it, obviously, but is it a waste?
Thanks for the response, I wish there was a "brewing for people who actually don't know anything about brewing" website. Everything else is so crammed with lingo and it's undecipherable to someone like me.
He says "Just add everything in that packet and the yeast into the bucket and give it a stir and put the lid and the airlock on." So I did.
I didn't know you were supposed to put water in the airlock. I didn't know you were NOT supposed to add the potassium bicarbonate, and I didn't know it was that necessary to add one of those tablets to kill the foreign yeast.
Anyway, since I didn't see any "bubbles" because I'm apparently stupid and didn't put water in the airlock, I went back after a few days and asked him and we deduced that it wasn't starting yet. So I wait until day 8 and smell it and it smells a little like vinegar. I go back and we discover that I added the bicarbonate and I wasn't supposed to. But he says, since it smells it must have done something. So I opened it up and there was all this CRAP at the top. Yes, it looked like that, brown and disgusting looking.
I tried some, fishing around the crap, and it was ok. Not vinegary or bitter, still sweet. At this point I still didn't realize that the airlock was not primed. I put the lid on, gave it a shook and put it in a slightly warmer area of my basement, in hopes to start the fermentation again, not understanding and still not understanding what the crap at the top really is.
I'm wondering if it's still salvageable and if I'm going to get sick from drinking it. I'll have to strain it, obviously, but is it a waste?
Thanks for the response, I wish there was a "brewing for people who actually don't know anything about brewing" website. Everything else is so crammed with lingo and it's undecipherable to someone like me.