I need some suggestions

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BlakeP

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Hi, I'm completely new to even the idea of brewing. So I would like some help on my first very basic brew. I have researched and have a decent idea of what I should expect and not expect from my first try at this. With this being my first time I thought that it would be a good to reach out to some more experience brewers, which I am not going to call myself out of respect for you guys and my lack of knowledge. So I'm going to ask for only constructive responses. Below I'm going to post what I have picked up for my time, and yes I know I am missing a few important items to the brewing process but hey this is all in the name of trying something new.

So here's what I have to make the drink I don't want to call it a wine because it's not made from grapes

Container-- 4 Two Liter bottles ( will be sterilized with bleach water solution)
Airlock-- balloons (Less than ideal I know)
Juice-- 4 Bottles fruit juice(minute maid fruit juice 1.75 liter per containers)
Sugar-- 10 pounds of ultra fine granulated sugar(not powdered just finer granules)
Fruit-- 10 pounds of apples( I plan to use this as the nutrient from what I have researched just the sugar and juice isn't enough)
Yeast-- Basic dry active bakers yeast( I would've like to get a proper yeast but the nearest brewing store is around a twenty minute drive)

I know this is not the best set up but if I can make it from this I'm going to invest into some proper equipment (carboy, airlock, siphon, yeast, all natural juices, and few other items)

Now getting down to the point I would like to know if I put roughly 1.5 cups of sugar in each container adding a pure' of apples say around a cup, and fill the rest with fruit juice. Let this sit for a day to return to room temp, then put two teaspoons of yeast into it. After about a week siphon, and let sit for 3 weeks then rack it will it give me a decent 6%-10% abv wine that isn't the equalization of prison hooch? Or is there anything that I should change around that I have to on hand to get a better result.
 
Not sure about all the rest, but get yourself some real yeast. The difference between bread yeast and brewing yeast is night and day. At the brew store you can also get yourself some stoppers and airlocks for 2 bucks a piece.
 
I know from what I've been reading it will make a huge difference but at this point in time I'm just trying to get a feel for what I'll be doing with a real brew. But I completely understand the need for it, I honestly am probably going to go ahead and make some with the method/recipe I put in the post earlier. But I'm going to try and make it to the local brewing store to get the proper equipment before that brew is even done. Right now it's just one of those things where I really just found out about home brewing so I don't want to get myself into buying a bunch stuff nice stuff and use it improperly.
 
5 bucks worth of airlock, bung and wine yeast can make the difference between something good and something gross. Bread yeast can leave you with a hazy, yeasty beverage.

If you are determined to use bread yeast, make JAOM.
 
BlakeP said:
Hi, I'm completely new to even the idea of brewing. So I would like some help on my first very basic brew. I have researched and have a decent idea of what I should expect and not expect from my first try at this. With this being my first time I thought that it would be a good to reach out to some more experience brewers, which I am not going to call myself out of respect for you guys and my lack of knowledge. So I'm going to ask for only constructive responses. Below I'm going to post what I have picked up for my time, and yes I know I am missing a few important items to the brewing process but hey this is all in the name of trying something new.

So here's what I have to make the drink I don't want to call it a wine because it's not made from grapes

Container-- 4 Two Liter bottles ( will be sterilized with bleach water solution)
Airlock-- balloons (Less than ideal I know)
Juice-- 4 Bottles fruit juice(minute maid fruit juice 1.75 liter per containers)
Sugar-- 10 pounds of ultra fine granulated sugar(not powdered just finer granules)
Fruit-- 10 pounds of apples( I plan to use this as the nutrient from what I have researched just the sugar and juice isn't enough)
Yeast-- Basic dry active bakers yeast( I would've like to get a proper yeast but the nearest brewing store is around a twenty minute drive)

I know this is not the best set up but if I can make it from this I'm going to invest into some proper equipment (carboy, airlock, siphon, yeast, all natural juices, and few other items)

Now getting down to the point I would like to know if I put roughly 1.5 cups of sugar in each container adding a pure' of apples say around a cup, and fill the rest with fruit juice. Let this sit for a day to return to room temp, then put two teaspoons of yeast into it. After about a week siphon, and let sit for 3 weeks then rack it will it give me a decent 6%-10% abv wine that isn't the equalization of prison hooch? Or is there anything that I should change around that I have to on hand to get a better result.

Stay away from bleach. You would be better off sanitizing with boiling water.

The preferred method for sanitizing is star san or potassium metabisulfite solution.
 
If you want to do it why not do it right from the beginning? If you go the cheap route to test it out you'll probably be unhappy with the results which may discourage you from doing it again. $10 for an airlock, some yeast and a bit of sanitizer.
 
All good advice, im now on my 3rd batch of cider as this deing the easiest starter brew and like you wanted a quick fix but now own cardoys 4.5l , nutrients, yeasts of all kinds, hydrometer which is a must otherwise you have no idea where you are with alcohol etc..
Also I found that a blow of tube is better than an airlock as theres much less mess when fermentation goes into overdrive. .
Lol and to think I new absolutely nothing about 4 months ago. But the best think is to read, read and ask the good people on here which have been no end of help..
My best brew so far which gave me a clean dry cider was:
4.5L apple juice
1 tsp Nutrition
200g brew sugar
1 pkt wine yeast
Could have used less yeast and added more patience to it. Never had a hydrometer at the time but now guess it was about 5-6% . The one im sitting on now was 15% but not a good taste (too strong) backsweetend but still at about 12 :s..
The above took about 4 days to ferment out at around 20-24c!!
I know its cider and not wine but its was the simplest thing to start with..
On further thought is still know nothing 8|
 
I am greatly appreciative all of you guys suggestions but it was kind of off topic to my question I've know that I needed the stuff like that from the researched I've done but the only place to get it near here is a good drive away, compared to the grocery store less than a minute away. I was really just wanting to know if there is anything that I could do with what I have off hand to make the best of the wine from what I currently have. I plan on making the drive to get the proper equipment whenever I have a basic understanding of what to expect, I may or may not like making my own. Not necessarily the taste of the wine but just the process to make it, I know that making wine in two liter bottles, with bread yeast, and balloons for airlocks. You really can't expect much lol
 
I used bleach with my first brew, took me ages to get rid of the stuff before using the cardoy..
 
Well I went with the recipe above and it has already started to bubble and do it's thing, I'll post back letting you guys know how it's doing!
 
fermentation is going pretty good right now but I'll just have to wait and see how it turns out. I did order some ec1118, and fermaid k to get me started on my next batch. But I think I'm going to go ahead and get some more equipment from the lbs today.
 
That is so true but honestly I just spent a couple of hundred dollars to make it more like rocket science lol I really just got wrapped into this hobby. But on the other hand I now have everything I should ever need to make wine, well other than the patience and skills lol I think I will be a life time member of this forum in a couple of days lol just need my pay check hahaha
 
That is so true but honestly I just spent a couple of hundred dollars to make it more like rocket science lol I really just got wrapped into this hobby. But on the other hand I now have everything I should ever need to make wine, well other than the patience and skills lol I think I will be a life time member of this forum in a couple of days lol just need my pay check hahaha

More power to you Blake! :)
 
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