Hello all,
This is my first post, and first brew.
Executive Summary: I don’t know if my fermentation is as a result of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast or wild yeast.
We are making an apple cider with bought Red Delicious apples. We juiced these in about an hour and therefore did not add campden tablets. The OG I measured was 1.05, so I did not add any sugar. We added pectonase to break down the foam inside the fermenter from juicing. We then added Lalvin EC-1118 yeast to a measure of water at 42 deg C (or, 107 deg F, as per packet instructions), then added it to the fermenter.
After 72 hours the airlock was still not bubbling. I went back to the brew shop. They told me that the above temperature would have killed the yeast and to sprinkle another packet into the fermenter. After work I got home and the fermenter was bubbling away so I did not add the extra yeast.
My question is this. With the airlock now bubbling away after around 80 hours, did the packet or wild yeast win?
I had planned to ferment till dry then back sweeten. If the winning yeast is wild yeast, should I then try to cold crash the process before it bottoms out? Should also get the cider out of the fermenter as soon as the SG bottoms out?
Thanks.
Edited: Added that I did not add the extra yeast.
This is my first post, and first brew.
Executive Summary: I don’t know if my fermentation is as a result of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast or wild yeast.
We are making an apple cider with bought Red Delicious apples. We juiced these in about an hour and therefore did not add campden tablets. The OG I measured was 1.05, so I did not add any sugar. We added pectonase to break down the foam inside the fermenter from juicing. We then added Lalvin EC-1118 yeast to a measure of water at 42 deg C (or, 107 deg F, as per packet instructions), then added it to the fermenter.
After 72 hours the airlock was still not bubbling. I went back to the brew shop. They told me that the above temperature would have killed the yeast and to sprinkle another packet into the fermenter. After work I got home and the fermenter was bubbling away so I did not add the extra yeast.
My question is this. With the airlock now bubbling away after around 80 hours, did the packet or wild yeast win?
I had planned to ferment till dry then back sweeten. If the winning yeast is wild yeast, should I then try to cold crash the process before it bottoms out? Should also get the cider out of the fermenter as soon as the SG bottoms out?
Thanks.
Edited: Added that I did not add the extra yeast.