I slapped 5 gallons of un-pasteurized, preservative free Minea Farms apple cider and 5 crushed Campden into my 6 gal carboy. 30 hours or so later, I added 1lb brown sugar (boiled w/ water and cooled)
Before the sugar my OG was 1.052, after the sugar it was 1.060
I then added 1 packet of Wyeast Lab's 4184 Sweet Mead activator yeast directly to the carboy and gave it a solid shaking & swirling.
My air-lock never moved or gave any sign of life. I saw no action in the carboy.
It's been at least a week and I decided to give it a smell and test the gravity.
It smells like apple cider with no off-smells and the reading is 1.052.. so I guess something has happened.
I gave it another massive shake and mixed the lees up real good (they had all fallen) and put the air-lock back on it.
Am I making vinegar at this stage? Should I just wait 3 more days and see happens, or is it time to dump $40 of juice on the yard and try again?
Before the sugar my OG was 1.052, after the sugar it was 1.060
I then added 1 packet of Wyeast Lab's 4184 Sweet Mead activator yeast directly to the carboy and gave it a solid shaking & swirling.
My air-lock never moved or gave any sign of life. I saw no action in the carboy.
It's been at least a week and I decided to give it a smell and test the gravity.
It smells like apple cider with no off-smells and the reading is 1.052.. so I guess something has happened.
I gave it another massive shake and mixed the lees up real good (they had all fallen) and put the air-lock back on it.
Am I making vinegar at this stage? Should I just wait 3 more days and see happens, or is it time to dump $40 of juice on the yard and try again?