After some failed experiments with juice these last two weeks I think I am excited about what is happening. Saturday afternoon I mixed up three gallons of organic pasteurized cider with White Labs English Ale yeast-liquid type. When I got up Sunday morning the airlock was bubbling away! Would it behoove me to every once in a while give the bottle a gentle shake to help keep the yeast activity going, or not? I did so yesterday and it seemed to revive the yeast a bit. I am keeping track of the bubbles per minute out of the airlock. I now have an idea of making some cherry/pomegranate cider. Would the same yeast be a good match for this concoction?
Good results so far...
- Thread starter RandallT
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Justibone
Well-Known Member
Yes, stirring the yeast in primary is a fantastic thing to do. You may also be stirring up the sugars, and this helps speed fermentation and make the whole process go to completion.
As for the other concoction, if you like the way your cider is turning out, then the concoction should be pretty good as well.
As an aside: a hydrometer is far more accurate than airlock bubbles to measure fermentation.
As for the other concoction, if you like the way your cider is turning out, then the concoction should be pretty good as well.
As an aside: a hydrometer is far more accurate than airlock bubbles to measure fermentation.
RandallT
Well-Known Member
Justi,
Thanks for the advice. I have shaken it up once or twice a day since Monday, and it does seem to revive the process a bit. The cherry cider I threw together on Wednesday afternoon is fermenting well-just a gallon on this one using liquid White Labs English Cider yeast. I lost a bit of the vial when I opened it-bursting out of the container so I learned something there about the liquid yeast.
Thanks for the advice. I have shaken it up once or twice a day since Monday, and it does seem to revive the process a bit. The cherry cider I threw together on Wednesday afternoon is fermenting well-just a gallon on this one using liquid White Labs English Cider yeast. I lost a bit of the vial when I opened it-bursting out of the container so I learned something there about the liquid yeast.
CandleWineProject
Well-Known Member
Please note that Justibone said the primary. After about 2 weeks you should move it to the secondary and leave it alone. In fact, you will want to sort of stop shaking it a few days before racking so that it can clear a little bit.
Justibone
Well-Known Member
As a rule of thumb, always airlock it if you have the equipment. Certain lambics, apfelmust, etc. in primary are notable exceptions, but if you have the ability, in most cases, you will want to use an airlock, and that goes DOUBLE for anything in secondary.
CandleWineProject
Well-Known Member
Agree with Justibone. Some of my older batches I swapped the airlock for a plug, and then came back and the plug was missing. I guess it blew it. Still experimenting with at what point an airlock can be swapped out.
I use an airlock from the day I put it into secondary, until I bottle. Sometimes, that's months or even years. I just have to remember to check the airlocks every few months, to make sure they haven't evaporated!
RandallT
Well-Known Member
Yooper,
Thanks again. Now that I am gaining a little confidence in what I am doing I am looking forward to trying many different types of cider and imparting what knowledge I have gained to others who are getting interested.
Thanks again. Now that I am gaining a little confidence in what I am doing I am looking forward to trying many different types of cider and imparting what knowledge I have gained to others who are getting interested.
Justibone
Well-Known Member
This site is great. One of these days I need to support it and become a member.
People on here have done everything you could imagine. Use the search feature and you'll see, it's all here! Also, howtobrew.com is a great resource and can get you started, though the author focuses more on beer than on cider.
Cheers!
a hydrometer is a must to check fermentation
the activity that you see when you shake it up is co2 coming out of the liquid
it would be the same as if you filled your carboy up with pop the airlock would let out the co2 but if you shake it up it will speed up the process of expelling the c02 which is why most on here will tell you not to go by the airlock
the activity that you see when you shake it up is co2 coming out of the liquid
it would be the same as if you filled your carboy up with pop the airlock would let out the co2 but if you shake it up it will speed up the process of expelling the c02 which is why most on here will tell you not to go by the airlock
RandallT
Well-Known Member
Just,
I am drinking the first batch I made now. I filtered it through cheesecloth a bunch of times and secondaried it off to 3/4 gallon bottles. It has a real clean taste-not yeasty at all and a bit to the dry side. Pretty drinkable really and it does give a buzz. I found an interesting recipe here using about 1/4 Welch's white grape juice concentrate and 3/4 apple cider. I think that will be my next experiment.
I am drinking the first batch I made now. I filtered it through cheesecloth a bunch of times and secondaried it off to 3/4 gallon bottles. It has a real clean taste-not yeasty at all and a bit to the dry side. Pretty drinkable really and it does give a buzz. I found an interesting recipe here using about 1/4 Welch's white grape juice concentrate and 3/4 apple cider. I think that will be my next experiment.
Justibone
Well-Known Member
In my experience, the grape juice helps the mouthfeel, and it also slightly speeds the fermentation.
RandallT
Well-Known Member
Just,
I nixed the Welch's after having read the ingredients which included sulfites. I was afraid that they would have a negative effect upon the Red Star Montrachet yeast that I used. I substituted the Welch's with Hansen's Apple-Strawberry, so this batch is 2 gallons of Springfield store bought cider (cheap!) and the half gallon of Hansen's. It's a real pretty color and I hope the taste is as appealing.
I nixed the Welch's after having read the ingredients which included sulfites. I was afraid that they would have a negative effect upon the Red Star Montrachet yeast that I used. I substituted the Welch's with Hansen's Apple-Strawberry, so this batch is 2 gallons of Springfield store bought cider (cheap!) and the half gallon of Hansen's. It's a real pretty color and I hope the taste is as appealing.
Justibone
Well-Known Member
In my admittedly limited homebrew experience, the "badness" of preservatives is in the following order, from least issues to most issues:
ascorbate (no prob) --> sulfites (low conc. is fine) --> sorbate (generally bad)
Wine yeasts are particularly used to low concentrations of sulfites. That being said, I figure you probably made the right call.
CandleWineProject
Well-Known Member
Montrachet yeast is a good yeast, but can mess with the flavors of a fruit wine/cider.
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