Slowing Fermentation with Dry Ice?

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bwittman

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I'm getting a late start this year, picking up some fresh pressed juice this weekend. While it's not exactly hot in San Francisco i'm worried about Lalvin 1118 fermenting too quickly. Has anyone ever tried to slow down fermentation with the addition of dry ice to their carboys? My winemaker roommate says they do this with pinot before they press it off. Not sure it it would work or how it would effect the yeast. Thoughts?
 
Put carboy in trash can or laundry basket ( ones without holes), fill 1/2 way up carboy with water. Put small amount of sanitizer in water. Add frozen milk jugs of water. With 4 jugs you can rotate them out trading melted ones for new frozen ones. Would be cheaper than dry ice.
 
You actually put the dry ice IN the juice. It just evaporates into CO2.

Thats what I thought you were getting at and I don't see how that would help. First of all the cooling would be short lived. Second The CO2 from the dry ice would be comparable to what the yeast already put in there them selves so I cant see any slowing there, AND if the extra CO2 did slow down the yeast, again the effect would be short lived as the the CO2 would dissipate fairly quickly. Also by adding dry ice directly to the brew you run the risk of contaminating what you are working on.
 
Put some dry ice into a clean container and let it sublimate-see what is left over. That stuff has all sort of crap in it that you don't want in your beer.
 
sounds like bock ice in a keg tub is the way go to. The one year i get a late start San Francisco decides not to be it's normally 50 degrees... The Lalvin 1118 is an aggressive little bugger. Sadly i don't have room for a fridge nor any way to power it up in the basement.
 
Ninkasi, in Watsonville. Gizdich Ranch. We've had great success with their juice. They crush fresh every saturday until May. Came out to 1.060 original gravity. Very balanced, good tannin. I don't have anything to actually test the acids or be more specific, just my taste buds and what i know worked in the past. That said, i think there are still some processors up in Sonoma who are still pressing juice.
 
Hi! Where are you getting pressed pressed juice in SF at this time of year?

There are a couple of places still pressing in Apple Hill (just outside of Sacramento) too. Pretty sure one or two press all year round from stored apples. No question the later juice won't be as good as the freshly harvested stuff, but I can't help thinking it's still waaaay better than the store bought filtered, pasteurized, preserved "juice"

Cheers

HW
 
I was wondering this year, since the apples have been sitting in cold storage, if the juice would be a good candidate for trying to keeve them?
 
I was wondering this year, since the apples have been sitting in cold storage, if the juice would be a good candidate for trying to keeve them?

I think you should wait til the next apple season since you don't have a cool area to work in.

You can get the PME here:

cidersupply.com
 
Thanks for the tips on buying local. I figured everything near Sacto. would be finished for the year. Sounds like it's time for a roadtrip down to Monterey.
 
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