Cider Starter

[Slaquor]

I am going to be making a cider in a few days and am trying to make a starter.

I have some safale-05 that I tried to wash from an IPA. I dont think I washed it 100% correctly because I got many different layers...

Anyhow this is what I did:

Got an apple juice container, emptied out about 1½ cup apple juice and used a turkey baster to suck out some of the top 3 layers (where I thought the yeast would be) and put that into the apple juice container. I put that into a pot on my counter and covered it with tin foil.

How am I going to know if this is working? I dont see a mini krausen or anything. How long does noticeable fermentation take on a small container?

 

[storunner13]

Cider might not have much krausen when fermenting. If you left it out overnight, it has probably finished fermenting (do a sniff test). Also, check on the bottom of the jar...is there more yeast down there? If so, your starter probably worked as planned. Hopefully you used preservative-free apple juice, otherwise your yeast might not have been given the chance to ferment anything. If it's worked, sanitize the inside and outside of the jar, and pour it into the rest of the cider! Or pour off the starter liquid, rouse the yeast, and pour that in. Hopefully you're create some delicious cider!

For future yeast washing attempts, take a look at this sticky if you already haven't: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/

 

[Calder]

For reference, if you are going to re-pitch yeast within a few days, you only need to use about a quarter of the yeast (cake), and don't need to wash it or make a starter.

 

[Slaquor]

I didnt check so much for gunk on the bottom of the jar when I started, so im not sure if there is more now.

I am using Treetop 100% apple juice (no preservatives).

I smelled it and it smells alcholish to me, but I'm worried this could be from what I added with the washed yeast. My wife said it smelled like funky apple juice. The apple juice is now cloudy instead of clear.

I just want to be really sure it is fermenting and not going bad or something, I dont want to waste 5 gallons of apple juice.

Thx again!

 

[storunner13]

As long as you're using good sanitation procedures, things should be ok. If it smells like yeast, apples, and alcohol, go for it. If it smells like compost....well, maybe you should make another starter. I would take a hydrometer reading to see if it has fermented.

Since your cider is right out of the bottle, it should be bug free...and if you are confident that your IPA was uninfected, and your wash water was boiled, you should be fine.

 

[Slaquor]

Thank you storunner.

My IPA went great, the apple juice smells stonger of the yeast/alcohol/apples today, even though there is not much of a cake on the bottom. I am going to move ahead tonight and put it all in the carboy. I will compare hydrometer readings on newly opened apple juice vs the starter to see if there is any difference, that is a good idea!

 

[Hex]

100% Apple juice is around 1.050.
Just takes a drop to taste if it's still sweet.

edit: My ciders usually end up below 1.000. (dry)

 

[Slaquor]

Yup your dead on Hex. I took the gravity of my starter it was about 1.046. I then took the gravity of pure apple juice, and it was 1.050 just like you said. I then tasted it and i thought it tasted fantastic! Almost like sparkling cider with a tinge of alcohol.

Mixed in 2 pounds brown sugar, mixed it all up and poured the starter in.

Starting Gravity 1.064...almost exactly what I was aiming for.

THANK YOU ALL!!!