First ferment since joining...

[El Whedo]

I haven't fermented anything in about twelve years.

I started a batch of cider three days ago.

4.75 gallons of apple juice (different types/brands... my wonderful wife just got me whatever was cheap/on sale).
9gm Fermaid O.
One pack of EC 1118.

Starting gravity is an amazing (to me) 1.044, I never realized apple juice had so much sugar in it.

It took roughly 14 hrs to start fermenting and form a wee bit of foam on top. Today is three days later, and it's fermenting respectably well for being kept at 60-64F. For this cool temperature, I feel like it a robust fermentation.

Smells good/clean so far.

I have a kegerator I've converted to take two Corney Kegs, but don't wanna rush to clean and sanitize, and fill my CO2 bottle. A second CO2 bottle at the start will reduce the stresses I remember from so long ago.

I plan on bottling in pint, and quart EZ Cap bottles. I have a ton of them in the garage. I did a bit of math, and used a carbonation calculator. It looks like the one can of apple juice concentrate I have in the freezer will be enough sugars to carb the just under 5 gallon batch.

 

[Chalkyt]

If you are planning to bottle carb, just add the bulk AJC to the cider and monitor the change in SG until it is at the right level for the carbonation you are after. Roughly, two SG points will produce 1 volume of CO2, so bottling at 1.005 should give you "normal" carbonation (i.e. 2.5 volumes of CO2). This is the way I do it and is easier than calculating volumes since you don't have to worry about how much sugar is in the AJC or the fermented cider.

 

[El Whedo]

Today is day eleven for the cider.

The gravity today is 1.00, but I expect it will drop a bit more. I transferred it to a carboy, and moved it to a warmer room that actually is 60-64 F. The room I did the primary in was actually in the high 50s F.

I pitched a raspberry lemonade on top of the yeast cake this afternoon. It is already fermenting slowly.

Ten cans raspberry lemonade concentrate, 3.5# table sugar, 15 gm of Fermaid O, and water to 5 gallons. Starting gravity: 1.068, I wish it was a wee bit higher. If I like this stuff I'll try 4# of sugar next time.

My wife usually has zero interest in my hobbies, but she has lots of questions about fermenting and she helped me out this afternoon. She says I need to bottle when she can be there to help!

 

[teddyearp]

My wife usually has zero interest in my hobbies, but she has lots of questions about fermenting and she helped me out this afternoon. She says I need to bottle when she can be there to help!

Keep her.