Recent content by Barzahl

5 gallons traditional 138.9 + 5 = 143.9

@amber-ale thanks, I have switched to vodka, any advice on how to strain it without oxidizing? Was thinking of adding Campden tablets then racking through a strainer into a 5 gallon bucket. I think it was a combination of the bubbler being too small and cylinder type and that I had the vessel...

@micraftbeer thanks, it is for home consumption, it was one of my first few batches and I made a couple big mistakes pouring boiling water over my berries to sanitize them then putting them in the blender also not using pectic enzyme so it's going to be on the thick side, I might try carbing...

@lumpher thanks, it was initially sanitizer then water then rum, at the time I didn't have vodka on hand but now I keep a bottle just for airlocks

So I made a melomel a couple years back and a few months in when I was checking airlocks it's airlock was practically empty I filled it with water (initially it had OneStep sanitizer) and a few days later I was passing my carboys so I checked airlocks again and it was almost empty I got...

Lately I've been doing 5 gallon batches

Did you rehydrate the yeast? If not trying doing that Lalvin should have instructions on rehydrating it on the packet. When the gravity is high like that yeast really struggles to wake up if you dry pitch it into your must

I think most people would just call it a spiced acerglyn, exact names don't really matter if you're not entering a competition and if you are they'll usually have guidelines to help you figure it out

To fine tune abv you need to measure the specific gravity of your must either with a hydrometer or refractometer, since there's an abv target you're trying to to hit we'll assume your must ferments to a final gravity of 1.00 you take your current gravity let's say it's 1.2 subtract from it your...

It's normal from stabilizing it should go away in a couple weeks

:mug:

I didn't mean to imply you didn't, that was for the benefit of the op since it wasn't something you mentioned

Depending on the yeast you should rack it off the lees for aging, many strains will start breaking down and produce off flavors if you leave the yeast cake in for months

People often needlessly refer to "primary fermentation" even when they won't have a secondary one, doing a secondary fermentation is usually only used in melomels, certain types of fruit give better flavor when added partway through a fermentation the portion of the ferment after the fruit is...

You could do a half pack for a gallon but personally I don't like having the other half kicking around in the fridge until my next one gallon brew and worry it might get contaminated so I just use the whole pack. Good luck:mug: