Recent content by Ray Dorset

A BIG big thank you to the range and quality of advice I am getting on this. I am really enjoying it and really appreciate it.

My favourite ciders have a "farmyard" flavour to them. I have found it really hard to replicate this. I have tried various yeasts and cultures. Brettanomyces Bruxxellenis, Lalvin ec118 and Lalvin 71B. All with malolactic cultures added after primary fermentation. What else should I try to get...

Mystery Solved I thought I was going mad but it is indeed a leaking bucket rim/ lid. No sign at all of any damage but it leaks from one area. Thanks for all your help Maylar, Island Lizard and Bracconiere.

This is really helpful Maylar. It all looks sealed but something must be leaking - I cannot escape the fact that the SG dropped 30 points so it must have fermented ? And only yeast could have done this ? So it must have turned the sugar to alcohol ?

Nice idea Maylar. I checked the bubble airlock a few times. It still had water in and when you pushed it up and down in the grommet seal the water level moved as you would expect.

I pressed 8 gallon of fresh cider in meticulously clean apparatus and split into 2 x 4 gal vessels. In one I added a packet of lalvin 71B in the other a packet of lalvin EC 118. The 118 took off really well. No activity in the airlock of 71b. Thought I must have a bad 71b yeast packet so made...