Search results

The headspace isn't typically a problem in primary since active fermentation produces many volumes of CO2 which displaces the O2. It is still generally considered to be good practice to keep headspace to the minimum possible, while still leaving a little bit of headspace to account for...

I'm stoked. Y'all are awesome. It sounds like as long as the pH of my solution is proper at 3.0 or less then I am good. I will monitor the pH of the solution and replace as needed. It also sounds like investing in a RO filter would be a good idea for me (for this and other reasons).

RPh: You are becoming my best friend! Thanks for the very helpful info.

RPh: Thanks. Your response came in as I was typing my reply. It sounds like what I am seeing is normal.

Interesting. I typically mix Starsan with my tap water and I am used to it having a cloudy appearance. From what you are saying, it sounds like my normal processes may have a glaring flaw, but I have never experienced any problems that would indicate ineffective sanitation procedures. I'll...

I noticed that the Starsan solution I am using in my blowoff reservoir suddenly went from the normal cloudy appearance to transparent from one day to the next. I typically use airlocks rather than blowoffs, but even in airlocks I am used to the solution remaining cloudy throughout the entire...

Lol. Way to resurrect a super dead thread, but definitely a valid question. In the future, you should just create a new thread with a link to the old thread you are referencing. To answer your question though: You can go either way regarding pasteurizing/using campden prior to pitching yeast...

A quart? Definitely a nano-brew there. My first thought was a mason jar with a drilled lid and a grommet to hold the airlock, but a quart size mason jar would probably be too full, and a half gallon would have too much headspace. It seems a 48oz jar would be the right size. You could probably...

I've agree with everything Mongoose is saying. Add in all that to the fact that the CF10 gives you double the capacity of the CF5 for only ~20% more cost with almost the same amount of floor space used, and it seems like the way to go. I guess if money and floor space are not concerns, then I...

So far it's been primarily Gravensteins, though I did press a small batch of Gala so far. Gravenstein went straight into the fermenter for wild fermentation, the Gala I pasteurized for future use. So far those have been the only varieties ready yet from the trees I have access to. There are...

I recently got a CF10, and am very happy with that size. For me, a smaller fermenter would have been a poor choice. Regardless of how much I am drinking it seems like there is never enough. There is always high demand from family, friends and coworkers. I also do a lot of bartering with people...

I really like your idea of the primary differences being yeast type. You might end up with four very similar ciders, or you might find significant differences and obtain valuable info that you can also apply in the future. The wild ferment has the highest chance of having significantly different...

Yep, back sweetening by the glass works great. I always make my ciders dry, but I have some friends who like it sweet, so I back sweeten per glass when pouring for them. I typically will add 1 spoonful of honey to an equal amount of warm water, stir it to mix and then pour the cider in (If you...

Ooh, this is a fun thread. I haven't jumped in yet, so lets give the total a boost. I pasteurize large amounts of juice during apple pressing season so that I can continue brewing cider using my own pressed juice throughout the entire year. For the most part, I do wild-fermented single varietal...

I brought up beer in a statement where I was taking about carbonating your cider and I used examples of other carbonated beverages. Was that really hard to grasp?

Really? You are talking about cider? In the cider forum? What a shocker. Good thing you pointed that out, or we wouldn't have realized it. Seriously though, the problem isn't the yeast. I've seen many ciders using Nottingham turn out great. I think part of your problem was your addition of...

I would find it surprising if there are still enough residual sugars left for carbonation. Depending on how much juice you added when you closed the headspace upon racking to secondary, it is very possible that it fermented out the additional sugars without you even noticing the activity in the...

Thank you very much for the info, that makes a lot of sense. So to bring it all together: With the freezing point of -19.5C, is my estimated ABV of ~34% sound right, or does the high amount of dissolved solids mean that the actual ABV is significantly lower due to the additional effects that...

Wax will help seal small cracks, but sealing with food grade silicone prior to waxing is a very good idea as the silicone will be able to seal cracks larger than what the wax can handle. You could potentially press the pears without grinding them if they are soft, but you will probably end up...

I used the Alcohol/Gravity calculators on Homebrewsupply and Brewers Friend, which both gave me 9.84%. Any idea why Fermcalc gives different results for the same input? Since that part is just getting the theoretical maximum as opposed to the actual, it is less important though. 3.8% dissolved...