1/2 gallon apfelwein or cider... idk

[stargate_to_Earth]

Sorry i'm an engineering student so here goes a lab report style question

My home brew expirament

Michael

Started 12/5/2011 3 pm
First check 12/5/2011 6 pm
Second check 12/6/2011 11 am
Finished ???

Abstract

I am trying homebrewing for the first time and apfelwien sounded easy so i'm starting there. I'm doing 1/2 gallon batches and I don't know what I am doing.


Intro

To start off i am a college student (21 years old) without much money and I want to get into homebrewing. My local harris teeter has 1/2 gallons of murry's cider in glass containers thier page. I figured I could use them without buying expensive carboys.

equipment

3 1/2 gallons of murry's cider (label said 30g sugar)
1 1/2 gallon to drink for myslef
3 #6 stoppers (with holes)
3 interlocks (2 s bends 1 3-piece)
1 3 ft hose
1 lb brown sugar
3 different yeasts (5 g Lalvin 1122 1116 and 1118)
1 handle of firefly vodka

Procedure

To start I first dumped about 1/3 of a pint out of each 1/2 gallon to allow room for bubling and the sugar. I washed the stoppers with anti-bacterical soap and added 1/3 lb of brown sugar to each 1/2 gallon. I then added the yeast, replaced the lids, and shook em up. I took the lids off and put the airlocks on (with firefly in them). I left them on a shelf in the kitchen.

Results

Two of them (with the s-bend) started bubbling slowley with a film of bubble on top (1/min) in a few hours and the next morning (today) they were (are) bubling relativly quickly with no film (~1/sec). The other one (lalvin 1122 and the 3 piece air lock) wasnt percivebly bubbleing and didn't have much of a film on top when I checked it (the same time as the 1/min bubble of the other two). The next day It seems to be bubling at about 1 per 8 sec (the same as the 1/min count for the other two).

The added sugar didn't really disolve when I added it but it has signifiantly diminished between the two different observations (by ~1/2)

Discussion

The pitches seem to have went well even though I dont think I did them anywhere near correctly. However the pitch of the 1122 seems to have started significantly slower even though lalvin's website says they should start at the same speed, I am slightly concerned about this.

I didn't buy or use anything that I didn't state above so I have a few questions/concerns.
1) is a bubble a second a good rate?
2) How long will it take to ferment?
3) If i dont mind if it's cloudy do I need bottles?
4) Did i put enough sugar in (aka whats max %)?
5) How do I know if it's infected (i dont think it is)?
6) Dose using half gallon continers cause any problems?
7) How much trouble would it be to carbonate this (The only equipment is what I stated above and I dont have alot of extra money right now)?

Conclusion

I dont know if this will turn out well but I think it will be a fun expirament and that I will learn alot. Any help would be appreciated. And I can post pictures if you want.

 

[bourgeoisbee]

1. A bubble a second is a good rate, but be wary of judging gravity/doneness by bubbles. Sure it shows you activity now, but later in the process it's not a good way to determine if it has fermented out completely.
2. Give it 6 weeks at 64F-70F to be sure. It will probably be done sooner, but it will taste better the longer it sits.
3. No. Put them in the fridge for 24+ hours when they are done fermenting and it will help drop any residual yeast and compact it better on the bottom, resulting in clearer cider.
4. You could find out what each yeast's alcohol % tolerance is and calculate sugar amounts to find max, but the amount you added is good. I've added a pound of sugar per gallon of juice and been fine. The more sugar you add the greater chance it will taste boozy/hot.
5. You'll see mold, bacteria, etc if it is infected. Smell is an indicator too. Anti-bacterial soap isn't the best method by any means, but I applaud your ingenuity. Once there is enough alcohol in there it makes it harder for other nasty stuff to grow.
6. Half gallon containers are no problem.

I'd suggest getting some StarSan and a hydrometer in the future, but otherwise you're on your way. Follow up posts/reviews are always great.

 

[daksin]

Also, you're going to want to age this stuff. Apfelwein and dry ciders can be rocket fuel right out of the fermentor. I haven't made it myself, but a buddy makes it all the time, and man- give that sucker 6 months.

 

[funkapottomous]

Oh god apa format how i loathe you

 

[JoeyChopps]

Oh god apa format how i loathe you

+1 I'm almost done with my bs and I hate apa

 

[stargate_to_Earth]

yeah I was scared it would be tldr material. Thanks for the answers. I have heard that growlers cannot stand up to carbonation pressure is this true or after 3-4 weeks could I just cap them and see if they carbonate?