KyliesBrewery
New Member
Hi all, I have started a cider crafted from a crazy idea i had.
I really wanted a sweet alcoholic refreshing cider that was very light & clear.
I am not sure if they are available to you in America, but there is a cider we get over here that is similar, an apple & a pear version. (Monteiths - From New Zealand)
Kylie's Watermelon & Mint Cider
(I know its meant to be called a wine, but I like the name cider better)
This is what I have done so far, it is the morning after I put the yeast in (2o'clock yesterday afternoon)
I juiced half of a 5.5kg watermelon.
Grabbed a good handful of mint from my garden (just the leaves)
In a small container (with lid) I covered the mint leaves in Dextrose and put in fridge.(About 150g container full)
In a 1 Ltre glass container (sterilized) I poured my juice in, keeping about a glass. I put the hydrometre in and reading was 1.025.
Now from what I have read, I wanted my gravity to be around 1.050
I added the sugar and stirred to disolve. It all disolved (no heating required) i took another reading & it was at 1.055. Pretty close.
I added some Campden tablet, broken into strength required as per instructions & disolved in a tiny bit of water. I then placed a plug with an airlock fitted. Someone suggested putting it in the fridge overnight so the juice does not go off.
I attempted a starter with some cider yeast i brought from a home brew store... Nothing happened after all night, (i added some yeast to some juice and left it ) the temp was warm enough so i figured the yeast was old.. (not much choice of yeast at that place)
2pm Yesterday - I opened a packet of brewing yeast, and I sprinkled a bit on top of my watermelon mixture. I took it out of the fidge and did it without thinking. It was way cold... oops. All the yeast sank to the bottom almost straight away.
I left it overnight out of the fridge and it was the coldest night we have had for a while, the temprature says around 21 degrees celcius.
It is doing amazing things. I have been up since day break when nothing was happening, but since bubbles have started streaming up. There is a layer on top which looks like bright pink scum, then a layer of clear bubbles, then the brighest coloured juice I have seen. the airlock has begun a slow but continuous bubble & i am so excited.
My plan is to allow to finish to completion, rack into a secondary bottle and cork for a few months, add finings & then to bottle & sugar(with minted sugar) for carbonation. (And age??? 8 months?)
I have photos if anyboy would like me to email them, it is the most amazing colour. I really hope this turns out well. If anybody has any ideas they would like to share, I would appreciate it muchly.
Ohh, to be sipping my pink cider in the pool next christmas... yum.
Thanks & Merry Christmas
Kylie xx
I really wanted a sweet alcoholic refreshing cider that was very light & clear.
I am not sure if they are available to you in America, but there is a cider we get over here that is similar, an apple & a pear version. (Monteiths - From New Zealand)
Kylie's Watermelon & Mint Cider
(I know its meant to be called a wine, but I like the name cider better)
This is what I have done so far, it is the morning after I put the yeast in (2o'clock yesterday afternoon)
I juiced half of a 5.5kg watermelon.
Grabbed a good handful of mint from my garden (just the leaves)
In a small container (with lid) I covered the mint leaves in Dextrose and put in fridge.(About 150g container full)
In a 1 Ltre glass container (sterilized) I poured my juice in, keeping about a glass. I put the hydrometre in and reading was 1.025.
Now from what I have read, I wanted my gravity to be around 1.050
I added the sugar and stirred to disolve. It all disolved (no heating required) i took another reading & it was at 1.055. Pretty close.
I added some Campden tablet, broken into strength required as per instructions & disolved in a tiny bit of water. I then placed a plug with an airlock fitted. Someone suggested putting it in the fridge overnight so the juice does not go off.
I attempted a starter with some cider yeast i brought from a home brew store... Nothing happened after all night, (i added some yeast to some juice and left it ) the temp was warm enough so i figured the yeast was old.. (not much choice of yeast at that place)
2pm Yesterday - I opened a packet of brewing yeast, and I sprinkled a bit on top of my watermelon mixture. I took it out of the fidge and did it without thinking. It was way cold... oops. All the yeast sank to the bottom almost straight away.
I left it overnight out of the fridge and it was the coldest night we have had for a while, the temprature says around 21 degrees celcius.
It is doing amazing things. I have been up since day break when nothing was happening, but since bubbles have started streaming up. There is a layer on top which looks like bright pink scum, then a layer of clear bubbles, then the brighest coloured juice I have seen. the airlock has begun a slow but continuous bubble & i am so excited.
My plan is to allow to finish to completion, rack into a secondary bottle and cork for a few months, add finings & then to bottle & sugar(with minted sugar) for carbonation. (And age??? 8 months?)
I have photos if anyboy would like me to email them, it is the most amazing colour. I really hope this turns out well. If anybody has any ideas they would like to share, I would appreciate it muchly.
Ohh, to be sipping my pink cider in the pool next christmas... yum.
Thanks & Merry Christmas
Kylie xx
