Can i drink it yet? One week fermenting.

[mrSilkie]

So i made my first... i don't even know what it's called (maybe you can tell me what it's called).

It's basically just apple and blackcurrent fruit juice with sugar and yeast added to the mix, put the lock on the top, let it sit for a couple hours, added some water. This was all a week ago. What do i need to do to ensure that it is ready to consume, all i know is that i need to freeze it for 30 minutes but yes, that's it.

Also, is there any more equipment i need? i don't have much, just the hydrometer which i can't use because i didn't take measurements at the start and the airlock.

 

[lumpher]

i believe the correct term for it is "hooch"

 

[Genjin]

I would recommend checking out the cider section. I have no idea when fermented juice will be ready.

However, you can still use your hydrometer! With beer, the most important use of the hydrometer is to determine when the fermentation is over. If you get the same reading three days in a row, most likely the batch is done. However, it may need some serious time to age and mellow if you had a lot of sugar to start with.

 

[lumpher]

really, first major question: what yeast?

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

i believe the correct term for it is "hooch"

That, and you can drink it whenever you want. Whether or not this is the best time is a matter for some study.

 

[mrSilkie]

really, first major question: what yeast?

Premium Brewing yeast, i've got no idea what the difference is between yeast so i picked up a big tin of bakers yeast as paying $1 for 5g is just rediculous.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

Premium Brewing yeast, i've got no idea what the difference is between yeast so i picked up a big tin of bakers yeast as paying $1 for 5g is just rediculous.

yup, hooch.

 

[mrSilkie]

Also, the point of the thread was to ask, is there anything i have to do between freezing the bottle to kill the yeast and drinking? Any filtering for example? I'm really eagar to taste my first homebrew.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

I wouldn't freeze them if they are glass bottles, just refrigerate them.

 

[mrSilkie]

I wouldn't freeze them if they are glass bottles, just refrigerate them.

No, i brewed up my 'hooch' in a plastic bottle, so just freeze and drink? Also, bakers yeast is fine for hooch? I'm not much of a beer person so if i like hooch i'll stick with it.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

well, bread yeast will work but it might add some off flavors that you might not like. It's selected to munch on starch, so with a sugar-rich diet it will behave differently.

In the future you might want to swing by a homebrew supply and get some dry champagne yeast. about a buck for 5 gallons worth.

 

[mrSilkie]

I added what, 2 and a half cups of sugar and 20g or something of yeast to a 1.4L bottle. at a $1 for 5g of premium brewing yeast at the homebrew store my brew is probably more expensive then commercial wine hence why i picked up the bakers yeast whilst i got around to it.

Also, can i just freeze it and drink it already. :|

 

[step]

Drink it now. Drink a lot of it, Drink it as quickly as you can. Then report your thoughts...


Really though, without any gravity readings its impossible to "know when it's done." However, knowing when fermentation is complete and knowing when its ready to drink are two different things. As others have said, take a drink and if you like it then its done. As for the freezing I'm not sure what your goal is. If you want to chill and drop the yeast out of suspension that is one thing. However, if you are simply chilling/freezing to "kill" the yeast that are in suspension this may lead to undesirable flavors.

If you want cheap quick booze and don't care about anything else than yeast and temperature are friend. More of both will accelerate your hooch making endeavor.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

I added what, 2 and a half cups of sugar and 20g or something of yeast to a 1.4L bottle. at a $1 for 5g of premium brewing yeast at the homebrew store my brew is probably more expensive then commercial wine hence why i picked up the bakers yeast whilst i got around to it.

Also, can i just freeze it and drink it already. :|

5g of EC-1118 (like a buck at your local home brew store) is enough for a dozen of those bottles. Really.

And yes if the bottles are good and hard you can cold crash and drink. But i think with 20g of yeast in it, it will taste rather, yeasty.

 

[mrSilkie]

The only thing i can think of when drinking it is... wine.

The one thing i hate most in the entire world is wine, the only benifit being that it's alot stronger, strong enough to give me the burning sensation in my throat. Would cranberry be any different?

"5g of EC-1118 (like a buck at your local home brew store) is enough for a dozen of those bottles. Really."

How do i use less and still get the same out of it? does it just take longer the less you put in?

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

The only thing i can think of when drinking it is... wine.

The one thing i hate most in the entire world is wine, the only benifit being that it's alot stronger, strong enough to give me the burning sensation in my throat. Would cranberry be any different?

"5g of EC-1118 (like a buck at your local home brew store) is enough for a dozen of those bottles. Really."

How do i use less and still get the same out of it? does it just take longer the less you put in?

It's not baking soda - it's a living organism that eats sugar, pees alcohol, and belches co2. And has sex, reproducing fairly quickly.

Using too little yeast may result in incomplete fermentation, true, but using Just Enough will have better results and may not take any longer than the week you already waited.

If you just want to get a buzz going, maybe you should forego fruit juices and just use sugar water with some flavoring in it?

 

[BuddyWeiser]

Until you use barley malt and hops to make your brew, it's not going to be beer. Mixing yeast with juice makes cider and wine, etc.

Extra yeast might make it go faster by a day or two, but that can also cause you to have more yeast in your end result, so much so that you might actually taste yeast when you drink it.

 

[mrSilkie]

Ahh, i get it, so i shouldn't add as much as i did the first time, i think i'm starting to get it, is there any way to calculate how much sugar to add to get X amount of alcohol in the end result? Is there a calculator online? I've looked at mrMalty's calculator but it only does ales and lagers which i'm not making.

 

[BuddyWeiser]

I just found this link about alcohol per sugar & water using the search tool.

Hope that helps!

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

Maybe you would be better served by a moonshine forum.

In some sense yeast is yeast, but there is the question of attenuation - what concentration of alcohol is possible before the yeast stops. Some are stronger than others. EC-1118 is fairly strong in that respect.

The strongest yeasts available will get you to 23% ABV, but only in a mixture of water, glucose, and yeast nutrients. And it will taste kinda nasty.

Most ale and lager yeasts are really not bred to produce super high alcohol beverages. Most beers are well under 10% ABV. EC-1118 will go to 18% under ideal conditions.

A 'shine forum might be able to tell you what ABV you can acheive with table sugar and your bread yeast. Since bread yeast is designed for bread, the manufacturers don't really advertise how much alcohol it can make.

If you have more time than money, look at the instructions for making "starters". That would allow you to stretch one packet of EC-1118 and make it last for hundreds of gallons, by breeding large colonies of yeast from just a pinch of the dry stuff. It's easier to do with a stir plate and erlenmeyer flasks, but there's no reason you can't do it with mason jars and old cider jugs.

 

[mrSilkie]

Maybe you would be better served by a moonshine forum.

In some sense yeast is yeast, but there is the question of attenuation - what concentration of alcohol is possible before the yeast stops. Some are stronger than others. EC-1118 is fairly strong in that respect.

The strongest yeasts available will get you to 23% ABV, but only in a mixture of water, glucose, and yeast nutrients. And it will taste kinda nasty.

Most ale and lager yeasts are really not bred to produce super high alcohol beverages. Most beers are well under 10% ABV. EC-1118 will go to 18% under ideal conditions.

A 'shine forum might be able to tell you what ABV you can acheive with table sugar and your bread yeast. Since bread yeast is designed for bread, the manufacturers don't really advertise how much alcohol it can make.

If you have more time than money, look at the instructions for making "starters". That would allow you to stretch one packet of EC-1118 and make it last for hundreds of gallons, by breeding large colonies of yeast from just a pinch of the dry stuff. It's easier to do with a stir plate and erlenmeyer flasks, but there's no reason you can't do it with mason jars and old cider jugs.

Thank you, that should be all i need for now, thanks for all the help guys, i really appreciate it.

 

[alaskana]

It sounds like you are trying to make what they call 'Jungle Juice'. At least that is what they used to call fruit juice, yeast and sugar thrown into a vat and left to ferment. The by product often being a gnarly, headache inducing, 'mad dog 20/20' like fortified wine.

In any case, as with beer I would imagine time will only make your concoction better. What ever yeast you put in will eventually go to sleep but will still slowly work on off flavors and other fermentation byproducts that create undesirable aspects to your brew. If you are worried about yeasty flavors, cold crash the sucker for a few days and draw off of that. I could be wrong, of course, but good luck with your 'brew'!