Guildenstern
Well-Known Member
Hello all,
I have been doing some 5 gallon batch brewing since December with pretty good results. But hit a nice wall when I tried to ferment some cider through many errors of my own.
First, the specs.
I was using a local Fruit Farm's Sweet Cider which is Pasturized and has 0.1% Potasium Sorbate in it (Stupid new Ohio Law.)
In early trials this cider worked well with dry yeast in a Pint vessel, I got a real attinuation of 24.2 in one week from bread yeast (I know crap but it was just to see if the yeast would take not to drink)
So I figured OK I'll go up to 5 gallons and have some cider.
3/15/09
My measued O.G. was 1.058 corrected for temperature.
I used 4.5 Gallons in a 5 Gallon Carboy.
I pitched an Activator Pack of Wyeast 4184 Sweet Mead 50B Cell Cout.
And I did this all with a cider temperature of 53°F
Oh and I didn't aerate.
Yea I see some problems there.
Obviously the fermentation took off like a drifting land mass and now 3/30/09 I have a S.G. of 1.050 for an Aparent Attinuation of 13.1%. And it tastes ok but still sweet. The fermentation happened at around 65°F. I now have it crashed in the fridge to either just rack into a Keg to wait out the summer (this is for a wedding in September) or fix or toss.
My Question:
Did I just make 4.5 Gallons of Liquid Apple Flavored Headache from the miserable fermentation? Am I riding the Acetobacter express to vinegar town? Or:
Could I rack off the lame yeast aerate and repitch a starter of 4184 or another yeast and have something drinkable in the middle of September?
Should I just drink it now and try again in June when the Orchard releases their frozen cider storage?
Or should I save myself the horrible headache and chuck it and start over in June?
Or should I just stick to Beer and carbonate a keg of their sweet cider for the wedding and just tell people it's been fermented?
Thanks all.
I have been doing some 5 gallon batch brewing since December with pretty good results. But hit a nice wall when I tried to ferment some cider through many errors of my own.
First, the specs.
I was using a local Fruit Farm's Sweet Cider which is Pasturized and has 0.1% Potasium Sorbate in it (Stupid new Ohio Law.)
In early trials this cider worked well with dry yeast in a Pint vessel, I got a real attinuation of 24.2 in one week from bread yeast (I know crap but it was just to see if the yeast would take not to drink)
So I figured OK I'll go up to 5 gallons and have some cider.
3/15/09
My measued O.G. was 1.058 corrected for temperature.
I used 4.5 Gallons in a 5 Gallon Carboy.
I pitched an Activator Pack of Wyeast 4184 Sweet Mead 50B Cell Cout.
And I did this all with a cider temperature of 53°F
Oh and I didn't aerate.
Yea I see some problems there.
Obviously the fermentation took off like a drifting land mass and now 3/30/09 I have a S.G. of 1.050 for an Aparent Attinuation of 13.1%. And it tastes ok but still sweet. The fermentation happened at around 65°F. I now have it crashed in the fridge to either just rack into a Keg to wait out the summer (this is for a wedding in September) or fix or toss.
My Question:
Did I just make 4.5 Gallons of Liquid Apple Flavored Headache from the miserable fermentation? Am I riding the Acetobacter express to vinegar town? Or:
Could I rack off the lame yeast aerate and repitch a starter of 4184 or another yeast and have something drinkable in the middle of September?
Should I just drink it now and try again in June when the Orchard releases their frozen cider storage?
Or should I save myself the horrible headache and chuck it and start over in June?
Or should I just stick to Beer and carbonate a keg of their sweet cider for the wedding and just tell people it's been fermented?
Thanks all.