is this normal

[Truebrews]

It's been 12 hours on making this cider what's the brown stuff at the top?

 

[Truebrews]

There's a picture

 

[V-Fib]

I would guess some yeast got stuck to the side. 12 hours would be really fast for any type of infection.

 

[BeeDeeEff]

Looks like some yeast up there from when it foamed up for the first time.

 

[Truebrews]

Now it been 1 day and it has slowed down alot. This my first time trying something like this.

 

[buMbLeB]

Now it been 1 day and it has slowed down alot. This my first time trying something like this.

That was definitely just yeast, totally normal. I see you're going the low-tech route with the balloon airlock - never done it , but I've read it works. As long as you were clean and sterile you should be good to go!

 

[Truebrews]

So 4 days later and fermentation has slowed down quite a bit. Is it because I'm using baker's yeast or cause it's cold?

 

[Truebrews]

Note the white spots are those signs of infection?

 

[oldmate]

Looks like some dried yest, RDWHAHB. Leave it somewhere dark and not too cold for a couple of weeks.

 

[Paps]

It's fine.
Let it ferment and drink it.
RDWHAHB

 

[Truebrews]

Looks like some dried yest, RDWHAHB. Leave it somewhere dark and not too cold for a couple of weeks.

Not the yeast but like the white specks on the neck

 

[Maylar]

It's just bubbles. Totally normal.

 

[Truebrews]

5 days and it's starting to smell like an alcoholic beverage other than the strange tiny brownish black specs on the neck of my bottles I think it might be a success.

 

[Truebrews]

Also I'm sorry I am a noob at this but I'm thinking that I should carbonate my cider in 16 Oz Poland spring bottles

 

[Drewed]

No! Water bottles are not pressure rated. Old soda bottles can work, new ones would be better. Glass would be best.

 

[Truebrews]

6 days what are the small dark spots?

 

[mikerlynch26]

Still just old dried foam from the initial ferment of the yeast. As long as it's not fuzzy you're looking good. Leave it alone and start another batch. And get a glass carboy with an airlock

http://www.homebrewing.org/3-Piece-Airlock_p_883.html
http://www.homebrewing.org/1-Gallon-Growler-Glass-Jug-_p_2655.html
http://www.homebrewing.org/6-Drilled-Rubber-Stopper-Bung_p_3987.html

And while you're at it, grab some racking hose
http://www.homebrewing.org/516-38-Racking-Siphon-Hose--Per-Foot_p_815.html

18 bucks shipped. And guaranteed when you're shopping around you'll end up upgrading to more stuff, that's why my basement looks like a mix between a mad scientist/moonshiner/meth lab

Let us know how it turned out!

 

[Truebrews]

Smells pretty nasty no trace of vinegar but nasty.

 

[Truebrews]

Tastes better than I thought it would kinda like a champagne I can also feel the heat go down my chest

 

[Darth Konvel]

By nasty do you mean like sulfur? That can be normal for some yeast, but will usually blow off if you use an air lock.

 

[Truebrews]

By nasty do you mean like sulfur? That can be normal for some yeast, but will usually blow off if you use an air lock.

Well then I have failed in that regard already put it in a plastic container with a little brown sugar I mean the good thing is the sulfur smell isn't I'm the taste. But it is a turn off is there a way to reverse this?

 

[mikerlynch26]

Give it a little shake each day to let it foam up, the foam will blow off a lot of that rotten egg sulfur smell. Not sure how the balloon airlock will handle this but with a typical 3 piece airlock it allows enough of the gas to leave without blowing all the water out of it. But just know that this is typical, the sulfur is a normal by-product of fermenting juice without the addition of yeast nutrients

 

[rlmiller10]

Also using bread yeast you could be getting some esters that can have a sock smell. But given time they will go away. If you have the patience, put one bottle in the back of the pantry and leave it for a year.

 

[mikerlynch26]

Also, the best yeast I've come across for cider so far costs a buck and makes a damn tasty beverage

http://www.homebrewing.org/Lalvin-Narbonne-Wine-Yeast-71B-1122_p_131.html

 

[MarkKF]

Also, the best yeast I've come across for cider so far costs a buck and makes a damn tasty beverage

http://www.homebrewing.org/Lalvin-Narbonne-Wine-Yeast-71B-1122_p_131.html

I use it for mead & cyzer but I have a small batch of cider going now. I used only a half gal. water + 6 12 oz. cans FAJC for a S.G. 1.110
It's slowly going at 58 deg. F.

 

[Truebrews]

So because it was such a stressful fermentation cold no nutrient and there was light do I have to worry about methanol?

 

[Darth Konvel]

Unless you plan on distilling the stuff you shouldn't need to worry about methanol. Most of what you're describing should age out. I'd say to just give it some time and see how it goes.