Hello HBT, this is my first post. I guess I'm a newer brewer in the sense that i haven't made many good drinks but I think i'm pretty experienced in what not to do. I prefer to only make 1 gallon batches and experiment. I recently started brewing again and I would like to show you some experiments I did because I love to read those types of threads.
My first gallon I used only martinelli's with 1 packet Fleishmann's active dry yeast. Let it sit for about 1 week, until the bubbling was really slow. Moved it to the fridge and let it start to clear. A lot of the sediment moved to the bottom but it was very thick so I added gelatin and it turned the entire thing into gelatin and its not clearing at all. I bottled it and it let it sit for the past 2 weeks. The taste was also too dry, and it had a slight lemony flavor. I think this failed because Martinelli's is too thin and the apple flavor is so weak it is overpowered by the yeast and it was too thin for the gelatin to clear easily.
The second batch i fixed all the problems of the first. I used Treetop cider http://www.treetop.com/ProductDetail.aspx?CategoryID=1&ProductID=172 and a turbo yeast. I let it ferment about 3-4 days and i sampled a shot and it was amazing so I threw it in the fridge for 2 days and let it clear. I drank it right out of the bottle, still bubbling with the yeast in it. I put the last liter in a bottle and let it sit a week and it was even better. All my friends loved it. Yeast was half Tablespoon "Super Yeast X-press 20% ABV (Liquor Quik)"
My third batch is still going right now. I'm using simply apple juice. I used the left over turbo in one bottle and I used Premier Cuvee in another. let it sit 4 days and put it in the fridge and its still bubbling.
Turbo on the left, was clear of nonyeast sediment. Cuvee in the Middle seemed to not have any yeast sediment and the right is original, see natural apple sediment. I added a shot of cheap Cognac mixed with gelatin to each and it cleared out some more, apple sediment settled on top of the turbo yeast and the sediment in the cuvee increased. The taste right now is good, not as good as the treetop but way better than the martinelli's. The cuvee is pretty clean like just dry apple juice. The turbo has some really nice fruity flavors that are not present in the Cuvee. I think i may blend the two in 2 days and drink.
Simply, my process is add yeast, let it sit for 2-4 days. Add to the fridge for 48 hours. It's key to use a strong yeast though and a good fermenting temperature like 65-70 will keep it from producing off flavors. I did notice it tends to have a slight Sulfur smell in a cup though.
Depending on how this one turns out I'm going to buy 3 Gallons Simply apple juice or treetop cider, ferment it completely dry add some sweeteners and force carbonate it and bottle.
http://postimg.org/gallery/943ys9d2/
Thanks for reading.
My first gallon I used only martinelli's with 1 packet Fleishmann's active dry yeast. Let it sit for about 1 week, until the bubbling was really slow. Moved it to the fridge and let it start to clear. A lot of the sediment moved to the bottom but it was very thick so I added gelatin and it turned the entire thing into gelatin and its not clearing at all. I bottled it and it let it sit for the past 2 weeks. The taste was also too dry, and it had a slight lemony flavor. I think this failed because Martinelli's is too thin and the apple flavor is so weak it is overpowered by the yeast and it was too thin for the gelatin to clear easily.
The second batch i fixed all the problems of the first. I used Treetop cider http://www.treetop.com/ProductDetail.aspx?CategoryID=1&ProductID=172 and a turbo yeast. I let it ferment about 3-4 days and i sampled a shot and it was amazing so I threw it in the fridge for 2 days and let it clear. I drank it right out of the bottle, still bubbling with the yeast in it. I put the last liter in a bottle and let it sit a week and it was even better. All my friends loved it. Yeast was half Tablespoon "Super Yeast X-press 20% ABV (Liquor Quik)"
My third batch is still going right now. I'm using simply apple juice. I used the left over turbo in one bottle and I used Premier Cuvee in another. let it sit 4 days and put it in the fridge and its still bubbling.
Turbo on the left, was clear of nonyeast sediment. Cuvee in the Middle seemed to not have any yeast sediment and the right is original, see natural apple sediment. I added a shot of cheap Cognac mixed with gelatin to each and it cleared out some more, apple sediment settled on top of the turbo yeast and the sediment in the cuvee increased. The taste right now is good, not as good as the treetop but way better than the martinelli's. The cuvee is pretty clean like just dry apple juice. The turbo has some really nice fruity flavors that are not present in the Cuvee. I think i may blend the two in 2 days and drink.
Simply, my process is add yeast, let it sit for 2-4 days. Add to the fridge for 48 hours. It's key to use a strong yeast though and a good fermenting temperature like 65-70 will keep it from producing off flavors. I did notice it tends to have a slight Sulfur smell in a cup though.
Depending on how this one turns out I'm going to buy 3 Gallons Simply apple juice or treetop cider, ferment it completely dry add some sweeteners and force carbonate it and bottle.
http://postimg.org/gallery/943ys9d2/
Thanks for reading.
