Pat Mack's home brewing caps

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jeremydean52486

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I'm just starting out making ciders and figured I would go the easiest route I could. I heard about the pat mack's home brewing caps and im curious to see if anyone has used them and if they have had good luck with them or not. I ordered some and will be arriving next week.
 
When the price of hard ciders popped through the roof and my wife refused to cross her price point, I knew that I had to figure out a simple fix.

PMBC's to the rescue! She now ferments 2 liters at a time and can't believe how simple the process can be. Sanitation, consistent process and documenting results are important.

The easiest way to start is to get 1/2 gallon of apple juice (we buy the brand that uses that juice word twice in its name). Make sure it contains no preservatives. Pasteurized and citric acid are okay. Use dextrose initially as it generally won't impart any flavor. If you don"t have a hydrometer and tube, get one--initial gravity (OG), and final gravity (FG) provide crucial data.

Take an OG of just the juice, and add enough dextrose to get the 1/2 gallon between 1.078 - 1.080. Using a funnel, pour half into clear soda bottle. Shake both bottles vigorously to oxygenate liquid (that will help the yeast). Pour rest of juice into the soda bottle (leaving about 3 fingers from the top), add yeast, cap and shake again to mix yeast. Swap the cap out with the PMBC. Wrap and clip bottle with a kitchen towel and place in dark location, leaving undisturbed for 10-15 days. Remove towel and refrigerate for 2-3 days. The yeast will settle to bottom. It won't harm you if you do drink yeast, but you can taste it.

Carefully open bottle! Think champagne... Take an FG, trying hard to not have bubbles stick to hydrometer (good luck with that!). You can find places on line to help you calculate ABV. Once opened, will stay carbonated several days refrigerated--put regular cap back on.

Playing with the ABV, OG, FG and days of fermentation, you can ferment the taste and dry/sweetness that you desire. The CO2 bubbles will coat your tongue just like champagne. Good luck! Easy Peasy...keep notes.
 
I manufacture the same type of product myself; I have been doing it for a couple of years now. My valve membrane is food grade silicone, I didn't see if Pat Mack's uses NSF certified membrane or not. The system is very simple, wash and sanitize your bottle and caps, add your fermentables and screw on the caps. The really nice thing about using these caps on a PET bottle, is you ferment to the desired residual sweetness and put the bottle in the fridge. Your cider will not only clear, but due to the caps (at least mine anyway) they leave the carbonation in your cider. Anytime you want a glass or tankard of fizzy clear cider, just open the door on the fridge.
 
MindenMan if you sell your caps please give me the info as to where I can order or purchase them I have some friends of mine that would like to give them a go.
 
The website for those caps reads like an infomercial, with not much useful information. MindenMan, your post above provided more information than that entire website. I'd be interested in buying a couple from you as well.
 
jeremydean52486 said:
Now do you take the OG before you add the dextrose or after?
Click to expand...

Yes, I take an OG of the juice, before adding dextrose. When I started doing this, I weighed a pound of dextrose (454 grams), and slowly added to the juice until I got the OG that I wanted (shaking well following each addition, then taking a reading). I weighed the remaining grams and determined the grams of dextrose added. Keeping good notes, after a while-if your buying the same kind of juice-you can simply weigh the grams of dextrose and add it to the juice to get pretty spot on to the OG you want without having to take a reading.

Fermenting it totally dry will reduce the "cider flavor". Leaving it a little sweet will give that good cider flavor and great carb to boot! Determine that final flavor spot you prefer by looking at your FG. That's where your notes come in handy. If it comes out too dry, consider shortening the time you ferment. If you don't really care for how it turned out, you don't have to drink a whole lot before trying again... I'm probably making it sound more difficult than it really is. Believe me, it doesn't get much easier than this!

SWMBO really likes the Apple Raspberry flavor of cider. Mango is good, too.

You'll soon be telling all your friends, "Man, I'm never paying that price for a six-pack of cider again"!
 
I'd venture to say that Steve68 and Jeremydean52486 are in cahoots. (if not the same person...) Both joined Feb 2016 and their only post are in this thread.

Time to buy some bottle caps eh?!
 
I feel so very dirty after visiting that website. I quite enjoyed the quick pop up that is all of one frame stating that all you have to do to get over 20% alcohol is wait a few extra days! All told by someone in a bath robe! Business must be booming!
 
I could careless if and what u buy I'm strictly here for information and help please keep comments like that else where thanks nDub
 
nDub said:
I'd venture to say that Steve68 and Jeremydean52486 are in cahoots. (if not the same person...) Both joined Feb 2016 and their only post are in this thread.

Time to buy some bottle caps eh?!
Click to expand...

Hi nDub!

I've been reading on this site for quite some time, learning lots of stuff. I actually joined after reading Jeremydean52486's question about the caps so I could respond to him.

I actually think that bottled cider that's had a chance to age tastes better, but for the short amount of time to ferment carbonated cider, the brew caps just make it too easy! Like a lot of things, some like it some might not. :mug:
 
Yes, I do sell my caps. A package contains 4 caps, a tube of yeast and some recipes for $9.95-I will check with the post office tomorrow for shipping prices. With envelope they should weigh 3 to 3.5 ounces, so I can ship them for less than $4.95 per item.

Please PM if interested.

EDIT: The minimum priced "box" at the post office is now $6.95. I should be able to hit $4.95 by sending first class mail. I will sending a batch out Monday, and will know for sure at that time what shipping will cost.

DSCN1066.jpg
 
Last edited:
I am suffering from whatever nasty a$$ flu bug is going around at present. I will post pictures likely tomorrow.
 
Steve68 said:
Hi nDub!

I've been reading on this site for quite some time, learning lots of stuff. I actually joined after reading Jeremydean52486's question about the caps so I could respond to him.

I actually think that bottled cider that's had a chance to age tastes better, but for the short amount of time to ferment carbonated cider, the brew caps just make it too easy! Like a lot of things, some like it some might not. :mug:
Click to expand...
where do I buy the caps from? please give me phone number, website email, mailing address ect
 
jeremydean52486 said:
I'm just starting out making ciders and figured I would go the easiest route I could. I heard about the pat mack's home brewing caps and im curious to see if anyone has used them and if they have had good luck with them or not. I ordered some and will be arriving next week.
Click to expand...
Hi. Where can I buy Pat Mack's Homebrewing Caps or similiar?
 
MindenMan said:
I manufacture the same type of product myself; I have been doing it for a couple of years now. My valve membrane is food grade silicone, I didn't see if Pat Mack's uses NSF certified membrane or not. The system is very simple, wash and sanitize your bottle and caps, add your fermentables and screw on the caps. The really nice thing about using these caps on a PET bottle, is you ferment to the desired residual sweetness and put the bottle in the fridge. Your cider will not only clear, but due to the caps (at least mine anyway) they leave the carbonation in your cider. Anytime you want a glass or tankard of fizzy clear cider, just open the door on the fridge.
Click to expand...
Hi. Please tell me where do I buy Pat Mack's Homebrewing Caps or similar?
 
MindenMan said:
Yes, I do sell my caps. A package contains 4 caps, a tube of yeast and some recipes for $9.95-I will check with the post office tomorrow for shipping prices. With envelope they should weigh 3 to 3.5 ounces, so I can ship them for less than $4.95 per item.

Please PM if interested.

EDIT: The minimum priced "box" at the post office is now $6.95. I should be able to hit $4.95 by sending first class mail. I will sending a batch out Monday, and will know for sure at that time what shipping will cost.

View attachment 341068
Click to expand...
I'm hoping you are still doing this sort of stuff and monitoring this page occasionally. I am after a set of these caps and am in New Zealand. Is there any way you could post them to me?
 
Rish said:
^^He was last seen here in 03/2019 so you may not get a reply.
Click to expand...


They may not even be available. I saw this thread come up when sifting through new posts, and well, it made me curious. I did a quick search which led me to Pat's FB page. A couple of FB posts referenced a website homebrewingcaps.com as the source, but that domain is up for sale. I did found this review here Bucketlist Bars. The link in the review took me to the same sight selling the domain.

I tried to see how old that review was, but no date. Seems gimmicky to me, so I'd avoid personally.
 
threadsurrection fools me sometimes. i start reading then somehting doesnt seem right.

those caps remind me of these caps in the mr beer root beer kit .

they were neat. they have a rubber valve in them that bulges when they start to get carbed up.

i noticed that if i let them go a few days after they bulge before putting them in the fridge that the root beer would get a little boozy.

i would love to use them for carbing up cider and leaving them a little sweet. but i cant find them anywhere without buying the whole kit .



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