Stupid Pet cider tricks

[JoeSponge]

Actually broke out the wallet this w/e and bought a bottle of JK Scrumpy's from Whole Foods. I love that stuff... not too sweet, not too dry, nice carbonation, appropriate level of adult beverosity, etc.

I noticed a thin thread of rust-colored debris in the bottom and thought back to something I had read here... using yeast remnants from a bottle of brew.

This is a throw-away experiment, namely because I thought it up at 11:30 at night and didn't have any real planning or any organized execution, but hey, that's what stupid pet tricks are for.

I rummaged around in the pantry and the only apple product I had was two cans of Tropicana 100% Apple Juice. No preservatives were listed, and the Tropicana people wouldn't lie to us, right?

I let the last ounce or so sit in the JKS bottle and come up to room temp, and added the two cans.
See the evidence.

I had no fermentation lock, so I had to improvise. Does anyone in class know what the term "jimmy hat" means? Good, you get an "A" on your quiz. Picture of Jimmy hanging out.

For lack of anything worthwhile to call this, I hereby name this "Grumpy Jack's Sidereal Advent Tour".

If this works, I'll be famous, and can have my pic of countries in the old Russia to rule over. If not, I'll live out my days in shame, drinking cider on the Amalfi Coast, thinking about how it coulda' been...

----

It's been 24 hours... if nothing "pops up" in the next 24, I'm going to salt the bottle w/ S04, put it in the bathtub, and pull the curtain. :-D

 

[staffVAJoe]

sounds like something I would do... I find that 1 out of 3 of my ideas work well

its all a numbers game

 

[SeamusMac]

This is sensational, you sir are a poet. Good luck!

 

[PAC762]

This thread just reeks of potential win!

 

[JoeSponge]

This thread reeks of SOMETHING! ;-)

I will be happy to repeat the experiment next time I get something closer to real juice... but I am excited about it. I love JKS...

 

[JoeSponge]

Hey Joe, Stafford is near Hartwood... did you ever know of Dodd Brothers? They made Dodd Brothers Moonbeam Hard Cider -- I searched for them a bit, and even got in the general vicinity... There's a winery v. near where Google placed their where-abouts several years ago, but I don't think they're in business any more, and I think that even the winery is not open to the public.

 

[JoeSponge]

Well, the jimmy hat has turned into a hard hat...

I let it sit on the JKS remnants for about two days, and I didn't see any change. It could be that I just didn't WAIT LONG ENOUGH. :-(

So, being impatient, I popped his top and dropped a v small amount of SA04 down his throat, capped him, and set him back on the shelf.

One day. Two DAYS, ... nothin', really.

Got the idea that maybe I didn't MIX the SA04 when I fed him, so I thumbed the mouth of the bottle, and did a slow roll (inverted the bottle) a couple of times, watching for silouettes. I saw a small clump of SA04 drop from bottom to top, top to bottom, bottom to top, etc.

Set him back on the shelf, and went about my bidness, pretty sure that this was a waste.

1/2 day later, the balloon didn't feel QUITE as flat. I figured I had burped some air in when I removed and replaced it (puffed into the balloon just to see if it was stuff together).

Another 1/2 day, and there wasa a small bulge. Another day and it was in glory. Another 1/2 day and it's in full glory. I wish I had thought to measure the OG when I had uncapped it.

Reg. AJ is about 1.050, but the Tropicana canned stuff adds some extra concentrate (I think) to get some heavier apple taste -- it may sit on the shelf for a long time, and they want you to think "apple" when you pop a can. Sugar in "regular" shelf apple juice is about 25 - 26g... the sugars in the can was listed at 36 grams.

Anyway, watch it through out the days over the w/e. Held it up to the light and saw a lot of efferevescent activity as bubbles slide up the neck. I should have marked the points where I punctured the balloon. I can get a slight whiff of apple, but I don't know wx it comes from. The balloon acts as a speaker/sound board... you can hear a low fizzy rush in the background.

OK, it's not a failed experiment... SOMETHING is happening. I won't be able to DO anything w/ it until Thursday at the latest, so it will probably be pretty dry when I get back to it, but I will measure (and taste) it then.

I think I will try this again w/ another bottle of JK Scrumpy, using more "regular" juice, and shaking the yeast remnants into suspension, and giving it another day or so before I think it's failed.

Woo hoo... all in the name of "science!"

;-)

"Hey, guys! Look at my JIMMYHAT!" "What an idiot. You're only supposed to show that to GIRLS!"

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/GrumpyJack_w-a_HardHat-crop.jpg

 

[JoeSponge]

Poop... didn't embed a pic link correctly. Try again:

 

[JoeSponge]

Last update: Watched it over Friday/Saturday, and had lots of activity. All of the yeast had fallen to the bottom and the cider was well on it's way to clearing, so of course, I picked the bottle up and look at it in the light and snap some camera pics. It could have been my careful handling, or maybe just the awesome heat of my manly hands, but the son of a gun started up w/ lots of activity again. Bubbles, bubbles, bubblesbubblesbubbles (quote from "Finding Nemo"). Large chunks of the yeast breaking away from the bottom and floating up amongst the bubbles. Eventually, the whole remaining yeast continent broke away from the bottom and chunked into the neck of the Scrumpy bottle. Sheesh.

Set it down and waited for the bubbles and chunks to subside -- that sounds weird. After which I deftly removed the jimmy hat, set up a syphon, and syphoned the useable cider into another container. Put it in the freezer for about 1/2 an hour, and then consumed. Not nearly as bad as some commercial ciders I've had, and at least as good as some (lesser) ciders. My head didn't turn inside out w/ pucker, and I could tell it was supposed to be cider. Lightly effervesced. 21 ounces of even low proof cider is a lot for me, but it was worth the danger in the name of science. All in all, we are amused.

I will probably not try the micro-brew again, although the son of a gun worked. The expanded balloon made my wife a little un-easy... she didn't believe that I had poked holes in it.

Verdict: Success.