Hi everyone, I'm very new to the brewing world and a little confused. I've tried to make some turbo cider from a recipe i found on youtube (while im waiting for apple season)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKBBOwm5UjE]YouTube - How To Make Cider.[/ame].
I found alot of the answers I was looking for in other posts on this forum, but I would like to get confirmation on some points and help on others. Sorry if this is a long one.
Turbo Cider
The recipe called for 5l Apple Juice, some yeast nutrient and some yeast. Simple as. I put it together, and took a hydrometer reading. It was my first time using a hydrometer, but I think i read it right. The SG was something in the region of 1.05 to start? As I mentioned, I have looked around and 1.05 for apple juice seems like average. After a day or two it was bubbling away like mad, I waited two weeks or so like the recipe said, it had started to stop bubbling out of the airlock. I hesitated at this point and waited probably another 4 to 5 days before today i finally siphoned it off into another demijohn. I took another SG reading and it was 1.005 or nearabouts (i am not entirely sure i read it right, but I think so.).
I tasted it, it just tasted like cider that had been mixed with water. I used a brewing calculator and it sais i should be getting around 5.6% strength? Surely i would taste that..Have I tasted it too soon and its actually ok? Or have I left it in the Demijohn too long after fermentation stopped?
A few other questions;
-When I siphoned it out of the demijohn (called racking?), I didnt bring the tube too close to the bottom so I wouldnt get any of the sediment. I left a good centimetre or two of juice, is that the right thing to do? It has left a slightly larger gap at the top now, am i in danger of making apple vinegar?
-I have read on the forum that the longer you leave cider in the demijohn, it gets clearer and eventually will get fizzy? Is that correct? The store bought ciders i have always bought are fizzy, is that the end product you all try and reach? or do you go for alcoholic apple juice consistency?
-When do I bottle it? When it stops bubbling in the airlock? It isnt doing much in there at the minute in its second container. Nothing in fact...
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKBBOwm5UjE]YouTube - How To Make Cider.[/ame].
I found alot of the answers I was looking for in other posts on this forum, but I would like to get confirmation on some points and help on others. Sorry if this is a long one.
Turbo Cider
The recipe called for 5l Apple Juice, some yeast nutrient and some yeast. Simple as. I put it together, and took a hydrometer reading. It was my first time using a hydrometer, but I think i read it right. The SG was something in the region of 1.05 to start? As I mentioned, I have looked around and 1.05 for apple juice seems like average. After a day or two it was bubbling away like mad, I waited two weeks or so like the recipe said, it had started to stop bubbling out of the airlock. I hesitated at this point and waited probably another 4 to 5 days before today i finally siphoned it off into another demijohn. I took another SG reading and it was 1.005 or nearabouts (i am not entirely sure i read it right, but I think so.).
I tasted it, it just tasted like cider that had been mixed with water. I used a brewing calculator and it sais i should be getting around 5.6% strength? Surely i would taste that..Have I tasted it too soon and its actually ok? Or have I left it in the Demijohn too long after fermentation stopped?
A few other questions;
-When I siphoned it out of the demijohn (called racking?), I didnt bring the tube too close to the bottom so I wouldnt get any of the sediment. I left a good centimetre or two of juice, is that the right thing to do? It has left a slightly larger gap at the top now, am i in danger of making apple vinegar?
-I have read on the forum that the longer you leave cider in the demijohn, it gets clearer and eventually will get fizzy? Is that correct? The store bought ciders i have always bought are fizzy, is that the end product you all try and reach? or do you go for alcoholic apple juice consistency?
-When do I bottle it? When it stops bubbling in the airlock? It isnt doing much in there at the minute in its second container. Nothing in fact...