Home Brew Kits

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Aleks

Sorry I forgot to answer about the gelatin. I usually just mix up a half a packet in some water, enough to dissolve it, warm water makes it easier, and then just dump it in. Just keep in mind if you have vegan friends (weirdos), that they may not be happy with it

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Oh yeah. I prepared it according to some instructions I saw on youtube, but the only problem was no one showed how the were adding it into the brew. It was kind of frustrating, but I went with just gently pouring it over and not agitating anything too much. The clarity isn’t too bad, so long as I don’t disturb any of the sediment in the bottles. Could use a little more carbonation than what was recommended - 8g sugar per litre is a little weak. But maybe it will get better as some or the bottles are still at room temp.

[Aleks]

It's hard to clarify bottles well quickly, time is the real help in that regard, because of the second fermentation. Usually gelatin clarification on y kegs works really well because you're done fermenting and so the gelatin just grabs everything and collects in the bottom. The gelatin in a bottle will have settled out before the yeast will be finished and fall out of suspension. It's not that you can't get clear bottles, it's just that it takes cold, and time to really stabilize the sediment.

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[Wormius]

I tried this latest cider with the EC1118 again, and strangely same results as the previous time I used it. Can hear the sizzling sound of the yeast eating away, but it’s not percolating much through the airlock. The yeast that came with the Coopers kit started bubbling vigourously almost right away and the OG was much lower 1.03 vs 1.05. I am kind of curious what’s going on.


Edit: I did read a few comments about aerating a bit, so I gave it some vigorous stirs just now.

[Wormius]

I was surprised by the yield of my crab apples this year. I picked the entire tree and managed to get about 23 litres of delicious red juice - and it's not even a huge tree. Anyway, I decided to attempt to get a clearer cider this time around so I added some pectic enzyme, and am hoping to get it less hazy. The O.G. was 1.074 which seemed pretty high. I am wondering if I should add anything else besides the yeast and let it go? I have read that light malt extract might be worthwhile. Any thoughts, or should I just let it ferment as is?

[justkidding]

Did you juice the crab apples or press the. There was a news story a few years ago about a woman that had cyanide poisoning from home made cider because the apples were juiced.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by justkidding

Did you juice the crab apples or press the. There was a news story a few years ago about a woman that had cyanide poisoning from home made cider because the apples were juiced.

I grated them in a food processor and then pressed. I read that story though and it had me a little nervous. I love how the juice looks right. I did our other tree last year and it was a murky beige juice that wasn’t great. I wish I knew what was planted.

I am looking for a new press though. I jury-rigged one with some old wood and our car jack, and the cleanup isn’t pleasant. I saw one at Uncle Weiner’s, but when I went by they didn’t actually have it in stock.

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I was surprised by the yield of my crab apples this year. I picked the entire tree and managed to get about 23 litres of delicious red juice - and it's not even a huge tree. Anyway, I decided to attempt to get a clearer cider this time around so I added some pectic enzyme, and am hoping to get it less hazy. The O.G. was 1.074 which seemed pretty high. I am wondering if I should add anything else besides the yeast and let it go? I have read that light malt extract might be worthwhile. Any thoughts, or should I just let it ferment as is?

I would just let it go as is. Just grab some champagne yeast. You might find it may get quite dry, but you could always back sweeten afterwards if its not to your liking!


I realize I never post up any of the beers I've brewed, so here is what I have on tap at the moment (-1). From left to right, hazy Mosiac IPA (51 IBU, 5.9%), Munich Dunkel (28 IBU 5.4%), Raspberry Sour (9 IBU 4.6%) and Mandarina dry hopped Helles (19 IBU 5.5%). I didn't pour an ISA I have on tap (29 IBU 4.5%)

Spoiler!

[Wormius]

I hope it turns out better than my pink lady / blueberry cider. The juice ended up being a little thick and almost zero carbonation. I back-sweetened with some stevia, so it’s not a bad flavour it’s just bad mouth feel.

[Fuzz]

If you make apple cider and it turns out too dry, add a splash of lime cordial when you pour it in your glass. Adds some sweetness and the lime is a nice touch.

[Wormius]

The stevia (truvia) wasn’t’ too bad. I was disappointed with the amount of carbonation at the end. I added a Cooper’s drop to each 500 ml bottle and there was nothing. I wonder if the yeast just died.

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Wormius

The stevia (truvia) wasn’t’ too bad. I was disappointed with the amount of carbonation at the end. I added a Cooper’s drop to each 500 ml bottle and there was nothing. I wonder if the yeast just died.

What was the ABV. Depending on the strain it might have been too high and they got sleepy. That's why I recommend champagne yeast vs most beer yeast, it's tolerant of wine levels of alcohol

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[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Aleks

What was the ABV. Depending on the strain it might have been too high and they got sleepy. That's why I recommend champagne yeast vs most beer yeast, it's tolerant of wine levels of alcohol

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I started off at an s.g. of 1.054 and finished it at 1.000. That recipe also used the EC-1118 yeast.

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I started off at an s.g. of 1.054 and finished it at 1.000. That recipe also used the EC-1118 yeast.

Yah that's only 7%. Did you shake up after the tabs dissolved? I can't think of why it wouldn't carb unless it just wasn't warm enough. How long are we talking?


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[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Aleks

Yah that's only 7%. Did you shake up after the tabs dissolved? I can't think of why it wouldn't carb unless it just wasn't warm enough. How long are we talking?


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Yeah, the tabs were thoroughly dissolved. They have been in my furnace room where it has been pretty warm for a couple of months. The beer I did with a kit carbonated perfectly. The cider from the apple juice basically just fermented and then that was it. I still have few bottles and there is nothing happening.

*note - your beer images are great, but you might want to resize or spoiler.

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Yeah, the tabs were thoroughly dissolved. They have been in my furnace room where it has been pretty warm for a couple of months. The beer I did with a kit carbonated perfectly. The cider from the apple juice basically just fermented and then that was it. I still have few bottles and there is nothing happening.

*note - your beer images are great, but you might want to resize or spoiler.

Weird, it formatted perfectly on my screen in line

Anyhow, the literal only thing it could be if none of that took place is the carbonation never happened because the vessels aren't sealed well, or the carbonation never happened because the yeast died....No contact with campden? Wet santized bottles? There are no other options left!

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Aleks

Weird, it formatted perfectly on my screen in line

Anyhow, the literal only thing it could be if none of that took place is the carbonation never happened because the vessels aren't sealed well, or the carbonation never happened because the yeast died....No contact with campden? Wet santized bottles? There are no other options left!

My process for sanitizing the bottles was the same, although I used campden tablets for making a sanitizing rinse solution for the bottles. I did the same for the Cooper’s Mexican Cerveza kit, using identical flip-top bottles.

The only difference being the yeast, and I didn’t pay close attention to the one that Cooper’s provided, but I am using EC-1118 for all of my ciders.

During racking I moved the cider temporarily to another pail to try to avoid too much trub in the bottles, as there was quite a bit of sediment from the yeast, gelatin, and I wanted to be careful.

Is it possible the campden killed the EC-1118? I didn’t think a little left in the bottles for sanitizing would have an effect?

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Wormius

My process for sanitizing the bottles was the same, although I used campden tablets for making a sanitizing rinse solution for the bottles. I did the same for the Cooper’s Mexican Cerveza kit, using identical flip-top bottles.

The only difference being the yeast, and I didn’t pay close attention to the one that Cooper’s provided, but I am using EC-1118 for all of my ciders.

During racking I moved the cider temporarily to another pail to try to avoid too much trub in the bottles, as there was quite a bit of sediment from the yeast, gelatin, and I wanted to be careful.

Is it possible the campden killed the EC-1118? I didn’t think a little left in the bottles for sanitizing would have an effect?

Well campden is very yeast toxic in concentration, and if it's not left to dissipate it will still be present. Granted it shouldn't be in bad concentrations if it's just whatever is damp on the bottles but I'm at a loss for any other reason it wouldn't start a ferment in the bottles. I have seen discussions regarding gelatin fining causing slow carbonation in bottle conditioned beers so if nothing else you can try longer.

One thing I didn't ask was is there sediment present in the bottles?

And out of curiousity why do you use campden or Meta instead of star San? It's safer and easier!

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[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Aleks

Well campden is very yeast toxic in concentration, and if it's not left to dissipate it will still be present. Granted it shouldn't be in bad concentrations if it's just whatever is damp on the bottles but I'm at a loss for any other reason it wouldn't start a ferment in the bottles. I have seen discussions regarding gelatin fining causing slow carbonation in bottle conditioned beers so if nothing else you can try longer.

One thing I didn't ask was is there sediment present in the bottles?

And out of curiousity why do you use campden or Meta instead of star San? It's safer and easier!

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A bit of sediment in the bottles, not much. I could try moving the bottles somewhere warmer. The furnace has been off so the room is cooler.

I just use the campden, but was thinking of star san next time because its a pain to mix up a campden solution to sanitize a few utensils to get an s.g. reading.

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Wormius

A bit of sediment in the bottles, not much. I could try moving the bottles somewhere warmer. The furnace has been off so the room is cooler.

I just use the campden, but was thinking of star san next time because its a pain to mix up a campden solution to sanitize a few utensils to get an s.g. reading.

If you don't care, just wait it out. It's already got alcohol so it shouldn't turn, and it just might be slow. No sediment is evidence of no secondary fermentation, so I wonder if it's just not kicked off.

And yah star San is the way to go. I always eyeball the mix, it's good as long as the pH is below 3.4 and I've never had a squirt bottle that I've had sitting around go above that. It's just premixed all over the place and handy. There's no vapours, you can use it on your hands, it's no rinse so you don't have to worry about it contaminating anything. Nobody in kegging worries about the foam or a little in the keg when transferring in. It breaks down and is inconsequential to the final product. It seems expensive at $30 for the container, but I'm on my same container from the last 3 years or more. And less than half done

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[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Aleks

If you don't care, just wait it out. It's already got alcohol so it shouldn't turn, and it just might be slow. No sediment is evidence of no secondary fermentation, so I wonder if it's just not kicked off.

And yah star San is the way to go. I always eyeball the mix, it's good as long as the pH is below 3.4 and I've never had a squirt bottle that I've had sitting around go above that. It's just premixed all over the place and handy. There's no vapours, you can use it on your hands, it's no rinse so you don't have to worry about it contaminating anything. Nobody in kegging worries about the foam or a little in the keg when transferring in. It breaks down and is inconsequential to the final product. It seems expensive at $30 for the container, but I'm on my same container from the last 3 years or more. And less than half done

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I took a look at the bottles and noticed a thin layer of sediment on the bottom. I gave them a little shake to stir it up and I’ll see how things go. The basement is around 15 degrees, so maybe too cold now. I’ll put the bottles in a container, in case they go nuclear.