Cider

[5thElement]

Yeah absolutely, we've got a 3 month old baby in the house and it would be the end of my brewing career if a glass bottle exploded in the kitchen believe me! lol

I've got some 1 litre plastic lemonade bottles to try the sparkling in.

[sb44]

I started our Turbo cider on the 31st March and it has stopped bubbling altogether and has started to clear.

This can't be right can it, shouldn't it still be bubbling which I assume is fermenting?

[NorthernWiner]

This can't be right can it, shouldn't it still be bubbling which I assume is fermenting?

Well...

What does your trusty hydrometer say?

[sb44]

Well...

What does your trusty hydrometer say?

I'll take a reading today and let you know.



Just been to take another look and about 50% of it is a lot clearer than the rest, kind of a dark honey colour.

I smells quite nice as well compared with a couple of days ago. Man it doesn't half stink when it is fermenting!

[5thElement]

If it's any help my second turbo using Don Simon juices (apple and grape/apple/raspberry) seemed to ferment out after 3 days and stopped bubbling, wasn't sure if something had went wrong but the hydrometer reading told me otherwise, it had went from 1.054 to 0.998.

[sb44]

If it's any help my second turbo using Don Simon juices (apple and grape/apple/raspberry) seemed to ferment out after 3 days and stopped bubbling, wasn't sure if something had went wrong but the hydrometer reading told me otherwise, it had went from 1.054 to 0.998.

Thanks G, off to sterilize my turkey baster now!

[5thElement]

Today my first gallon of turbo cider got bottled and i thought i'd post a little timeline here for any other beginners who might be interested. It took me 13 days from start to finish.

22/03/08 - Started with 4.5L of "Stute" Apple juice (OG 1.042) sugar added to bring it to 1.054. Around 4L added to demi john and the yeast (youngs super wine compound) pitched at 7:10pm.

23/03/08 - Airlock allready bubbling and fermentation has begun .

24/03/08 - Remaining 0.5L of juice added to demi john.

27/03/08 - Airlock bubbling slowing and fizzing dying down.

28/03/08 - Racked cider into clean demi john at 8:20pm. SG now 1.000. Had a sneaky taste, quite pleasant! Now left to clear.

01/04/08 - Racked again at 4:00pm (although probably uneccessary) cider alot clearer, small amount of sediment on bottom of demi john. SG now 0.998. Into clean demi john to clear and finish off.

04/04/08 - Cider bottled! Primed one litre with a teaspoon of sugar (in a PET bottle) and left the rest as still cider. Finishing SG 0.998.

Here's a picture of the finished cider



One thing worth mentioning, the hand corker took a hell of a lot of pressure to get the cork in, it's the first time i've used one and i didn't think it would be so hard! next time i'll make sure the corker is lined up 100% with the bottle neck and hopefully have a little more luck!

Overall, i think my first ever brew has gone well, people laughed and told me i'd end up with this murky/cloudy stuff that would taste like drain cleaner, but im happy to say the cider is pretty much crystal clear and tastes quite pleasant!

[Duffbeer]

Bravo on a fine effort... But I would remove the cork from that bottle, by the look of the foam build up it is either still fermenting or is full of gas, also you have a little too much airspace between cider and cork, it needs to be the thickness of two fingers approx, otherwise your cider will oxidise. Although it seems clear it actualy has a fine hase that will result in bottle sediment.

[5thElement]

The foam build up may be because the pic was taken minutes after bottling it, it went frothy on the top as it was poured, it definately doesn't seem gassy at all and the foam has disapeared now, but i suppose i should play it safe.

edit:
taken the cork out, i guess i should just keep shaking it until no foam builds up? basically degassing it over again

[Duffbeer]

Yes that would be best, and just top up a little more before recorking, saying that this probably isn't going to last more than a week so drink and enjoy your efforts.

[5thElement]

Topped it up now and i'll keep giving it a shake for a while, once i recork it, i might stick it in a carrier bag in the shed lol you've got me paranoid now i would of done it all in PET bottles to be honest but i've only got 3 empty one litre bottles right now and i was itching to use the corker so thats why this one ended up in the wine bottle.

Cheers

[lockwood1956]

get some teak oil on that table too (kidding)

[Mamgiowl]

the hand corker took a hell of a lot of pressure [/COLOR]to get the cork in, it's the first time i've used one and i didn't think it would be so hard! next time i'll make sure the corker is lined up 100% with the bottle neck and hopefully have a little more luck!
!

Did you soak the corks? Even the ones that don't need soaking go in much easier if you dip them in water first.

[sb44]

Did you soak the corks? Even the ones that don't need soaking go in much easier if you dip them in water first.

I remember years ago when I made wine from a kit it was a pain in the backside trying to get the corks in until I soaked them and then it was a doddle.

[Richard S]

it was a pain in the backside trying to get the corks in until I soaked them and then it was a doddle.

The mind boggles