Too...turbo?!

[fozzeh]

Evening all,

I've toyed with the idea of TC since Christmas and finally got round to it. Anyway, after reading many a guide (Pinto's on here was very helpful) I went ahead and bought all the relevant kit and started on Friday.

First brew was:
4l of Aldi 100% pure cloudy
150g sugar
7g Youngs Wine Super yeast
0.5l tea (4 bag brew)

Gravity at the start was 1.052. Went away for the Saturday and came back to a bubble every 2 seconds. This happened for about 48 hours...then stopped. Sprinkled a tiny bit more yeast in to make sure and, I know you shouldn't use the bubbles as a be all and end all guide, so I tested the gravity just now...1.000! Can it get down that quickly (like 5 days)??? I'm not going to do anything with it yet but seems quite quick. Smells quite lovely nice (quite rich, slightly floral and warming), a very yellow colour.

Should I top up with some more apple and leave for a couple more weeks?

My second brew is on the go (same as above but with Morrisons concentrate) and that is going quickly now (a big bubble per second or so) and that was started on Sunday. 1.050 on that one.

TIA!

[WalesAles]

Awesome! Glad I read this, my TC is cooling in the Kitchen, quick, sh@t F'ck and piss, totally forgot about it! I should stop drinking `3 Gall Stout` when brewing, but what the hell!
WA

[WalesAles]

Hello fozzeh,
Leave it for 7 days then top up with Apple juice, day 10 check your hydrometer reading, if same reading, ie 1000 for 3 days, bottle on day 14!
Just caught my TC on 21deg, OG 1042, 15Lts Bloody Lovely Mun!
WA

[fozzeh]

Cheers Ales

7 days is today so will top up tonight and check gravity Monday - Wednesday next week. My only next worry is storage to cool in a few weeks. House hasn't dropped below 20 in the past 2 months and garage turns into a sauna when the sun hits it.

Just didn't expect readings of 1000 in 5 days.

[oldbloke]

I think you overpitched slightly, and it's been warm, so it zipped through

[fozzeh]

Gravity is 0.996 today. Puts it around 7.35% at present. Reminds me a lot of Old Rosie but needs some back sweetening! Quite tart at the minute.

[Pinto]

That'll be down to the gravity I find 2tsp of sucralose or stevia per 500mls takes the edge off nicely to most sweeter tastes (I prefer 1)

[fozzeh]

[quote="Pinto"]That'll be down to the gravity I find 2tsp of sucralose or stevia per 500mls takes the edge off nicely to most sweeter tastes (I prefer 1) [/quote]

I do prefer drier ciders so will give it one per 500ml (so about 9 in this keg) and see what it is like next week. Leaving it outside at the minute. Moved it from the first bottle to another last night and it is golden Want to drink it all but going to leave the first pint until the lads 2nd birthday in October!

[Pinto]

Perfect timing - give it a fortnight in the warm to carbonate and a month in the cold to mature then get amongst it !

More importantly.... have you got the next batch ready to go in the fermenter ?

[fozzeh]

I've got 2 bottles on the go The first (mentioned above) has had its two weeks with the yeast and want it still so moved it outside now. The second will be on its 2 weeks tomorrow so will keep that inside for a further 2 weeks then outside...the prime it with sugar. That has dropped to 1.000.

Got another bottle on the go using apple and raspberry juice...but it doesn't look great. The yeast has just completely risen, it has gone a little cloudy (noy lots), no bubble activity yet (which is about 12 hours), yeast is moving around in the bottle a bit...any advice?

http://imageshack.us/a/img9/6974/n5aa.jpg

Oh, Splenda has a third off in Sainsburys at the minute!

[Pinto]

2 weeks after PRIMING - it need that long for the secondary fermentation to occur and fizz the cider up. Then let it have a month in the cold to mature for best results. Looking at that pic, i'd not worry too much - the fermentation just seems to be struggling a little to start but should get going eventually.

Where did the apple and raspberry come from ? some juices contain preservatives to inhibit fermentation (such as potassium sorbate) - these juices need to be boiled to denature the preservatives before fermenting. Even so, a good healthy yeast will overcome the preservatives without doing this, just takes longer to happen

[fozzeh]

2 weeks after PRIMING - it need that long for the secondary fermentation to occur and fizz the cider up. Then let it have a month in the cold to mature for best results. Looking at that pic, i'd not worry too much - the fermentation just seems to be struggling a little to start but should get going eventually.

Where did the apple and raspberry come from ? some juices contain preservatives to inhibit fermentation (such as potassium sorbate) - these juices need to be boiled to denature the preservatives before fermenting. Even so, a good healthy yeast will overcome the preservatives without doing this, just takes longer to happen

Came from Sainsburys. New out and just checked the carton...just a 'natural flavouring' and no sweeteners/preservatives Yeast in the Youngs wine one (3 weeks old, always been in the fridge).

I didn't like the look of it...it looked sludgy and tired from the first minute so I fully re-bottled it (syphoned the juice and left most of the yeast behind), re-added and it has done the same but the froth looks no way near as bready and liquid is cloudy-er. Hopefully will pick up more so tomorrow and bubbles by Wednesday at the latest.

Once I prime my second batch, I won't be drinking for at least 3 months. I making that a rule...albeit a probably torturous one because you want to taste your own creations but good things to those who wait.

When should I bottle my first batch? It spend 2 weeks fermenting inside (warm) and is now outside. I want to keep it still and cloudy (used cloudy apples as it says) and not drinking until October so does it matter too much when it gets into its separate containers?

[Pinto]

As soon as fermentation is done. The longer you leave it, the greater the chance of infections or off flavours from yeast autolysis setting in. As your first batch is flat scrumpy style, its as simple as syphoning into bottles and capping job done

[fozzeh]

That's a job for tonight then! Got the bottles, just need them sterilising.

The raspberry and apple is bubbling away nicely. Lots of little bubbles coming to the surface but the big thick layer is there! Should I be attempting to get this off, mix it in or leave it?

Ta

[fozzeh]

Scrap that! Came home from work, foam had gone and bubbling away about every 6 seconds. Yeast is doing a very merry dance up and down the bottle!