credit crunch cider

[EoinMag]

Just off topic slightly................in winemaking (which I intend to try) at the end of fermentation as well as the addition of a campden tablet, they pour back and forth from vessel to vessel to "degas"..........I assume that post fermentation this is not an issue with regards to oxidising the brew? Just a thought! Anyone cover the basics for me, please?

The Campden is to counter the oxidation.

[moobli]

this didnt do anything for 2 days so i have diluted it again by 50 per cent and repitched the yeast and it is now going away like great guns
althought i think this is going to be quite sweet tasting

[Philipek]

"I get the impression that sodium metabisulphite evaporates off or breaks down after a while. I read in a book about cider and wine making that every time you rack it you should add a campden tablet to de-oxygenate the cider/wine."

sorry, but thats old and poor advice. if your processes are good and everything is sterile you shouldnt need a campden tablet at all. If you add a campden tablet to a gallon of cider when racking it will basically stop the fermentation (it may restart later). If you rack (and you probably dont need to) then rack with a cane at both ends to avoid putting too much air into the cider, remember that any unnecessary oxygen will soon be driven out by the c02 produced by the fermentation.

I avoid campden tablets where I can as a) they taste and b) they make your hangover worse.

Where I have used them before its either one in 5 gallons of tap water to drive off the chlorine (for AG brewing) or one in 5 gallons of real cider just after pressing. Leave it for a day and the effect of the tablet is driven off. I definitely wouldnt use a whole one in a demijohn despite what the instructions say, but i might put a part of one in to really determine the end of a fermentation of wine before bottling.

I only just found this post now.

Thanks, Mitchamitri, this is good information. I really didn't like the idea of blitzing my beverage with Sodium met. I was reading up on meads, when I get round to making one I'll just rack very carefully and seldom. Anyway, Mysterio said on another thread that he uses staggered nutrient additions and his meads are ready within 2 to three months after fermentation, which should cut down on the amount of racking.

The point I was making was that unlike pottasium sorbate, the yeast inhibiting effects of sodium met do not last forever.

[DREADSKIN]

just did this one today. used three and a half of those bottles in each big 20ltr water bottle. bucked in three bramleys and 4 russets and a jar of honey in one, and three bramleys and four pears in the other. tea too. they smell good. by god tho it was cheap, and took next to no time. not even half hour to make up 40 tlrs!

[mshergold]

Just a thought about using squash; we've made wine from Ribena and the recipe said to boil the concentrate to drive off any chemicals (preservatives etc) before using. This does seem to work. I guess this would apply to using squash.

[DREADSKIN]

ah well too late. it hasnt really started yet, but neither would a normal one by now either. guess i will just have to wait and see

[DREADSKIN]

still hasnt started. im worried now! stuck another packet of cider yeast in the other day, and still nothin... anyone else not boil the squash? has yours started?

[EoinMag]

still hasnt started. im worried now! stuck another packet of cider yeast in the other day, and still nothin... anyone else not boil the squash? has yours started?

Check the bottle of squash, if it says sulphates of sulphites in it, that's your problem.

[Mitchamitri]

I have chucked ribena into the top of red wine kits without boiling it and it has restarted fermentation afetr a week - but bear in mind it would have made up less than 10% of the volume.

[DREADSKIN]

is there any none boiling way to get rid of the sulphites?

[EoinMag]

It appears the methods are kinda scientific and more suited to an industrial setting, it's possible you might find a method somewhere, but it appears it is possible. Is it worth the faffing about?

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/jour ... 1&SRETRY=0

[oldbloke]

Dunno about pouring back and forth between 2 vessels, not heard of that, but degassing matters, most people just shake the demijohn a lot in the last few days, or for bigger vessels get a paddle and give it a damn good stir. This does of course run the risk of introducing oxygen, so metabisulphite (aka Campden) is used. It breaks down to sulphur dioxide, which slowly leaves the wine, and a sodium or potassium salt I for one can't taste. Along with this it's common to use potassium sorbate - the two together stabilise the wine - the sorbate stops yeast reproducing so once the live cells die no further fermentation occurs, the metabisulphite puts the yeast to sleep for a while but doesn't kill it. If you use sorbate without metabisulphite you'll be able to taste it.
The squash from Morrisons contains both sorbate and metabisulphite - they can be driven off/decomposed by heating, or a really vigorous yeast colony may overcome them.

[Chicken Dipper]

Am going to experiment with this, anyone done a taste test yet?

[Chicken Dipper]

Well, Its experimenting time, 23l in a fermenter! Went for 2x 1.5l apple and strawberry double concentrate whic I boiled hard. Dissolved 2.5kg of sugar, added a litre of strong tea and the juice of a lemon, 5 mls of yeast nutrient then topped with cold water to volume and used Youngs champagne yeast, which was stirred after 15 mins. When I got home from work it was off like a rocket!

Just told my Dad what I had done, he looked disgusted!!!

[Chicken Dipper]

Yep, tastes like alcoholic squash! Experiment over!!