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Reg
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Post by Reg » Mon Dec 12, 2005 12:56 am

QUOTE (Daft as a Brush @ Dec 11 2005, 10:48 PM) My Gervin Champagne yeast was definately a top fermenter, I ordered a different stuff by mistake this time, it was listed as champagne yeast but it didn't say so on the packet, it was either Gervin Varietal C, or Gervin No.3 Yeast and had a yellow lable on the front. Anyway the point is after transfering the cider to a clearing tank I noticed the sediment was nicely compacted and solid, ideal for bottling. I've just got to figure out which now.
My yeast was Gervin No. 3 for sparkling wines and stuck ferments... (Yellow label). I have a nice compacted bottom yeast which should make for relatively easy syphoning when I come to rack the brew. It's still fizzing away nicely having been set to brew Wednesday... :D
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Post by Reg » Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:18 am

Yeah DAB, I've seen the offers and found them tempting but I have shedloads of old gear hither and thither that I ought to try and bring back into/keep in service before buying any more kit. The only reason for new demijohns was a slight disaster which involved a small avalanche in my shed and the death of my last remaining glass ones... :(

I like the look of Gervin No: 3 in terms of practicality for the trubo cider although the flavour will be the main test. I gather cider is often made traditionally in a lambic manner so I guess whatever yeast works is fine. Although I am keen to see what happens to the character of the cider if I keep the yeast going for a few generations... :D
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Post by Andy » Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:28 am

Having had a closer inspection of my demijohn, all the yeast shown at the top of the demijohn in my pictures is residue from the initial vigorous fermentation and is now stuck to the sides of the demijohn. The fermenting juice sits just below the debris rather than supporting it....

I was thinking of topping up with 0,5L of juice but that would bring the juice in contact
with said yeast debris so should I just skip topping up ? (initial volume used was 4L of juice).
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Post by Reg » Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:46 pm

TURBO CIDER DAY 6

As I sit on my desert island waiting for Friday to return... Oops! No that's Robert Louis Stevenson! :huh:

Right, I was planningto make a starter fro the next batch of ferment tonight, but there is still some realtively vigorous fermentation going on. Bubbles continue to fizz to the top of the brew.

Personally I like a medium cider, so I guess I could slow fermentation tomorrow by racking although I guess the yeast would just re-multiply.

Opinions chaps and chapesses... :blink:
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Post by Andy » Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:18 pm

Turbo Cyder Day #3
Topped up with 0.5L of juice which stepped up the fermentation pretty quickly.


May rack it off at the w/e but I think it will still be fermenting strongly by then!
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Post by Reg » Wed Dec 14, 2005 2:46 pm

TURBO CIDER DAY 7

Well my week is up and there is still some relatively significant activity. The brew is still fizzing and producing much smaller qirlock bubbles with reasonable frequency... :huh:
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Post by Reg » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:45 am

Well it's day out and there's still quite alot of fizzing going on. I have a second plastic demijohn for racking so that I can start a fresh brew in the original whilst the first brew clears out. :D
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Post by Reg » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:44 pm

I guess my kitchen may be a little bit cooler than ideal. :huh:
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Post by Andy » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:56 pm

Mine is now on day #5 and still going like a train.
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Post by Andy » Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:47 pm

Day #6

Still train like :D
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Post by Reg » Fri Dec 16, 2005 2:10 pm

Day #743

Still fizzing :huh:
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Post by Reg » Sat Dec 17, 2005 11:21 pm

Day 10

Well acitivty has finally begun to stall and there are some signs of the brew settling out. I am making my new starter from the fridged yeast, (which by the way seems to have slowly made a little cider in the fridge), and will be racking and using the new starter tomorrow. :D

This also leaves me with the option of using the trained yeast from the current brew is the fridged starter failes to multiply. ;)
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Post by Reg » Sat Dec 17, 2005 11:46 pm

QUOTE (Daft as a Brush @ Dec 17 2005, 09:41 PM) I reckon I could sell this stuff, i'm taking a few bottles down the skate-park the kids'll love it, beats, wite lightning any day.
:lol:

Well, I guess dry or not is all part of the fun of it.

There are already volcono like plumes appearing in the yeast at the bottom of my starter culture. (A pint or so of apple juice with two teaspoons of sugar). So it would appears my reserve culture idea has worked! :D :D :P

In fact it's quite like one of those 70s lava lamps. I could watch it all night! ;)
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Post by Andy » Sat Dec 17, 2005 11:49 pm

Day 7

Still pretty busy on the fermentation front but has slowed a tad.
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Post by Reg » Sun Dec 18, 2005 12:20 am

QUOTE (andy @ Dec 17 2005, 09:49 PM) Day 7

Still pretty busy on the fermentation front but has slowed a tad.
Mmm... appears I'm not the only one with a slower brewing cycle.

I'm not too worried, when I was younger we used to buy scrumpy from local farmers in Gloucestershire. Thre scrump was typically made in old outhouses lambically in relatively cool autumns and early winters before being left to mature, so I guess my ktichen temp of aorunf 21 / 22 degrees is fine... :D
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