Aussie TC - a few questions first

[drsmurto]

Been watching you lot raving about this TC caper for a while now. Bit the bullet and bought a few more 5L demi-johns (I use the 30L ones for beer).

Have a few questions;

1. Do you leave the juice sitting in the demi-john for 24 hours with sodium met first to kill any bugs since you dont boil the lot? i did this for my raspberry cyser.

2. Any tastings from a batch made with an apple and pear juice mix?

Will be using S-04.

Anyone repitched onto the yeast cake after to start the process again?

Cheers
DrSmurto

[DRB]

1. Do you leave the juice sitting in the demi-john for 24 hours with sodium met first to kill any bugs since you dont boil the lot?



1- Answer - No

[tubby_shaw]

1. Do you leave the juice sitting in the demi-john for 24 hours with sodium met first to kill any bugs since you dont boil the lot?



1- Answer - No

1a. Because we are using cartons of "shelf life" apple juice which has already been sterilised in some way so no need for further treatment

2. We have trouble getting pear juice which isn't full of pulp here in the UK so the answer to that one is a no as well I think

[deadlydes]

get hold of some wlp775 you wont regret it

[maxashton]

It's very dry. Someone somewhere reccomended adding more secondary sugars until the yeast couldn't tolerate the alcohol anymore to sweeten, but it's probably going to be easier to add saccarin or something

[Gurgeh]

Anyone repitched onto the yeast cake after to start the process again?

No problem.

I put 22L on the other night. I just poured it straight onto the 3cm thick slurry at the bottom of my fermentor after kegging the beer out. Never had a problem in doing this - clear, no hoppiness or maltiness , fermentation bloody robust! goes mad within minutes :=p

I don't know if i'd use the yeast a third time in this irresponsible manner mind!

you can't go wrong with TC!

and the yeast in question was SO4.

edit: mied it all up monday night - now on thursday afternoon it has a gravity of 1.000

[drsmurto]

Cool. I bought apple and pear juice mix recently for a cyser. Thought it may be nice to make a TC since it should leave it a tad sweeter. Spoke to my local HBS and he has been itching for someone to show and interest in liquid mead/cider yeasts. Think i have unleashed a monster there! Will work up to liquid yeasts once i know i like TC

So my first TC will be this.

4.8 L Berri Apple and Pear Juice (preservative free)
S-04 yeast.

The yeast comes in 11.5g sachet. I'm guessing i dont need it all ?? Maybe 1/4 ???

Any yeast nutrient used/added?

Cheers
DrSmurto

[Vossy1]

Chuck the whole packet of yeast in...don't be a wuss

Though for economy you could use a 1/4 I guess

When you come to rack you can prime with some apple juice to reintroduce some apple taste and also some sweetness

Only put 4ltrs of the juice in to start with otherwise it'll be all over the floor once the S04 kicks in

Nutrient, most of us haven't found it needed, but you could be the first to try.....using S04 you say

I'd evacuate the general area....remember to post some pics when you get back into the house

[drsmurto]

I went with 1/2 a packet - hedging my bets! Put 4.5L in so it was a close call when it took off, thankfully its not real warm here atm, have it sitting on a heat pad at night, switched it off this morning. Took a pic but forgot to bring the cable to work - looks like TC funnily enough.

The juice is a 50/50 mix of apple and pear so its a turbo cider/perry. Once i rack and taste it to see that its too my taste i thought i would dump another 4.5L of juice onto the yeast cake, maybe apple and blackcurrant?

Cheers
DrSmurto

[oxford brewer]

Looks like DrSmurto's crawled to the dark side

[drsmurto]

After pitching the yeast i went back to a few Oz beer forums and asked around. Seems i have missed out on an aussie invention called Oztops

Linky

Not too worry, i think the demi-john looks a tad more professional

This TC caper is too easy, the S-04 yeast is chomping away like a starvin marvin. Started off with a crystal clear juice and its now very cloudy. From what i can tell you leave it to ferment out then rack and let it clear for a week or 2? I have it on a heating pad near the wood fire so it will probably be all over in a few days. 20degC from what i can tell.

Dangerously easy stuff.

EDIT - a few pics, i remembered the cable for the camera today!

The juice


Fermenting away on its heating pad


and just cos i can, a pic of my bar, last coat of polish now dry! Ready to fit taps and start kegging! Notice the redback nest on the right hand side....

[drsmurto]

First 2 kegs filled last night so bar will soon be fully operational. 3 tap font will be fitted this weekend.

Had a 20degC day on Wednesday, not bad for the middle of winter. Reminded me that i need to have 1 tap with a 'girly' type drink for those who dont like beer. My GB may get a run but the ability to be able to add some apple juice after the ferment to make a sweeter cider may push me to scale up this TC caper (he says 3 days after pitching into his first TC).

[drsmurto]

Bottled the TC(P) on the weekend. The S-04 dropped out after a week and left a brilliantly clear cider behind. Got the partner to taste it with me and both decided its a pretty nice drop, very appley but the pear juice has left behind some sweetness so its not too dry.

So now i want to play around with some additions. A few spices like cinnamon and cloves that i add to my ginger beer or some vanilla. Will also try one with champagne yeast to make a dry version.

Bulk primed with 40g of dex (assuming 4.5L) so it will be a sparkling cider.

Also bottled my latest ginger beer which had 375g of ginger in only 4.5L! Deliberately used 2 month old ginger for some extra bite and damn, it bites back. Best ginger beer yet! I normally use 1kg in 23L so my next full scale batch will need 2kg of ginger.....