Adventures in Homebrewland (image heavy - you have been warned!)

shandypants5

Hi Andy...

I am not 100% sure of this, but I thought there was a problem brewing with bread yeast as the alcohol kills it off before fermentation is complete.

Brewers yeast is more alcohol resistant i think.

Maybe you should add some brewers yeast now so it can run alongside the bread yeast??

I am sure someone will be along soon who "knows" and can advise.

Good luck anyway.. hic

Frugaldom

I've never used yeast in my wine before, it fermented fine without it. But having read so much about it, I sprinkled a quarter teaspoonful of dried (bread) yeast into mine last night and left it - it's made absolutely no difference whatsoever, no bubbling, no frothing, nothing. I think it may be too cool in my kitchen, which gets virtually no direct sunshine. Guess I'm doing it the long-haul way again. My muslin bags arrived this morning - 3 for £1.75 inc P&P via eBay. Beats using the tea towels and getting the stuff everywhere, that's for sure.

Andy_Hamilton

Just added a packet of cider yeast, nothing to loose but would hate it to be a weak brew, I'm hoping for between 5-6% would be nice. I'm away until tomorrow night now so hope it does not decide to flood my airing cupboard.

Lunker_2

So i picked up the last bits i needed from Wilkos on Tuesday, rushed home, sterilised my DJ and proceeded to begin my turbo cider.

I used 2 x 1.5L of the finest Lidl 100% Apple Juice
50g of Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon of champagne yeast
1 teaspoon of yeast activator
1 teaspoon of pectin enzyme

I put the airlock on and put the 2/3 filled DJ in my ensuite bathroom (it's in the roof and gets quite warm) Within 5 minutes the airlock was plopping and after a day it was going mad!!

Today, day 4, the plopping has slowed right down, maybe once every 4 - 5 minutes. My question is, do i leave it alone until Tuesday next week and top the DJ up to the neck or do it now?

Bongedone

MrDT,

I have just got back off holiday and noticed you have bottled your cider a week ago. You should not use the type of bottles you have used in the picture as they may expand and explode under pressure (they look like water bottles). You should use bottles that contained fizzy water or pop.

Hopefully this has not happened to yours.

MrDT

Bongedone wrote: »

MrDT,

I have just got back off holiday and noticed you have bottled your cider a week ago. You should not use the type of bottles you have used in the picture as they may expand and explode under pressure (they look like water bottles). You should use bottles that contained fizzy water or pop.

Hopefully this has not happened to yours.

Thanks Bongedone I bottled the stuff, then two days later when the bottles were firm (but still bubbling) I whacked them in the fridge, no splitting or exploding, but good to know for future reference!

I've found a couple of huge pop top resealable glass grolsch bottles in the attic, so will probably decant into these this week and keep refridgerated. Does this sound sensible? Am I better off leaving the cider in the plastic bottles?

I'll be drinking the stuff in two weeks

Cheers!

Bongedone

Grolsch bottles are good as you can control the servings. Just make sure the rubber seals are still intact and clean.

Hope it all comes out well.

2cats1kid

I have bottled up my kit strawberry, and jolly nice it looks too. It is a nice rose (as you'd expect, LOL) and after a quick swig I'd pronounce it medium dry to dry and very very light. Will be nice chilled of a summer evening. Definitely not winter drinking though - need something a bit more butch for that.

Anyway I have 5 bottles all ready to mature a bit (probably won't mature for long!) and a quarter bottle or so to chug when I have drunk my open Shiraz (which is definitely of the more butch variety).

Off to check on the progress of my apple wine, but will need to accumulate a few more bottles before I can bottle that one up.

Thanks for help so far, chaps, and bottoms up (hic).

LittleBill

Bongedone wrote: »

Grolsch bottles are good as you can control the servings. Just make sure the rubber seals are still intact and clean.

Hope it all comes out well.

Me thinks he may mean those humungus Grolsch bottles that hold about 2 litres ... I had one ... I never dared open it ... the recoil off the spring top may have killed me ...

Frugaldom

My little 'barrel' of wine is still fermenting. I have left a lovely purple balloon over the top and just deflate it each morning. I'll filter the brew later today, I think, then it'll need to go back into the mini-barrel pending the acquisition of suitable homebrew receptacles. :rotfl: And I didn't waste the rasins - after soaking them, I made a very moist, very frugal, fruit loaf!