***Home Brew Thread*** - Page 2

Jonny69 · 16-05-2011, 21:40

I've got loads of questions

SidewinderINC · 16-05-2011, 23:51

Fire when ready!

Something you mention in your first post about using cider and champagne yeast.. it's not actually the type of yeast that determines whether it will be fizzy or not.

All yeast will leave CO2 in suspension, and to get a perfectly still wine you're supposed to use what's called a degasser (basically a paddle attached to a power drill) that you put into the fermenting bin and whisk the wine so that all of the CO2 comes out.

To get a sweet fizzy cider, in bottles, is tricky - because the way to carbonate the cider is to add sugar/apple juice and then leave it in the bottle with some of the sediment. The yeast eat the sugar, create co2 that can't go anywhere and voila.
If you add enough sugar to make it sweet, pressure gets too much as the yeast continues to use it and the bottle bursts.
If you add the right amount of sugar for carbonation, it'll get used up and you'll end up with a dry cider.

I used some jonny style initiative and engineered a mini-keg to have a schrader valve on it so that I can add CO2 via a CO2 powered bike pump.
Easy to do and gets perfect results every time, and you also don't have to worry about any sediment.
Perfect for parties!

Jonny69 · 17-05-2011, 12:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by SidewinderINC

I used some jonny style initiative and engineered a mini-keg to have a schrader valve on it so that I can add CO2 via a CO2 powered bike pump.

Dude, that is legendary. I will be doing that

Lozza · 17-05-2011, 17:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonny69

Cider is easy peasy Vix, but you do need a press or a juicer. I can take you through how to make a reliable cider closer to the time

I've got a juicer and will have plenty of apples later in the year! and as some of you know I am partial to proper cider so please do post details of how it all works.....

In the mean time I will clean out the fermenting bucket and the barrel!

Jonny69 · 20-05-2011, 15:09

Will do closer to the time Lozza

I knocked this up at lunchtime:

Can you tell what it is yet? *wobble wobble*

/Rolf

It's a prop to make syphoning easier. When you get to the bottom of the demijohn you have to tip the bottle a bit to make sure you get the maximum amount of booze out. I've been propping it up on books so far, but I always end up sloshing it around a bit. This way I can sit it on there a day in advance and everything will have settled down

SidewinderINC · 21-05-2011, 10:22

I'd be tempted to put it there after the first few days of fermentation.

That way you'll have a more compact sediment bed that's less likely to be disturbed.

Jonny69 · 21-05-2011, 14:41

It's true. Maybe I should have built a long rack?

SidewinderINC · 22-05-2011, 09:46

It's definitely something to think about, if you have the space.

I have a 100L tank, as stated earlier, which has a raked base and a tapped 1/2" outlet, absolutely perfect.
When it starts getting a constant 10-14 degrees in my spare room, so around october/november time I'm going to brew a 50L batch of lager, with some true lager yeast.
Takes about 3 weeks to ferment at those temperatures but you get such a perfect crisp flavour.

That will all get bottled into 330ml and 500ml bottles (that I'm starting to drink through now) and be stored for summer 2012.
That'll be 134 bottles of beer for around £35 !

Jonny69 · 24-05-2011, 13:06

Roight. It's 10 days since I put the brews on and they've both stopped fermenting. No movement in the airlocks. I had a little taste yesterday and they both taste completely dry. The cloudy apple is quite sharp so it'll need a bit of sweetening; the perry, well that tastes a little odd so I'll sweeten it until you can't tell

Today I've racked both off the yeast and added campden and sorbate to stop any further fermentation. That way I can add sugar to sweeten with no risk of fermentation kicking off again. The apple racked off fine and I think it's going to be a cloudy one once cleared. The pear didn't rack so well. Because it's pulp, it's mainly sat in suspension halfway down the demijohn. I basically left just the bottom bit in the original jar and I'm going to have to leave it for longer to clear and I'll probably end up losing quite a lot of it in the quest to get a pulp-free liquor. I probably should have run it through a muslin to start with but, meh, you live and learn

Glaucus · 26-05-2011, 02:05

Nice work. It's all about the living, not so much about the learning.

16-05-2011, 21:40	#11
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	I've got loads of questions __________________

16-05-2011, 23:51	#12
SidewinderINC Joey Tempest Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gravesend. Posts: 2,751	Fire when ready! Something you mention in your first post about using cider and champagne yeast.. it's not actually the type of yeast that determines whether it will be fizzy or not. All yeast will leave CO2 in suspension, and to get a perfectly still wine you're supposed to use what's called a degasser (basically a paddle attached to a power drill) that you put into the fermenting bin and whisk the wine so that all of the CO2 comes out. To get a sweet fizzy cider, in bottles, is tricky - because the way to carbonate the cider is to add sugar/apple juice and then leave it in the bottle with some of the sediment. The yeast eat the sugar, create co2 that can't go anywhere and voila. If you add enough sugar to make it sweet, pressure gets too much as the yeast continues to use it and the bottle bursts. If you add the right amount of sugar for carbonation, it'll get used up and you'll end up with a dry cider. I used some jonny style initiative and engineered a mini-keg to have a schrader valve on it so that I can add CO2 via a CO2 powered bike pump. Easy to do and gets perfect results every time, and you also don't have to worry about any sediment. Perfect for parties! __________________ No Sig.

20-05-2011, 15:09	#15
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Will do closer to the time Lozza I knocked this up at lunchtime: Can you tell what it is yet? wobble wobble /Rolf It's a prop to make syphoning easier. When you get to the bottom of the demijohn you have to tip the bottle a bit to make sure you get the maximum amount of booze out. I've been propping it up on books so far, but I always end up sloshing it around a bit. This way I can sit it on there a day in advance and everything will have settled down __________________

21-05-2011, 10:22	#16
SidewinderINC Joey Tempest Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gravesend. Posts: 2,751	I'd be tempted to put it there after the first few days of fermentation. That way you'll have a more compact sediment bed that's less likely to be disturbed. __________________ No Sig.

21-05-2011, 14:41	#17
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	It's true. Maybe I should have built a long rack? __________________

22-05-2011, 09:46	#18
SidewinderINC Joey Tempest Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gravesend. Posts: 2,751	It's definitely something to think about, if you have the space. I have a 100L tank, as stated earlier, which has a raked base and a tapped 1/2" outlet, absolutely perfect. When it starts getting a constant 10-14 degrees in my spare room, so around october/november time I'm going to brew a 50L batch of lager, with some true lager yeast. Takes about 3 weeks to ferment at those temperatures but you get such a perfect crisp flavour. That will all get bottled into 330ml and 500ml bottles (that I'm starting to drink through now) and be stored for summer 2012. That'll be 134 bottles of beer for around £35 ! __________________ No Sig.

24-05-2011, 13:06	#19
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Roight. It's 10 days since I put the brews on and they've both stopped fermenting. No movement in the airlocks. I had a little taste yesterday and they both taste completely dry. The cloudy apple is quite sharp so it'll need a bit of sweetening; the perry, well that tastes a little odd so I'll sweeten it until you can't tell Today I've racked both off the yeast and added campden and sorbate to stop any further fermentation. That way I can add sugar to sweeten with no risk of fermentation kicking off again. The apple racked off fine and I think it's going to be a cloudy one once cleared. The pear didn't rack so well. Because it's pulp, it's mainly sat in suspension halfway down the demijohn. I basically left just the bottom bit in the original jar and I'm going to have to leave it for longer to clear and I'll probably end up losing quite a lot of it in the quest to get a pulp-free liquor. I probably should have run it through a muslin to start with but, meh, you live and learn __________________

26-05-2011, 02:05	#20
Glaucus Absinthe Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,855	Nice work. It's all about the living, not so much about the learning. __________________