***Home Brew Thread***

Jonny69 · 13-05-2011, 16:27

I got back into home brewing late last year with some cider after picking up the apples in my mate's garden. We got around 60kg of them which was good for 40 litres of apple juice. That went in 9 demijohns round at another mate's house and he let the lot brew to cider. We used two types of yeast - cider and champagne. Most was with cider yeast which dropped out quite quickly to a nice dense sediment at the bottom and the resulting cider was still. The other lot we used champagne yeast which took an age to settle out and we were left with quite crisp sparkling cider. I would say it wasn't worth the extra wait, because syphoning it off knocked the fizz out of it and the yeast sediment was very light and made racking a pain. Since we were noobs we lost loads in the racking, bottled it too soon and generally cocked it up, but the end product was quite drinkable.

Around December I put a blackberry wine on. I think it was about 700g fruit which was previously foraged and frozen, a kilo of sugar and topped up to 5 litres with water. It has aged well and is quite drinkable. It could do with a bit more fruit though - note for later this year

The next brew was a gallon of limoncello. I knew roughly what I wanted it to taste like so I juiced 15 lemons from the market, added 1kg of sugar for the brew and once completed I'll add more sugar to taste. It has now cleared and is sat in the demi. I need to rack it off the yeast and bottle it really.

Which brings us up to the latest brews. I'm doing a cider with cloudy apple juice from Lidl and what they call pear nectar, which is pear pulp watered down with added sugar. It's quite thick and gloopy so I guess it'll make a kind of perry cider. These are the offending juices:

Into the demijohns goes 200g of white sugar, a teaspoon of yeast nutrient, a teaspoon of yeast and 4 litres of juice:

That will probably start to froth up so I've left a gap at the top. In a few days I'll top it up to the neck and leave it to ferment out. The 200g of sugar will add about 2% alcohol on top of that created by the natural sugars in the juice, so the apple should come out at about 6% and the pear which is a bit sweeter might be 7-7.5%

I would call myself a beginner but I'll try and answer any questions. Years ago I did two lots of beer, two lots of schnapps and I've just got back into it. I've read a book, done a few brews that have been quite drinkable, but I wouldn't consider myself an expert

Will · 13-05-2011, 16:44

When can I come and taste?!

Jingo · 13-05-2011, 17:00

*subscribes*!

Jonny69 · 13-05-2011, 17:00

In about 10 weeks when it has cleared

Will · 13-05-2011, 17:09

Picnic in Crystal Palace again Ja?!

I can't guarantee being able to walk home though

Jonny69 · 14-05-2011, 13:23

The perry is going mad. Actually it's out of control

It spat the top of the airlock out overnight so I've had to move it to the kitchen in a spare washing up bowl until it calms down a bit

LeperousDust · 14-05-2011, 15:15

Always goes down well with the other half i'm sure

Looking good as always Jonny.

vix · 14-05-2011, 16:51

I want to play! Always have a surplus of apples once the tree starts off! *researches*

Jonny69 · 16-05-2011, 13:36

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

SidewinderINC · 16-05-2011, 18:40

I've been brewing and customising kit beer and TurboCider (cider made from already made apple juice) since last year, just bottled 20L of my IPA at the weekend and have my christmas brew bottled and ready to drink for christmas

Still have some raspberry beer left and about 1L of a hoegaarden style wheat beer.

I'm looking at trialling a small batch of Cyser (mead made using apple juice to dilute the honey rather than water)

You say that one batch will be sweeter than the other, you may need to add sugar or more juice afterwards depending on the yeast type as if it's a low attenuation yeast it will eat all of the sugar and you'll have a cider dry enough to turn your face inside out!
I tend to add enough sugar at the start of fermentation to make mine around 12-14% at the end and then depending on how I feel I can dilute it out 1:1 with regular apple juice after all of the yeast has dropped out of suspension to sweeten it up and bulk it out.
Kind of like making a cider concentrate

I recently acquired a 100L tank from work that I'm going to be brewing my next batch of hopped lager in.
It gets quite addictive and I've about 50L of maturing beer in my flat as I type that won't be ready to drink for at least 10 weeks.

If you want any hints or tips then fire me a question

13-05-2011, 16:27	#1
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	*Home Brew Thread* I got back into home brewing late last year with some cider after picking up the apples in my mate's garden. We got around 60kg of them which was good for 40 litres of apple juice. That went in 9 demijohns round at another mate's house and he let the lot brew to cider. We used two types of yeast - cider and champagne. Most was with cider yeast which dropped out quite quickly to a nice dense sediment at the bottom and the resulting cider was still. The other lot we used champagne yeast which took an age to settle out and we were left with quite crisp sparkling cider. I would say it wasn't worth the extra wait, because syphoning it off knocked the fizz out of it and the yeast sediment was very light and made racking a pain. Since we were noobs we lost loads in the racking, bottled it too soon and generally cocked it up, but the end product was quite drinkable. Around December I put a blackberry wine on. I think it was about 700g fruit which was previously foraged and frozen, a kilo of sugar and topped up to 5 litres with water. It has aged well and is quite drinkable. It could do with a bit more fruit though - note for later this year The next brew was a gallon of limoncello. I knew roughly what I wanted it to taste like so I juiced 15 lemons from the market, added 1kg of sugar for the brew and once completed I'll add more sugar to taste. It has now cleared and is sat in the demi. I need to rack it off the yeast and bottle it really. Which brings us up to the latest brews. I'm doing a cider with cloudy apple juice from Lidl and what they call pear nectar, which is pear pulp watered down with added sugar. It's quite thick and gloopy so I guess it'll make a kind of perry cider. These are the offending juices: Into the demijohns goes 200g of white sugar, a teaspoon of yeast nutrient, a teaspoon of yeast and 4 litres of juice: That will probably start to froth up so I've left a gap at the top. In a few days I'll top it up to the neck and leave it to ferment out. The 200g of sugar will add about 2% alcohol on top of that created by the natural sugars in the juice, so the apple should come out at about 6% and the pear which is a bit sweeter might be 7-7.5% I would call myself a beginner but I'll try and answer any questions. Years ago I did two lots of beer, two lots of schnapps and I've just got back into it. I've read a book, done a few brews that have been quite drinkable, but I wouldn't consider myself an expert __________________

13-05-2011, 16:44	#2
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	When can I come and taste?! __________________ *No No!*

13-05-2011, 17:00	#3
Jingo Smother me in chocolate and eat flapjacks with it! Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: North Somerset Posts: 1,854	subscribes! __________________

13-05-2011, 17:00	#4
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	In about 10 weeks when it has cleared __________________

13-05-2011, 17:09	#5
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	Picnic in Crystal Palace again Ja?! I can't guarantee being able to walk home though __________________ *No No!*

14-05-2011, 13:23	#6
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	The perry is going mad. Actually it's out of control It spat the top of the airlock out overnight so I've had to move it to the kitchen in a spare washing up bowl until it calms down a bit __________________

14-05-2011, 15:15	#7
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	Always goes down well with the other half i'm sure Looking good as always Jonny. __________________

14-05-2011, 16:51	#8
vix Penelope Pitstop Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,426	I want to play! Always have a surplus of apples once the tree starts off! researches __________________

16-05-2011, 13:36	#9
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	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 __________________

16-05-2011, 18:40	#10
SidewinderINC Joey Tempest Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gravesend. Posts: 2,751	I've been brewing and customising kit beer and TurboCider (cider made from already made apple juice) since last year, just bottled 20L of my IPA at the weekend and have my christmas brew bottled and ready to drink for christmas Still have some raspberry beer left and about 1L of a hoegaarden style wheat beer. I'm looking at trialling a small batch of Cyser (mead made using apple juice to dilute the honey rather than water) You say that one batch will be sweeter than the other, you may need to add sugar or more juice afterwards depending on the yeast type as if it's a low attenuation yeast it will eat all of the sugar and you'll have a cider dry enough to turn your face inside out! I tend to add enough sugar at the start of fermentation to make mine around 12-14% at the end and then depending on how I feel I can dilute it out 1:1 with regular apple juice after all of the yeast has dropped out of suspension to sweeten it up and bulk it out. Kind of like making a cider concentrate I recently acquired a 100L tank from work that I'm going to be brewing my next batch of hopped lager in. It gets quite addictive and I've about 50L of maturing beer in my flat as I type that won't be ready to drink for at least 10 weeks. If you want any hints or tips then fire me a question __________________ No Sig. Last edited by SidewinderINC; 16-05-2011 at 18:44.