some questions from a newb.

[ken]

Hello, i am new to this but i think it is interesting and i might have a new hobby.
Just to get started and learn something i tried fermenting 1.6 KG of sugar in 5 litres of water in one of these:



i used alcotec 48 turbo yeast and all went well (i think) i made an airlock by leading a tube from the top of the bottle into another small water bottle where it bubbles out.
well it's done fermenting now and my question is: what do i do know? do i have to wait weeks for it to clear or can i filter it somehow? it doesn't taste sweet any more, so it's done, but very strong and spicy (and it smells like lemon). is this normal? is my setup ok or do i need to change something? also, can i use turbo yeast for anything else? (like cider)


any answers are greatly appreciated.

[floydmeddler]

Have seen people use this method before though only to distill later to make spirits.

I did a calculation and the alcohol content of your brew is 12.3% presuming you have 5L.

Haven't a clue what you can do with it now though. Perhaps mix it with cordial?

Not clued up on turbo yeast as I only brew beer. Champagne yeast is pretty common for cider.

Keep me posted with what you plan to do with your super strength alcoholic water! Always interesting when people experiment like you are doing.

Cheers

[ken]

super strength alcoholic water!

the pack says it makes 20% if you use the amount of suagr i use.
i'd like to know if i can do anything with the yeast i've got before i buy more.
could i reuse the yeast by growing a yeast sludge out of the remaining yeast? it wouldn't have to nutrients from the pack so maybe i could use it like regular yeast.

thanks.

[will]

You could pitch (pour new fermentable liquids) directly on top of the yeast you have and the process will begin again. Turbo Yeast is formulated for very fast and very high alcohol content fermentation, so I don't know what else it would be suitable for. I'd suggest sticking 5L of cheap apple juice on the slurry (dormant yeast cells at the bottom of the bottle). However you need to start thinking about sterilisation - if the bottle has been left empty it probably isn't very sanitary and any further batches would be liable to infection.

[ken]

What do i need to sterilize it? i used chlorine sterilizing tablets and then thoroughly rinsed it out, does that work? i haven't emptied it yet so it's still sterile. ill try that with the yeast sludge and apple juice.

[will]

I often sterilise with baby's bottle sterilising tablets that you can get from Boots - they're cheap and effective. Some use specialist chlorine or sodium-based cleaners from homebrew shops (or Wilkinson's, who do Young's steriliser), some use simple household bleach while others use Campden tablets.

[ken]

thanks, they are baby feeding equipment sanitizing tablets from some shop in England.

quick questions:
what is the difference between turbo cider and regular cider?
Would it be a good idea to ferment ice tea?

[floydmeddler]

Ken, keep us posted if you do the apple thing! Have been tempted to do this myself!

[ken]

i will use : 5 litres of apples juice and turbo yeast sludge.
will the yeast be usable? the super-strength-alcoholic-water should have reached about 18% (?) will that have killed the yeast?
at what temperature should i ferment?

[will]

what is the difference between turbo cider and regular cider?
Would it be a good idea to ferment ice tea?

Turbo cider is a quick and easy cider made with supermarket fruit juices and is very much a homebrew, whereas regular cider uses freshly pressed apples specially grown for the purpose, such those available commercially.

It's always a good idea to experiment! I have to admit I've considered fermenting tea several times, but never gone through with it. There's an oriental type of fermented tea known as Kombucha - I've never tried it or know anything about it, so this could be an interesting one!

If you go for it make sure you post your findings here for us all to read!

[ken]

what is the difference between turbo cider and regular cider?
Would it be a good idea to ferment ice tea?

Turbo cider is a quick and easy cider made with supermarket fruit juices and is very much a homebrew, whereas regular cider uses freshly pressed apples specially grown for the purpose, such those available commercially.

It's always a good idea to experiment! I have to admit I've considered fermenting tea several times, but never gone through with it. There's an oriental type of fermented tea known as Kombucha - I've never tried it or know anything about it, so this could be an interesting one!

If you go for it make sure you post your findings here for us all to read!

thanks, i will buy the apple juice to try it today.

[ken]

I did a little experiment with a 500 ml plastic bottle of apple juice and a bit of turbo yeast. turned out fine, carbonated OK (bit much though), tastes good, no bad flavours either.

[ken]

got another question: once the apple juice is done fermenting, do i wait for it to clear then add more juice to prime it, or do i bottle it when it's still cloudy?

[DREADSKIN]

that is a question only you can answer, young padawan...

do you like it cloudy or clear.

the forece is strong with this one

[ken]

look what I found in my great grand father's old tool shed:



it holds 10 litres but i can't get the inside clean!

i am so going to make 10 litres of TC next...