First batch of cider

[timothio]

couldnt get my hands on any hippies

You should've come to me...

Lets just suppose someone pillaged a field to death last year and still had a shed load of dried shrooms in a jar... I guess dried could be used rather than fresh?

(apologies for hijacking the thread somewhat, this is the last you'll hear from me on the subject of fungus... )

[craigmarshall]

(apologies for hijacking the thread somewhat, this is the last you'll hear from me on the subject of fungus... )

No problemo - I'm listening intently

Craig

[DREADSKIN]

excellent my dreadlocked friend!
i think this should be called Druid Juice, for obvious reasons.
best drunk outside, in da woods.
right get said fungus, and three tea bags. make a pot of strong tea. let it sit for ages or until you have done everything else. sterlise everything (obviously)... get three pots (1500grams) of honey. a strong honey would be best like lydels forest honey of heather honey. pour into big pasta pot. pour hot water in to jars and wash out. add a kettle of hot water to big pasta pot and stir until it is all disolved. juice lemon, and grate the skin in too. add to DJ. then strain the tea, add it to dj. now you could add cloves (say 10) to the mead to mask the fungi taste if there is any. as too how much shrooms you wanna use its up to you. do you want to make it a bottle between a group, or just a shot each etc etc.

let me know how it goes!

[timothio]

let me know how it goes!

Consider it done. Will report back around Xmas time. Maybe this time I'll actually see good 'ol Santa shimmying down me chimney.

No problemo - I'm listening intently

You shouldn't be, you very naughty boy...

[Mitchamitri]

On the cider - If you havent already i'd suggest you chuck some sugar in - itll raise the alcohol content but more importantly the higher the alcohol the less vulnerable you are to nasties - a frequent problem with first brews (hence the new empty mineral water bottles are a good idea).
As for preservatives as a general rule just avoid anything with an "ite" or and "ate" on the ingredients list and you'll be ok.
For comparison take dreadskins advice and add a small amount of strong black tea and a grated granny smith to one of them and see what it does to the flavour.

Dont forget cider really does improve in the first couple of months of ageing.

On the (Muntons) Woodfordes kits I have used them with some success but be aware they can fall short on fermentation aka "sticking" (check the thread in the kit brewing)so you may benefit from adding yest nutrient at the start.

[DREADSKIN]

tea and a bramley. eating apples dont have the same acid levels.

[craigmarshall]

excellent my dreadlocked friend!
i think this should be called Druid Juice, for obvious reasons...

Then I'll file it under D

Cheers,
Craig

[craigmarshall]

For comparison take dreadskins advice and add a small amount of strong black tea and a grated granny smith to one of them and see what it does to the flavour.

Is this something I should do now? After they've started? What do I do - make 1 cup of black tea and stir it in? I don't have a cooking apple at the minute, will have to get one tomorrow.

On the (Muntons) Woodfordes kits I have used them with some success but be aware they can fall short on fermentation aka "sticking" (check the thread in the kit brewing)so you may benefit from adding yest nutrient at the start.

Okay - I will bear this in mind, thanks.

I went out to the local homebrew shop and picked up a few extras yesterday - some crown caps and a capper (I've been saving high quality bottles at home, so no need for those), bought 2 airlocks, which for now I will not use, but I can attach them to the water containers or the fermentation vat, next time. Also got a funnel which will be handy.

I have a few questions about my cider (or vinegar) that's on the go at the minute. All three are fizzing very slowly. It's audible, and if you get close visible, but there's no krausen to be seen at all. Are you meant to have a krausen on cider like with beer? I thought there was risk of it rising up out of the bottle, but there's absolutely no chance of that with these. One thing I've noticed is the yeast are all sitting on the bottom, if I tighten the lid, and turn it upside down, then shake (is this a bad idea?), I get all the yeast mixed back in again, and the bottle expands, and I have to release the lid again and there's loads of build up, but it doesn't maintain that very strongly.. I'm not panicking any more, just curious if it's headed the right way. See the attachment photo to see what I mean..

Would any of you use the proper airlocks, now they're available to me?

We're on day 4 for the first two rehomed ciders and day 2 for the new princes one. Some mild activity, but not nearly what I was expecting. Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Craig

[lollypopp]

I'll keep you posted on how it goes and maybe some photos too....

About time we see your pic's Manx Guy, would like to see how their doing?


4 Days, leave them be for now Craig, be patient, you keep tipping them about and then loosing the tops, and gold knows what? you're going to spoil them, as for puting the tea in, I would say that was fine, don't over fill, leave room there, and pour gently, don't start getting air in there now, but above all be patient young man

[DREADSKIN]

yes a lollypop has said be patient my man. as for tea and bramley you can stick them in. here is an idea. stick a cup of tea (3bags) into on, a bramley and tea into another and leave on as is and see which one you like the best! tc is all about experimentation.

as for shaking, if i walk by i shake (nad sometimes kick 'those boots are made for stomping, and thats just what they do...') until there is no more fermentation, then i leave it.

as for the airlocks they are far easier. you can see the fermentation taking place. but for the bottles, close them tight and shake. if they swell you know they are fermenting away.
as for your set up, ; looks very professional. you would put me to shame!
but no.1 rule: be patient. the force has a way!

[Manx Guy]

Ok,

My TC seems to be fermenting nicely despite a bit of a drop in temp over the last few days.... (its now 17.4-18.9C instead of the 20ish it was)
The airlock is passing a big bubble every 5 seconds or so...

I can't do any photos atm as the Mrs has taken the decent Digi camera to Crete with her...
things seem to be going well however... Although I suspect my granny smith won't have the desired acid, I'm going to 'stay calm and carry on' (as the WWII posters suggest)
then see what the results are like... then next time I'll know wont I ?

However her ladyship is back on sunday, so I'll pop a few photo's on soon after that (assuming she aint left it in a cafe/bar in Chania or Heraklio)

Slainte!

[craigmarshall]

Well - it's been a week now and fementation has slowed right down, there is no audible hissing or fizzing. If I shake them up,
I still get a bit of fizz and a small head, but not nearly as much as before. What now?

Edit: Forgot to say - I added a triple strength cold black tea to the first two bottles I made.

Cheers,
Craig

[Mitchamitri]

dont shake them up - you are just putting the crap in the bottom back into the juice.

[craigmarshall]

Just racked off the cider back into the fermentation bucket to clear, it had finished fermenting a day or two ago. It is 5.89% alcohol, and I tried the little bit I measured. It tastes pretty good!! It's supposed to taste horrible for the first week, then quickly pick up as it clears? Presumably all the dead yeast held in suspension go to the bottom, and you bottle up the good. Well - another week, and I'll bottle it up with some more apple juice as a primer and sweetener for secondary
fermentation in the bottle...

Cheers,
Craig

[Mitchamitri]

Dont bother with the sweetener - if you have any girls round you can just put lemonade with it.