Hi all
My name is Matt, and for years I have looked at the apple trees in my paddock and thought about cider making. Finally got around to it this year, but as ever with me it was all a bit last minute and unplanned. I have a couple of questions that I haven't been able to work out and would really appreciate advice.... here is where I am
- got about 6.5litres of nice apple juice (frustratingly our big cooking apple tree didn't make many this year)
- PH was 3.4 so I added a little bit of precipitated chalk as I understand this to be at the acid end of the ideal scale. (it tasted great though)
- hydrometer read 1.06 so I decided to add just over 1 litre of water as I prefer about 6% ABV. The experiment I did on a small amount of the juice suggested this was about right, and I wanted more cider in any case.
- now here's the dilemma - I had bought a kit with a 25litre fermenting bucket (ambitious I now know) so it is only about 1/3 full. I added yeast on the day I pressed the juice and fermentation appears to have started in that the levels on the airlock indicate increased pressure due to CO2 in the fermenter. But it isn't bubbling yet.
- I now have a 10litre fermenting bucket and I'm wondering when, whether and how to transfer. Someone said there's no hurry but I should move it over idc. Grateful for thoughts on this - do I just tip it in to the new bucket ? should I add more yeast ? I forgot to add pectolase - so should I add that and then more yeast ?
Many thanks in advance. I see now there is a forum for brewing days - so next year I will post some pics.
All the best - I look forward to keeping you informed on how it turns out, and I expect I will have some more questions come the time for bottling etc.
My name is Matt, and for years I have looked at the apple trees in my paddock and thought about cider making. Finally got around to it this year, but as ever with me it was all a bit last minute and unplanned. I have a couple of questions that I haven't been able to work out and would really appreciate advice.... here is where I am
- got about 6.5litres of nice apple juice (frustratingly our big cooking apple tree didn't make many this year)
- PH was 3.4 so I added a little bit of precipitated chalk as I understand this to be at the acid end of the ideal scale. (it tasted great though)
- hydrometer read 1.06 so I decided to add just over 1 litre of water as I prefer about 6% ABV. The experiment I did on a small amount of the juice suggested this was about right, and I wanted more cider in any case.
- now here's the dilemma - I had bought a kit with a 25litre fermenting bucket (ambitious I now know) so it is only about 1/3 full. I added yeast on the day I pressed the juice and fermentation appears to have started in that the levels on the airlock indicate increased pressure due to CO2 in the fermenter. But it isn't bubbling yet.
- I now have a 10litre fermenting bucket and I'm wondering when, whether and how to transfer. Someone said there's no hurry but I should move it over idc. Grateful for thoughts on this - do I just tip it in to the new bucket ? should I add more yeast ? I forgot to add pectolase - so should I add that and then more yeast ?
Many thanks in advance. I see now there is a forum for brewing days - so next year I will post some pics.
All the best - I look forward to keeping you informed on how it turns out, and I expect I will have some more questions come the time for bottling etc.