Essentials for a good expat Christmas? In short, CIDER!

[StrandedinCanada]

Hi all, thanks again everyone for your help and support ---

OK, today's update:

Here's my purchases for today:

- Tannic Acid
- Pectic Enzyme (Which I was told is Pectolase Powder)
- Campden Tablets
- Yeast Nutrient
- Bung and airlock
- Hydrometer
.... and the last is the most important bit:

- YEASTs... I say 'yeasts' because I got two varieties with the hope that a few opinions may help guide me to the best to what I need to do...

First was a 5g pack of Champagne-style Wine Yeast - called "EC-1118" (though now I'm at home I note it reads for up to 6 US Gallons)???
and the other, which I'm thinking may be the favorite, is "Coopers Brewing Yeast" 7g pack from South Australia...

Apparatus not purchased at this point would be a Ph Testing Kit and some (either) Malic Acid and/or Precipitated Chalk to bring the Ph to be between 3.6 and 4.2.... (all three parts of this were not available at the store I went to)

So, with all that, still looking for some opinions and thoughts (I do want to acknowledge the most recent post not calling for malic acid) - and so I'm still a little concerned about that.

As for fermentation, I want some opinions also ---- My original idea has always been as such:

I have an 8 US Gallon fermenting bucket and a 7.75 US Gallon steel beer keg...

What my idea was, was to ferment the juice/cider in the fermenting bucket with a hope/prayer that the sediment left over would be +/- 0.25 gallons... From there, then transfer to the (sanitised) keg and then reseal to undergo stage two in there... then, come christmas, plug her up to the tap and pour away...

Thoughts?

Thanks again everyone :)

 

[StrandedinCanada]

Hey guys --- found this advice on a website for Campden tablets ---

"If you wish to ferment with a specific yeast, add 1 crushed campden tablet per gallon of juice and leave to stand, covered, for 48 hours. This will see off the wild yeast. Then pitch with a yeast of your choice."

And, as this was a British website, I'm gonna add in 6.5 crushed campdens...

Good idea?

Thanks



D

 

[StrandedinCanada]

Well, good or bad - the deed has now begun...

- I've sterilised my fermenting bucket with Soduim Metabisulphite solution
- Left it to air dry (all but a few drips here and there)
- Added 8 (US) Gallons of fresh pressed apple juice
- Added 6.5 Campden Tablets (which is based on Imperial Gallons - my reading suggested 1 tablet per gallon)
- Stirred thoroughly using a sterlilsed plastic stick
- put the lid on, airlock on and put in some distilled water (which did drip a little into the solution)
- Now sitting in the cellar @ 60 degrees F

Day one - done. Now waiting 48 hours before adding the other stuff, and the yeast...

All thoughts, help and opinions on the yeast I purchased and what I've done/plan on doing are VERY welcome...

Also, is there any way to post (small) pictures on this forum?

Thanks all

 

[Crastney]

sounds good so far.

personally I'd use the champagne yeast, but others opinions might differ.

images are easy to add - but they have to be hosted somewhere else first (Picassa, Flickr, Webshots, etc, etc).
once you have an account there, and photo's uploaded, you should be able to see easily enough a clicky for linking to a forum of website, which will give you a URL to use. then on this forum on the post a reply just clikc on the 'URL' box above the text input, and then copy/paste in your URL from the photo website. easy as.

 

[ScottM]

sounds good so far.

personally I'd use the champagne yeast, but others opinions might differ.

images are easy to add - but they have to be hosted somewhere else first (Picassa, Flickr, Webshots, etc, etc).
once you have an account there, and photo's uploaded, you should be able to see easily enough a clicky for linking to a forum of website, which will give you a URL to use. then on this forum on the post a reply just clikc on the 'URL' box above the text input, and then copy/paste in your URL from the photo website. easy as.

As an a-sdie to the above, IMO, you're better clicking the "Img" box rather than the URL one. With the image tags you can post an actual picture on your reply rather than just a link to it.

ie..

This

vs

This

 

[alanywiseman.]

Personally if it is fresh pressed apple juice then I wouldn't bother with the malic acid or tannin, the cider while it may taste a bit young will still taste awesome. I've been making cider for the past 4 years from single variety katy apples, to blends of eaters and bakers and have always had great results :drink:

The tannins and acid come from the bakers in this case. This si the reason that you can get away without them.

The problem with malolactic fermentation is that it doesn't always happen so if you go adding malic acid and it doesn't undergo conversion then it could end up to acidic. If you do want to try and guarantee that it happens then you would need to buy a malolactic culture and add it after primary fermentation has completed.

This is true and a very good point. I have never needed to buy a culture but have managed to achieve it through using a good cider (basically a Westons Old Rosie Starter). As the yeast in the bottle is viable the bacteria is as well. This makes is very easy to get the malolactic fermentation. You may not get Old Rosie across the pond but I am sure there will be another cider that has viable yeast in the bottle. But a word of warning, malolactic fermentation can take 2+ months to complete so you may be push it for it to complete by christmas and have a carbonated cider.

:thumb: