CIDER 101

[Eoin]

If you kill no wild stuff with campden it's probably better to leave no headspace. When was the book published? Sounds like 70's to me.  My 6 year old was annoyed that it was all being turned to cider.

TT

[mr hoppy]

1999, but yeah there's a lot of other stuff in it that seems very old school. Lots of comments like "if you're a purist you won't approve of X" (X being something every homebrewer in their right mind does every time they brew).

We also got a lot of questions about why is daddy turning the apple juice into cider...

[Eoin]

The Reinheitsgebot purists on the German forum took exception to me suggesting that we all use some form of chemical cleaner..... Hot water they say.

Sent from my HTC One

[mr hoppy]

Really? I wonder if lacto, brett and all their little buddies are more "Reinheitsgebot" than a wee bit of bleach and vinegar.

[Eoin]

Germans are quite eco compared to us, in fact they invented it. They suggested boiling water was sufficient. 

Bloody autocorrect.

TT

[JimmyM]

Howya lads... Id imagine this thread is very busy, thanks for the pointers will and thanks for the apple juice hault to ciderhead and shanna for minding mine...

However, this couldnt have come at a worse time for me - i was going away the night it arrived and i just got back late last nioght.
I couldnt find my camden tablets the night it arrived so it has been sitting in my fridge since Tuesday.
And now i'm away again tonight so i wont get to tend to it til tomorrow.

So - summary my apple juice will have spent tue-sat in the fridge.
I have camden tablets (somewhere)
I have yeast.

What should i do next?
I believe my options are
1. Camdenify it and add yeast a day later.
2. Take it out of the fridge and just bang an airlock and blow off, and let nature take its course.

[Ciderhead]

1. Campden in hot water or apple juice asap
2. 24 hours yeast
3. Get your shit together! call me if you need any of the above.
You have also been reported to RSPCAJ

You can just leave it do it's own thing but you run the risk of having cider vinegar on your salad for the next 5 years

[JimmyM]

1. Campden in hot water or apple juice asap
2. 24 hours yeast
3. Get your shit together! call me if you need any of the above.
You have also been reported to RSPCAJ

You can just leave it do it's own thing but you run the risk of having cider vinegar on your salad for the next 5 years

Yeah i know im highly unorganised.

When you say campden in hot water or apple juice.

What you mean? disolve the tablets in hot water or hot apple juice?? and add it?
Sorry for being a gobshite

[Ciderhead]

In warm water or apple juice you know it will be dispersed, crushed campden just tends to sink to the bottom

[Eoin]

And we're off. One pitched with pectolase, one without. I'm thinking of one as a Scrumpy of sorts and the clear one should be pasteurised, backsweetened force carbed and then bottled sweet and sparkling. This will then determine how I proceed on future brews.

TT

[David]

I have added crushed Campden tablets going to naturally ferment. Just wondering when to add yeast nutrient.

Thanks to every who was involved from purchase, to transport and the local depots.





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[Ciderhead]

After campden but before yeast, don't use too much though, it will leave an ammonia taste behind, follow the instructions.

http://www.hvhomebrewers.com/recipes/brew/CiderMaking.pdf

[Eoin]

I've not added nutrient, is it necessary? Will it not end up too dry with nutrient?

I never add it to my Lidl ciders.

TT

[Shanna]

Hi there

Added crushed Camden tablets on Tuesday night and then on a Wednesday night I added a pack of youngs cider yeast but have not seen sign any sign of fermentation yet.  Should I be worried?

Shanna

[Ciderhead]

@ Shanna what temp start fermentation, what temp is it at now? did you shake or stir to get o2 into it?
After 72 hours start worrying

One on far right is Youngs Cider Yeast and was sprinkled on to juice this afternoon and looks flat as a fart
All have had Campden, 02 injected and Yeast Nutrient
Middle 2 beer yeasts from starters.
The English ale looks like it has already kicked off



@Eoin taken from
http://www.cider.org.uk/part3.htm

The next addition is that of vitamins and yeast nutrient. These may be bought as such or may be added as thiamine and ammonium sulphate (or phosphate) respectively. The dosage rate is up to 0.2 milligrams per litre of thiamine and up to 300 milligrams per litre of ammonium salt. This is what was meant by 'amino nitrogen' in Table 1 of the previous article, and it is needed by the yeast to make protein and amino acids for its own growth. (This is not unlike human and animal nutrition - the yeast's carbohydrate or energy source is of course the apple sugar which is not in short supply!) Apple juices are generally very low in yeast nutrients (unlike beer worts or grape musts) and so your fermentation rate will probably be much improved if you add these. The fermentation is also much less likely to 'stick' or to grind to a halt before completion. The cider can therefore be racked and bottled sooner, reducing the chances of spoilage in store. On the other hand, it is undeniable that some of the finest ciders are fermented very slowly without the addition of nutrients, but the risks of failure are correspondingly greater. You pays your money and you takes your choice! Traditional cider-makers used to hang a leg of mutton or a side of beef in the fermenting vat to boost the nutrient levels. The meat broke down slowly in the acid juice, releasing soluble amino nitrogen which the yeast could use for growth. The supposed requirement of a few dead rats in every vat is a more colourful manifestation of the same idea!