Anything goes for Uni

[Cornish Cream]

Good morning Uni

[obbie]

good morning all

[Emme]

Goodmorning everyone    Looks like a nice day coming up and at last the cooler weather is here
Hello CC & DJ 

[fundj&e]

good morning friends 

[achookwoman]

Morning all. 10 degrees here with mist. Lovely.
Could anyone considering joining us for lunch on the 7 th. Please indicate as soon as possible so the Marina can book a table.
So far Marina, Uni, ( Frank?) Cp, me and Ral will join us to keep Frank company if he is coming.  Thanks.

[judydawn]

Good morning everyone.

[Bedlam]

What a lovely group for lunch! I am jealous, can imagine the chatter. Have fun.

[mab19]

Good afternoon everyone

[gertbysea]

So Bedlam is this the first fermentation or the second assuming you are aiming for alcoholic cider?  Did you start from apples or just the juice.

Making cider can can tricky and it all depends on the very first process and the apples used, whether pasteurised juice is used or raw and if the apples came in contact with  the ground, pesticides or contaminated anything.

The simple way my dad did it was to get the apple juice from the first pressing after harvest at  cider mill. He brought his own sterilised jug. This would be in late fall when it was pretty cold. He would then put the jug in a corner of the bathroom behind the bathtub where it would eventually start to ferment on it's own. When it stopped he drank it. And so did we. Easy eh? Well those were the good old days.

Not so today.

But as your "cider" has stopped fermenting it may be done and ready to drink. It could/should then be filtered or "racked" before bottling though.

Cider can be taken off the lees   Filtered and have a second fermentation. You do not want it to stay on the lees too long or it will taste disgusting.

It all depends on the process Denise.

Personally my dad's way was simple and effective. He never even needed a hydrometer.

There is a lot more to it and no doubt you have read all about it and seen it on You Tube.

Some people depend on wild yeast as in our sour dough making or added brewers yeast. Some add sugar to boost the fermentation process.  It is a world of it's own and a more frought process than making a simple white spirit.

You can make cider out of most fruit juices and blend them.

Good luck.

Gert

[Cornish Cream]

Good afternoon/ evening everyone.
Good morning DJ and UK people.

Amazing what you learn on here. Good luck with the cider Denise

[Bedlam]

Gert, you are an amazing wealth of knowlege.
My DD bought me a mad millie alchoholic cider kit, it does have a. Hydrometer included. The recipe said to mix fruit concentrate water yeast and sweetener together and leave for about 7 days. Started last wed so didnt think it would be ready yet but perhaps i should check specified gravity already. Then i add some essence leave for another 24 hours and bottle.
Hope i havent messed it up!

[gertbysea]

Mad Milly has done it all for you. It has finished fermenting I would say but leave it for another day or two as it really slows down to a very slow like every fifteen minutes of a bubble. Fermenting time is all about the ambient  temperature as well as the starting  of it. You didn't kill the yeast .

It will be nothing like starting from a nice tart fresh apple cider but it should be good. if it is too sweet then just add some soda water. It will no doubt taste like apple juice with a hint of yeast.

Sometimes the fermenting takes 2 weeks or longer but if it is warm then less. I keep mine in the garage which can get pretty hot but seems to take  10 to 12 days anyway. I try to put my yeast into the sugar water below 32 degrees and above 26/27. Depends on how long it takes to bring the water up or down to that temp after dissolving the sugar.

Be sure to check the alcohol percentage just for fun. Don't know what Mad Milly is aiming for but would be interested to know.

I just add some of the fermented liquid into the container the hydrometer comes in and let the hydrometer bob about . When it steadies just look where the line is and it will tell your how alcoholic it is. Easy peasy.

If any good Mad Milly should go on the shopping thread. You can buy her kits at a brew shop and on line. She also does cheese kits and there are You Tube VDO's to help. Don't know if she has one on cider though.

Good fun to try. Kids would love them. Put them to work I say.

Gert

[gertbysea]

Forgot to ask but do you have to filter it? If it is cloudy there is something you can get to clear it. but MM might have included that as well. Or you can use cleaned egg shells and let it all settle before sort of filtering it through a fine clean cloth. I find just leaving it for a few days or a week will clear it before I distill my spirit.

That of course is a process you do not need.

Good it is all included. What did it cost?

I see you have it in the house. How could you stand the noise? Next time put it in the laundry maybe.

Just a thought, the essence may have a clearing agent in it as well.

Gert

[Bedlam]

I have just removed a small amount of the liquid and can see there is still some bubbling, the hydrometer appears to sink atm so guessing needs a little longer.
It is making me feel extremely DUMB and will wait for my clever maths/science brained DH to come home as it is correct for temp of 20 mine is 28 so require a specific gravity correction.  Its too much for my nana nap brain to cope with. I will keep you posted on the development. The kit is awesome with a dozen bottles,sterilizer, hydometer syphon etc. good fun.

[gertbysea]

Is this supposed to be a sparkling cider or an alcoholic flat cider? Make sure you use enough liquid to float the hydrometer. if not the container it comes in then some slim glass something or other. You can check to see what you are looking for by pouring some beer or alcohol into the glass and see what the reading is.

I never worry about the SG. I just trust the process. It can be tricky if you worry it. In fact I have never checked it and I have been brewing for nearly 13 years.

Don't take the cover off again. Naughty! Or maybe you have a tap on the bottom. Can't see.

When finished you can just scoop the stuff out with a clean jug if you don't want to fiddle with the siphon. Would love to see you bottling your first. Could be messy but with practice you will master it.

If it is a flat cider you could just leave it in the container and chill in a jug as needed. But it is hard to do all this as it is hard to move. Almost impossible. Best bet is to do these things in a place where it is out of the way but near a sink.



Can't wait to see how it ends.

Gert