Newbie Wine maker Just signed up here yesterday

[AndrewH]

Hi Andrew, And welcome.
I would take the airlock off and agitate the cider a couple of times a day to mix the liquid and (yes!) introduce some air into the cider. When the specific gravity reads close to 1.010 or 1.005 I would replace the airlock. And that may be today or by the end of the weekend. (I just fermented a gallon of apple cider - no added sugar - at a starting gravity of 1.045 (I think it was ) and it took only two days to drop to 1.000. The ambient temperature was about 70 F). I am not looking to make a wine from this but a hard cider at about 6% alcohol by volume or ABV)


It looks like you have significantly less than a gallon so my suggestion would be to either add more apple juice and sugar (at a gravity of 1.070) or else look for smaller containers that you can allow the cider to age without exposure to air. The larger the headroom in your carboy (the space between the surface of the liquid and the bung ) the more air you are exposing the cider to. During the first few days or weeks while there is active fermentation the yeast need air but when the fermentation slows or stops that air now binds with the wine and oxidizes it (a bit like rust). My $0.02

I purposely left that much head space because I had one batch foam up so much it bubbled out of the air lock the air lock has slowed from one bubble every 2 seconds, down to 1 bubble every minute to a minute and a half. Unfortunately right now I have to get ready for work. I have about a cup to a cup and a half of juice I can mix in right now, all other suggestions will have to wait until Saturday. Thanks for the input

 

[AndrewH]

so you are starting at 1.070 and if you ferment dry to 0.992, that should be right around 10% alcohol (ABV). I would put some pectic enzyme in to aid in clearing and back sweeten with a container of frozen apple juice.

Thank you for the input, not sure when I can get the pectic enzyme...

 

[BernardSmith]

I lest purposely left that much head space because I had one batch foam up so much it bubbled out of the air lock the air lock has slowed from one bubble every 2 seconds, down to 1 bubble every minute to a minute and a half. Unfortunately right now I have to get ready for work. I have about a cup to a cup and a half of juice I can mix in right now, all other suggestions will have to wait until Saturday. Thanks for the input

I would put that idea on its head and pitch the yeast in a food grade bucket or large container and so you have no concern about how much it might froth and foam. I would add the airlock only after the active fermentation has slowed or stopped and there is very little foam at that point you should fill the carboy to about an inch or so of the opening (about 2.5 cm)

 

[AndrewH]

I purposely left that much head space because I had one batch foam up so much it bubbled out of the air lock the air lock has slowed from one bubble every 2 seconds, down to 1 bubble every minute to a minute and a half. Unfortunately right now I have to get ready for work. I have about a cup to a cup and a half of juice I can mix in right now, all other suggestions will have to wait until Saturday. Thanks for the input

Quick note: I added what juice I had left and that brought the level
in the jug up to where it would be when I bought that Jug of wine.

 

[AndrewH]

I would put that idea on its head and pitch the yeast in a food grade bucket or large container and so you have no concern about how much it might froth and foam. I would add the airlock only after the active fermentation has slowed or stopped and there is very little foam at that point you should fill the carboy to about an inch or so of the opening (about 2.5 cm)

Ok, I am still a newbie at this and I could use a definition
of the term Pitch the Yeast

Thanks

 

[suecasa]

work ... huh??

I see you have found all about the addictive quality of these boards ... how many times have you said now that you had to get to work???

pitching yeast just means adding it to the fruit ... whether sprinkling dry on the top or rehydrating and mixing in ... i'm new enough myself to not know the logic behind when you do one technique or the other ... but most of the batches i've done so far just say to sprinkle dry ...

now go do some work!!

 

[AndrewH]

One Big mess from the Cider Fountain

Hi Andrew, And welcome.
I would take the airlock off and agitate the cider a couple of times a day to mix the liquid and (yes!) introduce some air into the cider. When the specific gravity reads close to 1.010 or 1.005 I would replace the airlock. And that may be today or by the end of the weekend. (I just fermented a gallon of apple cider - no added sugar - at a starting gravity of 1.045 (I think it was ) and it took only two days to drop to 1.000. The ambient temperature was about 70 F). I am not looking to make a wine from this but a hard cider at about 6% alcohol by volume or ABV)


It looks like you have significantly less than a gallon so my suggestion would be to either add more apple juice and sugar (at a gravity of 1.070) or else look for smaller containers that you can allow the cider to age without exposure to air. The larger the headroom in your carboy (the space between the surface of the liquid and the bung ) the more air you are exposing the cider to. During the first few days or weeks while there is active fermentation the yeast need air but when the fermentation slows or stops that air now binds with the wine and oxidizes it (a bit like rust). My $0.02

I Have one BIG BIG mess from the Cider fountain
I thought that I would tell every one now since I just had to walk away from it before starting clean up


I would take the airlock off and agitate the cider a couple of times a day to mix the liquid and (yes!) introduce some air into the cider. When the specific gravity reads close to 1.010 or 1.005 I would replace the airlock.

Bernard when you suggested the following above instructions
The part about replacing the air lock
should have come after this part below
"agitate the cider a couple of times a day to mix the liquid and replace the air lock right away"

So when I followed your instructions I got them all *** backwards

I removed the air lock added some extra juice put on the cap and shook the jug
with out thinking the entire process thru, I left the cap on the jug figuring that I would put the air lock back on at the end of the week

Big Mistake I made there (when it should have been put on right after I shook up the jug)

needless to say when I gave the cap a small quarter turn there was a loud POP and a fountain of cider when straight up about 4 feet and hit my kitchen celling then rained down all over my counter and onto my kitchen floor......

Well its time to clean up my mess