Wild Wine Partc 6(c) - Final!! Picture Heavy

[British Red]

Leave it plenty long - yeast is dry...dropping dried yeast in a large must can "shock" it. When its crawling through the glass, pour in gently, and swirl a little to mix. You now know your yeast is "good". So if nothing develops, your must is stuffed - but it will take a week to be sure

Red

 

[Matt Weir]

I can hear the bubbles and it smells, well, yeasty so I am going to add it to the must.

 

[British Red]

Hmmmm patience not a strong point?

 

[gregorach]

Hehe... If there's one thing you need to be a good brewer, it's patience!

 

[British Red]

You noticed? Ever had one that wouldn't clear

 

[gregorach]

Not really... yet. Not after resorting to finings, anyway. But then I have a fair amount of patience.

 

[Matt Weir]

Hmmmm patience not a strong point?

Looking at my posts it seems not but actually I am. I think I am just anxious rather than impatient with this being my proverbial cherry popping.

Stay calm Matty, stay calm

lol

 

[British Red]

Okay, think of it this way - yeasts are fast breeders. Yeast eats sugar and excretes alcohol. Therefor, when you are busy, your servants are not only creating alcohol on your behalf, but also breeding up and increasing your alcohol making capacity. Your original yeasty butler and ladies maid, will create an entire understairs workforce of valets, scullery maids, upstairs and downstairs maids, gardeners, chauffeurs and boot boys. However, if you only start with a coalman and a cook, it will take them a while.

Think "sim brewing"

Red

 

[Matt Weir]

Okay, think of it this way - yeasts are fast breeders. Yeast eats sugar and excretes alcohol. Therefor, when you are busy, your servants are not only creating alcohol on your behalf, but also breeding up and increasing your alcohol making capacity. Your original yeasty butler and ladies maid, will create an entire understairs workforce of valets, scullery maids, upstairs and downstairs maids, gardeners, chauffeurs and boot boys. However, if you only start with a coalman and a cook, it will take them a while.

Think "sim brewing"

Red

LOL, well once these bad boys are added that's all king's horses and all the king's men in there (well, 5 gram of them )

I'm going in with the OJ crew and I'll keep you posted.

 

[gregorach]

Actually, while we're on the subject - Red, is there any particular book you'd recommend for a novice brewer?

 

[British Red]

Hmmm I guess the question is "brewer, vintner or wild wine / mead maker" ?

TBH I'm best at wild wines and meads although I can whomp up something tasty and alcoholic from most things

I have two faves I guess

Of them all

"First Steps in Winemaking" by CJJ Berry - pushing 30 years old now and strangely reminiscent of "Nationwide" but a fantastic resource

Wild Wines and Meads by Vargas and Gulling is good for the hedgerows

The Joy of home winemaking by Terry Garey is good for funky stuff with tinned fruits

For "survival beer making", try the seminal "New Complete Guide to Self Sufficiency" by John Seymour. If you don't own this book - just buy it!

Red

 

[gregorach]

Hmmm I guess the question is "brewer, vintner or wild wine / mead maker" ?

Working on all three. Although I haven't tried making mead yet...

Thanks for the book tips.

 

[British Red]

Seriously, for wine, try the CJJ Berry - great book - all black and white photos of blokes in cardi's but fantastic info if you take the time to read it

John Seymours stuff is just breathtaking - beats Mors and "The good life" (both of them) into a cocked hat

Red

 

[ilan]

Just out of intrest i would when bottleing use those plastic lemonade bottles Try adding an amount of strong cold tea (1 tea bag in a 1/3 cup ) to one bottle may give it more bite

 

[Matt Weir]

I racked off into a demijohn about a week ago and added 4 more tablespoons of sugar dissolved into 1/4 pint of birch sap which brought about quite a reaction.

I have just tested gravity and work it out as follows...

1050 - 998 / 7.36 = 7%

I replaced the airlock and as I am sat here typing I heard a bubble for the first time (seems like the plastic demijohn lids need careful adjustment to get them properly airtight). I timed it and am getting a bubble every 3 minutes so it seems to still be fermenting.

I tried a sample from the measuring jar and have to say that the taste (sorry palate) is very dry, smell (sorry nose) is quite woody and it's slightly cloudy in appearance.

Red,

Would you recommend anything more like killing the remaining yeast (am I right in thinking drinking it in this state is likely to give me a dicky gut and the runs?) or should I just rack it off again into a fresh demijohn and quaff the lot?

Overall I think that a dry cider @ 7% after 3 weeks isn't a bad result after the shaky start.

 

[British Red]

Matt,

998 is still high on the SG so I'd be tempted to leave it a bit. Odd that it tastes dry with that much sugar still in (I'd go for about 990 on cider, but the suspended matter may be distorting a tad)

Cider is one of the worst for the trots but live yeast won't hurt you. Whilst there is still suspended gas its a pig to clear but racking off from sediment is a good start. You could try adding some beer or wine finings to aid clearing but if its still bubbling it'll keep mixing itself. Look for tiny bubbles rising. If there are none, and you have a good seal and less than one bubble every 2 mins its probably done. As for clearing its your call. Repeated racking works but is a pain. Finings and syphoning are quicker. Stabalising (killing yeast) is rarely done in cider and beer. If you want to add more sugar to prime the bottles its stops it working in fact. If you want to bottom sugar to sweeten the cider you will need to stabalise since otherwise it just starts fermenting again

Hope that helps

Red

 

[Matt Weir]

Cheers Red,

I don't mind it being dry so wont bother stabalising and adding more sugar. I will check the gravity again in a few days.