CIDERTIME 2008

jefrey3 · Post by **jefrey3** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:43 pm

I pitched Sunday afternoon. Yesterday there were signs of fermentation, but the airlock wasn't doing anything. Today it is bubbling away. I didn't add any extra sugar & it is fermenting at room temperature.

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:31 pm

My batch is struggling as well. My starter with the liquid yeast did not survive nor did my first attempt with dry Lalvin. I have attempted to make another starter using another Lalvin packet. Hopefully, things will happen tommorrow!
I will be out of town this weekend but may consider a bit more cidering on the weekend of October 4-5. As I will away again the following two weekends.
Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Chris Norrick · Post by **Chris Norrick** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:15 pm

I don't know what you guys are doing wrong. I kicked that sorbate's ass! I added about 2 pounds of sugar. OG 1.055. Going very good 24 hours after pitch. 69 degrees right now.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnorrick/2865883567/" title="IMG_5528 by cnorrick, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/286 ... 0d6477.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_5528"></a>

They just did a story on WFIE on Engelbrechts. They are still without power right in the middle of cider making. Connie said they had to throw out 500 gallons of cider!?!?!?!?!?!?!

john mills · Post by **john mills** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:15 am

I finally got around to making my samples last night. I put about 1 1/2# honey in a gallon jug and topped with the cider. This brought the OG to 1.100. I then added a couple of cinnamon sticks, clove, nutmeg, alspice, and some raisins like in Joe's Achient recipe. I had one gallon with Safeale 05 and the other with Fleishmans yeast. The fFeishman's yeast is already bubbling through the air lock less than 12 hours after pitching, and the safe ale has created some co2, just not bubbling yet.
This is the first time I've used campden tablets. I put 5 tablets in the 5 gallons of cider on Saturday. I believe this was way too much. The stink of sulfer was huge! The cider also had a different flavor. It didn't taste outright bad, just different. I'm hoping the fermentation bubbles out the rest of the sulfer.

Chris Norrick · Post by **Chris Norrick** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:42 pm

Cider is good! I'm still getting a few bubbles at 72 degrees but my refractometer readings say it's finished out. It's tart, got some body, and great flavor. Still cloudy even after adding pectase at the start. A nice alcohol kick in the finish (OG with sugar was 1.055).