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Anyone else homebrewing?

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Mattski

Tue Dec 27 2011, 07:44AM

Registered Member #1792 Joined: Fri Oct 31 2008, 08:12PM
Location: University of California
Posts: 527

I haven't done any home brewing, but I did recently start making homemade ginger ale. Great with a bit of lime juice and dark rum!

teravolt

Wed Dec 28 2011, 03:16AM

Registered Member #195 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 08:27PM
Location: Berkeley, ca.
Posts: 1111

has any body tried making hard cyder and how hard is it to do with out making it a toxic culture? does typical apple juice have enough sugar in it to make it hard and what type of yeast do you add

Mark-H

Wed Dec 28 2011, 06:37PM

Registered Member #607 Joined: Tue Mar 27 2007, 10:39AM
Location:
Posts: 64

Hard Cyder? Do you mean the equivalent to West Country (UK) "Scrumpy?"
I've made Whittenham cider using just crushed apples, sugar and nature. Some has been good, some bad and one batch did make me ill (back in 1983).
Generally, I think the bad batch has been due to a "cleanliness issue."
About 9%, enough to give me a regular headache so I stopped making it.
Cheers... Mark.

Mark-H

Wed Dec 28 2011, 06:40PM

Registered Member #607 Joined: Tue Mar 27 2007, 10:39AM
Location:
Posts: 64

Just as an aside. You can buy a small still in the UK. Many come from New Zealand.
They're for distilling "essential oils" for aroma therapy etc.
However, many use them to distill alcohol and then add "flavours" such as wiskey, gin, brandy... (insert favourite spirit flavour) which are readily available on Ebay.
Cheers again.

Steve Conner

Wed Dec 28 2011, 07:08PM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

Sounds ideal for the absinthe distilling we discussed earlier!

I think hard cider is just the American word for cider.

In the UK the apple-derived alcoholic drink is called cider and the non-alcoholic one is apple juice.

The Lightning Stalker

Thu Dec 29 2011, 04:49AM

Registered Member #4230 Joined: Sat Nov 26 2011, 05:50AM
Location: Socketville
Posts: 53

To make hard cyder, you need apple juice without any preservatives like sorbate. For the yeast I use your typical champagne yeast. I hear it helps to add some acid blend and yeast nutrient as well. There are lots of recipes on the web.

doctor electrons

Thu Dec 29 2011, 04:49PM

Registered Member #2390 Joined: Sat Sept 26 2009, 02:04PM
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin
Posts: 381

I don't know if any of you other home brewers are using these but i highly
recommend one if you have the extra cash! I love this thing and am thinking about another one!!

Thomas W

Thu Dec 29 2011, 06:10PM

Registered Member #3324 Joined: Sun Oct 17 2010, 06:57PM
Location:
Posts: 1276

that looks expencive D:

doctor electrons

Fri Dec 30 2011, 04:58PM

Registered Member #2390 Joined: Sat Sept 26 2009, 02:04PM
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin
Posts: 381

Yea they can get a little pricey! There are some major benefits of using conical
fermenters though and stainless steel is the only way to go in my opinion.
One of the biggest benefits is the dump valve on the bottom. Normally a home brewer
would "rack" their beer or wine off of the yeast into a secondary fermenter. Not with
this bad boy!! Opening the dump valve after the yeast has settled into the cone does
the same thing. The advantage is less contact with atmosphere and only one vessel
for your primary and secondary fermentations! Having it on wheels doesn't suck either!
The model i have (the one in the picture) can also be pressurized, only one i know of on
the market. That way, i can attach my co2 tank and pump the beer or wine into kegs
without contacting atmosphere. This almost ensures there will be no contamination.
I could go on for hours but ill save some for another post ;)

Edit:
The cider thing.
Here in the US we have apple juice, apple cider, and hard cider. Hard cider being the alcoholic drink.
Some of you may have heard of "Mikes hard lemonade". The word hard implies you'll catch a buzz.

Mark-H

Fri Dec 30 2011, 07:22PM

Registered Member #607 Joined: Tue Mar 27 2007, 10:39AM
Location:
Posts: 64

Nice bit of kit. I see you brew a lot more enthusiastically than myself.

I brew not just for fun any more, but also economics.

My elderflower and elderberry wines worked out about 80p ($1?) per bottle and the beer about 30. (50c?) per pint.

On top of that, I know pretty much what's in them.

I get the apple Juice/cider bit now too. The "harder" ciders in the UK tend to come from the West Country, such as Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon and go by the local name of Scrumpy. Locally brewed, they can be quite "appealing" as opposed to the commercial brews by Bulmers etc.

I've never spoiled wines and beers, but as previously mentioned, I've managed to have a few ciders "go off."

I did buy the Gingery family's book on how to make a small still, but never persued it further than than buying a stack of copper sheet and some pipework... Still have the book, but lack the "get up an go" on the road to blindness. :o)

One driver was having two apple trees at my last house, plus the neighbours overhanging tree. The idea was to make cider in a small batch and then make apple brandy.

I now have pear, cherry and hazelnut trees with more to be planted each year... Anyone for peacherrnut brandy? :o)

Have a great New Year celebration and take care of that liver! CHEERS!

Mark.

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