FilJos
Well-Known Member
I wanted to get into homebrewing, and I really like cider and heard that it was easier than beer, so I thought I would give it a shot.
I bought a starter kit from Midwest Supplies: Fermenting Bucket, Racking/bottling bucket, 5 gal. carboy, and all the little accessories.
I found a couple of recipes on-line and got to work with some grocery store bought apple cider. All juice, no preservatives. After cleaning and sterilizing everything I threw together the five gallons of apple juice, the yeast (Red Star Champagne yeast, came in a little yellow packet) and some yest nutrient that the guy at Midwest suggested I use. I tested the SG, and it was right about 1.045. I threw the old air-lock on (filled with vodka, I heard this was a good way to do it) and let it go.
After a day, fermentation got going and after another day it was really cooking. The airlock popped a little more than once every second. After another day, the thing overflowed and the airlock turned cloudy with bad smelling cider. Another day or two later the airlock cleared and there was sediment left in the bottom of it, and fermentation calmed down to a steady popping about once every two seconds.
After about 12 days of primary fermentation, I opened the thing up and used a wine thief to taste it. When the sanitized thief went in, the cider fizzed all around it. The sample tasted very acidic and upset my stomach, pretty much smelled like vinegar. I tested the SG and it was almost down to 1.000. I thought that I would try to bottle it anyway, thinking that maybe I just have a bad palate, and primed it with honey dissolved into more apple juice. When I put the siphon in the carboy, it fizzed up so bad that I couldn't get a good flow going, but eventually I got it into the bottling bucket and bottled it all.
Now about a week later, I have tried a bottle and it doesn't give me a stomach ache, but it still smells like vinegar, and my wife tried it and thinks I did a fine job of making carbonated vinegar.
I need help. I just want to make a nice, semi-sweet cider with a little bit of carbonation. Maybe even a cyser. Thats all. Where did I go wrong? Does anyone have an easy recipe? I can't seem to find a local orchard that sells unpreserved juice, so that seems to be out of the question, unless someone from the Minneapolis area knows of one of the local orchards that could be accomodating.
I bought a starter kit from Midwest Supplies: Fermenting Bucket, Racking/bottling bucket, 5 gal. carboy, and all the little accessories.
I found a couple of recipes on-line and got to work with some grocery store bought apple cider. All juice, no preservatives. After cleaning and sterilizing everything I threw together the five gallons of apple juice, the yeast (Red Star Champagne yeast, came in a little yellow packet) and some yest nutrient that the guy at Midwest suggested I use. I tested the SG, and it was right about 1.045. I threw the old air-lock on (filled with vodka, I heard this was a good way to do it) and let it go.
After a day, fermentation got going and after another day it was really cooking. The airlock popped a little more than once every second. After another day, the thing overflowed and the airlock turned cloudy with bad smelling cider. Another day or two later the airlock cleared and there was sediment left in the bottom of it, and fermentation calmed down to a steady popping about once every two seconds.
After about 12 days of primary fermentation, I opened the thing up and used a wine thief to taste it. When the sanitized thief went in, the cider fizzed all around it. The sample tasted very acidic and upset my stomach, pretty much smelled like vinegar. I tested the SG and it was almost down to 1.000. I thought that I would try to bottle it anyway, thinking that maybe I just have a bad palate, and primed it with honey dissolved into more apple juice. When I put the siphon in the carboy, it fizzed up so bad that I couldn't get a good flow going, but eventually I got it into the bottling bucket and bottled it all.
Now about a week later, I have tried a bottle and it doesn't give me a stomach ache, but it still smells like vinegar, and my wife tried it and thinks I did a fine job of making carbonated vinegar.
I need help. I just want to make a nice, semi-sweet cider with a little bit of carbonation. Maybe even a cyser. Thats all. Where did I go wrong? Does anyone have an easy recipe? I can't seem to find a local orchard that sells unpreserved juice, so that seems to be out of the question, unless someone from the Minneapolis area knows of one of the local orchards that could be accomodating.