Brewing your own drink

crazy_spider

Hi All,

I recently decided to try my hand at brewing my own cider and now have to wait a few weeks to fully finish brewing.
Was wondering if many people had tried it themselves and what there experience was like and did it work out good or bad for them?

Tom Dunne

Moved from BGRH.

oblivious

I have done it a couple of times worked out well, but then again I like dry-ish cider

P.C.

Tried it years ago, when in college. Did not turn out so well, but drank it anyway.

whydave

home brew kit in the post ....... will let you know in about 4 weeks if i go blind


David

oblivious

whydave wrote: »

home brew kit in the post ....... will let you know in about 4 weeks if i go blind

Just to be aware a lot of people stop brewing in high summer if they don't have fermentation temperature control

mikewest

Although it should be pointed out that this summer as last summer the top temperature is pretty much ideal for ale brewing. No need for heat mats etc.

BTW I have made a number of home made ciders from cheap apple juice and they range from average to very good so good luck. One thing to note though is that the longer you age for the better it gets. I have some thats seven months old and its way nicer now than when it was fresh.

mikewest

Have a look in the forum in oblivious's sig for Irish brewing help or http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/index.php for tips from the UK

learnerplates

I've decided to brew one batch of cider in the coming weeks as I have an apple tree fully of juicy irish apples which I don't want to see go wasted again this year.................where do i start?

Is one apple tree enough? It's all I have!!!
I'd like to do this without buying equipment, can it be done?

oblivious

Here is a good video to homemade cider making

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0fvkiSHOsY

oblivious

learnerplates wrote: »

I'd like to do this without buying equipment, can it be done?

Here is a wiki to making your own press

http://www.ukcider.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Homemade_Cider_Press

whitser

im going up to a local farmer tomorrow evening to price loads of apples. we have all the gear bought/made and ready to go. im using the lumberjackchampion method off you tube. our brew will be ready in a few months.

learnerplates

oblivious wrote: »

Here is a good video to homemade cider making

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0fvkiSHOsY

Nice one, straight to the point, handy looking device I'm going to give it a go this weekend.
Anyone know is yeast used or not, this clip doesn't actually show him doing anything other than squeezing the apples, is there anything else involved? will the apple juice ferment itself?

oblivious

there is no harm is adding yeast to make sure fermentation starts, any ale yeast will do, but the is a dry one available from The Homebrew Company
or Cider yeast from Hop and grape uk

learnerplates

I see, very good, I've ordered 3 packets I'll see what the instructions say.
I see there's alot of equipment which can be bought, in particular the demi-jons, is there anywhere else that supplies these or is there an alternative, glass only I presume? anyone where could I get my hands on some before the weekend, in the midlands or West?

What else do I "need"? I'll make the frame and get the jack, I'll locate a drum for the squeezing too, but it's the fermentation that I'm not sure of.

Also the creation of the pulp before squeeziing, do the apples have to be blended or could they be just cut, seems like alot of work for a blender!

oblivious

Here is a walk though guide

You can do the primary in any food grade plastic bucket that clean
, The homebrew company sell them along with Grape and grain

yea that apple need to be pulped, some just use a plastic bucket and a large peace of rounded wooded

Here is a pic

noby

learnerplates wrote: »

anyone where could I get my hands on some before the weekend, in the midlands or West?

Along with the already mentioned www.thehomebrewcompany.ie , who deliver next day, there is www.thehomebrewcentre.com , who also do a quick delivery. They are based in Killaloe, if that's convenient to you.

learnerplates

oblivious wrote: »

Here is a walk though guide

You can do the primary in any food grade plastic bucket that clean
, The homebrew company sell them along with Grape and grain

yea that apple need to be pulped, some just use a plastic bucket and a large peace of rounded wooded

Here is a pic

ahh that's the stuff. Thanks.

azzeretti

noby wrote: »

Along with the already mentioned www.thehomebrewcompany.ie , who deliver next day, there is www.thehomebrewcentre.com , who also do a quick delivery. They are based in Killaloe, if that's convenient to you.

You can also drop out to Kilaloe if its that handy. I have done on a few occasions.....just call first to make sure he's in!

learnerplates

Kilaloe is a bit far for me, this weekend anyway, would any of the home + garden stores like B+Q, Atlantic Homestore or Woodies sell the demijons by any chance?

oblivious

I have never seen them there

Food grade plastic will work fine if you can get any buckets

learnerplates

I'll see what I can get, for the fermentation to take place doesn't the container need to be airtight?

learnerplates

I have to ask this question again, doesn't the container need to be airtight for fermentation to take place?

oblivious

learnerplates wrote: »

I have to ask this question again, doesn't the container need to be airtight for fermentation to take place?

It doesn't hove to be but a lot use a clip on plastic lid an airlock to keep out any creeping nasty and fruit flies

learnerplates

ah good that's grand.
I've managed to build an apple crush similar to the one shown on the youtube clip, we also picked a few boxes of apples. I fear they're a dry type of apple, a lovely red and green color I'm hoping their not too dry for juice extraction, I wonder do they get juicier with time, anyone?
I'm also wondering about storing apples for a short time, couple of weeks, i've heard applies can be stored for a few months on a box packed with straw or hay, does anyone know if this would help increase the juice in the brew?
if not is there anything else that can be done? what will water addition do to the end brew?

oblivious

learnerplates wrote: »

what will water addition do to the end brew?

I would not bother, let the juice stand on it own.

you can add some crab apple juice if you think it need some acidity and tannins

learnerplates

learnerplates wrote: »

ah good that's grand.
I've managed to build an apple crush similar to the one shown on the youtube clip, we also picked a few boxes of apples. I fear they're a dry type of apple, a lovely red and green color I'm hoping their not too dry for juice extraction, I wonder do they get juicier with time, anyone?
I'm also wondering about storing apples for a short time, couple of weeks, i've heard applies can be stored for a few months on a box packed with straw or hay, does anyone know if this would help increase the juice in the brew?
if not is there anything else that can be done? what will water addition do to the end brew?

Our apple juice is still very cloudy and brown after 2 1/2 weeks, is this correct and what next?

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since we crushed/squeezed our apples, the juice tasted lovely and was a reddish brown color. We made 4 litres to start/prototype (we've stored the rest of our apples), we left the juice in a 5-litre water bottle, added 2 teaspoons of brewers yeast and tightened the lit.

1 week later the bottle was ready to explode, we opened the lit and a huge puff of gas escaped followed by a froth. The juice itself has not really changed color and we can see about an inch of sedement at the bottom but the liquid is very cloudy and is a brownish color. It smells of alcohol and apple.
We left there for another week and with the lid loosened and it hasn't changed much, does this sound right? what next?

azzeretti

Why did you add brewers yeast? Where did you get the brewers yeast?

I would not have bother with any yeast to be honest. Usually I would just add the juice to a fermentation vessel and loosely cover, with a sanitised cloth, for a couple of days. The apples should have yeast already and the 2 days loosely covered should kick off the fermentation. I might then move it to a carboy or secondary vessel.

To be honest, I usually leave cider for close to 3 months before racking to another carboy to sit for another 1-2 months. You could drink it now to benifit of the alcohol but it won't taste very nice.

For the time you are looking for you could consider "Turbo Cider". This is similar to what you are doing, adding beer/wine yeast to apple juice. This usually take about 2-3 weeks and can taste drinkable.

Decent cider takes some time.

learnerplates

thanks azzeretti.
We bought beer yeast from the homebrewcompany and added a couple of teaspoons to give it a boost.
I have bought a couple of carboys, we were wondering if we should sifen off the best juice into the carboy and leave the sedmented out and then leave for a while, a few months if needed!
Should we do this or is there any need?
And will the fluid clear after a few weeks?

We might might try another batch without the yeast. We have about another 20litres to make.

Also should we seal the carboys completely, I got them with a rubber stopper, which has a hole in the centre, there's also a couple of plastic bubbler things which I'm not sure how to use, anyone know how to use these and if they're of any use to me.

oblivious

learnerplates wrote: »

thanks azzeretti. Also should we seal the carboys completely, I got them with a rubber stopper, which has a hole in the centre, there's also a couple of plastic bubbler things which I'm not sure how to use, anyone know how to use these and if they're of any use to me.

That an air lock, push it into the rubber bung and place into the carboy or fermentor. Add a little liquid to the airlock, this will allow the CO2 to escape and will prevent nasty for getting in, it can also help keep a positive pressure in the vessel.

If you don't want to go down the route of carboys, 20liters anyway plastic ferment are cheaper and safer option