A bit of help on TC

[Drunken_Jock]

Hi guys thought i would try this did the simple one Tesco Apple Juice, Yeast and Yeast Nutrient. Heated some of the apple juice up so that it was 22 cent when i added the yeast ect. and put a cover round it in the kitchen on sunday as sometimes it can get a bit draughty with the back door open. But as far as i can tell no one has gone out there.

Checked the last 2 days and it had a better head on it than i care to remember. My FV is 25l but has no Airlock the lid is clipped down apart from the last 15 cm. When i checked it tonight it had stopped Frothing and looks to be no bubbles. Will take an SG reading tomorrow as I have been drinking Vodka red bulls and i dont want to make a mess of it........

What should the SG reading be at?

Have I done something wrong or is this ok so far?

Does it have to clear now before bottling?

Or have I missed something because it doesnt have and airlock on the FV?

Was really looking forward to this.
:cry: :cry: :cry: :whistle:

 

[Samarith]

I let it ferment to below 1.000, the only sugar I want when bottling is the priming sugar I added (bottle bombs are bad!!).

It sounds like you've done it all fine, yeast in + fizz = alcohol, fizz stop usually means job done but you're using a hydrometer to be sure. :thumb:

Don't wait for it to completely clear, you want some active yeast to transfer when you bottle.

Airlocks are nice if you have a good seal because you can see when the ferment has almost stopped (1 bubble a min) but with a bucket and lid job it rarely works that way.

 

Don't wait for it to completely clear, you want some active yeast to transfer when you bottle.

How I wish all the "active yeast" did settle out when it's clear, then you could add apple juice for flavour and sweeten with sugar!

 

[Drunken_Jock]

just checked the SG and it is slightly above 1000 but hells bells its real dry. I have heard using splenda to sweeten think it may need a bit will this prime the bottle for a fizzzzzz or do i need to add splenda and normal sugar? Do I add more or less like priming the bottle?

cheers

In anticipation of some rocket fuel.

 

[Growler]

you will need to use sugar to prime the bottles which will ferment out so add no sweetness
and splenda to sweeten as splenda doesn't ferment

the best method of adding the splenda seems to be to measure out a sample of the TC and add measured amounts of splenda till you have it to your taste then you can work out how much to add to the bulk of the TC

 

just checked the SG and it is slightly above 1000 but hells bells its real dry. I have heard using splenda to sweeten think it may need a bit will this prime the bottle for a fizzzzzz or do i need to add splenda and normal sugar? Do I add more or less like priming the bottle?

"Splenda" is the sweetner to use.
I find 2 tsps/ltr works well for me, but do your own tests.
With regard to priming, the rate I've personally found works best is 0.5 tsps sugar/ltr.
As for "rocket fuel", guessing that your OG was 1044ish, I'll stick my neck out and estimate an ABV of 6%ish

 

[Drunken_Jock]

thankyou guys couldnt sleep this morning as I am on holiday. And didnt expect to get any answers till later on.

Jock

 

[Tony]

you will need to use sugar to prime the bottles which will ferment out so add no sweetness
and splenda to sweeten as splenda doesn't ferment

the best method of adding the splenda seems to be to measure out a sample of the TC and add measured amounts of splenda till you have it to your taste then you can work out how much to add to the bulk of the TC

I'm becoming a little wary of Splenda and have been looking into its make up (following my exploding bottles). Its my understanding that maltodextrin is added to sucralose to bulk it out. The maltodextrin is fermentable but - and here's the big but, and I I'm hoping this is true - it isn't fermentable by beer and wine yeast. Well, fingers crossed and all that!

I believe it is fermentable by some wild yeasts so absolute clenliness and sanitization is paramount.

Aleman will know the answer.... he always does

 

[Drunken_Jock]

1 last question Why add a cup of tea, when do you add it, and is it ok if you didnt?

 

[fermentall]

Hi DJ tannin is found in grape skins and gives a bit of flavour and character to wines and cider.A cold cup of tea contains tannin and added to the brew preferably at the start gives the flavour/character mentioned but any time as long as it is still fermenting should be fine.If you don't add it you won't ruin it but the tannin just gives that little extra bite. : Ken

 

[Drunken_Jock]

Well its all bottled into 1l Pet bottles. Have to say that I didnt sweeten it enough will have to be a bit heavy with Im back sweetening. They havent cleared properly yet more like a Scrumpy Cloudy Haze to it is this normal or do I need to wait longer.

When I cracked the first bottle there was a little Fishhhhh but nothing to big and you could see that there were some bubbles but not loads.Before opening you could feel the pressure by pressing the sides of the bottle and it felt ok but not as hard as 2lts of coke. I take it my Teaspoon of sugar wasnt enough for it to get some real fizzzz.

So how much sugar do i put in more, alot more, or a spade full lol.

Once I added a good measure of Blackcurrant it was all good and it worked out to be about 8% shouldnt have added that honey lol.

Jock

 

[Samarith]

How long did you leave it?

3 days in a warm place, then a week or more in a cool (not cold) place. Usually does the the trick but I did find my TC was undercarbonated even after a month but still a bit sweet, so I guess something happened to upset my yeast when bottling.