cider fermentation

[TheGhosty]

when the cider is first on fermentation... does it just bubble like wine cause mine is doing nothing then one massive bubble pushing water out of the air lock then does nothing again... is this normal???

many thanks
Lee.

 

[bolty]

Whenever I have made turbo cider it just seems to fizz, and bubble the airlock as normal. Sounds fine to me :thumb:

 

[Springer]

is this normal???

Don't worry let it do its stuff, when it stops doing anything, early, is the time to start thinking :?
I have found that keeping a constant temperature makes things more reliable and understandable.
Bear in mind that daytime temps are very different to those at night at present. Does not help the yeast at all. :evil:
My solution was to build a heated cupboard, bar heater with thermostat control. In fact it was so good I built a second one. First had a room stat. second had full PID control, bit over the top, thats another story, bit its really nice to go in the brewery and see set temp in lights matching actual temperature. Bit nicer than a room stat when you are never quite sure what's happening, but cheap, crude and effective, that's what Mrs. S says about me.
Each cupboard holds 10 gallons, Vossy tells me they are heated environments, :) , for fermenting and conditioning, really removes some variables and solves some problems.
Have a lager fermenting at 12 degrees constant, instead on 9 in day and 4 at night and in the other a "few" bottles conditioning at 18 degress or so, for a week.
Set up is so good for winter, for summer I am thinking of adding a cooling option with ATC800 control. Am looking for a cheap fridge for conversion at present.
S

 

[TheGhosty]

very lucky at the moment as have wines in kitchen cupboard with is constant and my cider is brewing in the living room up the corner controlled at a constant temp of between 18-20C. bear in mind had to speak nicely to my wife

This should be a ok temp? :wha:

 

[CptnCrackoff]

Temp sounds good, mines 15-18c but thats coz i'm tight, and dont like paying for heating!!

My last TC took over three weeks to ferment and clear, got one on now in the living room (now officially banned from the kitchen after a raspberry based explosion on the white worktops!!!) :whistle:

 

[TheGhosty]

yes my sloe gin did have a bit of a volcano eruption :whistle: all sorted now though :grin:

 

[CptnCrackoff]

I left little bits of sloe gin lumps in the sugar bag afterwards!!!!