First batch of TC - results

[Somnophore]

Just bottled the majority of my first batch of TC, bottled with primed sugar at 1.000, didn't get a starting reading but based on sugar (and how drunk I am on 1 pint) it's around 7.5-8%.

The rest is left to carbonate and clear in bottle but most definately very alcoholic and drinkable straight away.

Quite impressed.

Will grab some more yeast and get the next batch on.

 

[oldbloke]

It's drinkable now, in 3 weeks time you'll love it.

This is a great hobby!

TC must be pretty much the aspect of it with the fastest return, and the ratios of quality to price and effort are heartwarmingly high.

 

[leedsbrew]

Tonight I've had two bottles of a oak ages rum TC that I made a year ago and forgott I had! Just found it in the garage! Fantastic and better than anything available in a supermarket! I sweeteners back with a tablespoon of honey! 2 bottles and I feel like I've had 6 pints! Woop! Good job it's not a school night for me!

Ageing is defenitly the key to TC!

LB

 

[Somnophore]

I'm potentially looking to get a larger FV, this should be more cost effective and te cider yeast says it's good for up to 5 gallons, is that right? How can that be so? Will it take longer than 4.5l with the same 1 sachet youngs cider yeast, I'm
Just looking for 15-20l FV

 

[oldbloke]

Yeast undergoes exponential growth in the early stages, the packets are (almost) always enough for 5 gallons.
But you can't use 1/5th of a pack for 1 gallon - about half a pack is the minimum. Coz it's not linear, it's exponential.
It will take longer in 5gallons than 1, but only by an hour or so.

I tend to do 2 separate gallons with 1 pack of yeast split across them, identical apart from one minor change, to try to work out the effect of the change, so I know whether to keep it or drop it the next time. Doing this once a month means we have something new to try each month and also slowly build up a wide variety of versions in the stockpile (leading to enough confusion in the tasting notes that it all ends up a bit random really - but all good).

 

[Phil R]

Im doing my first TC this weekend and wanted to use Youngs yeast but i cant get it locally.

The only one i can buy locally is

http://www.wineworks.co.uk/product/cider-yeast/

would this be ok , if its better with youngs ill order some and wait till i get it instead

Thanks

 

[oldbloke]

ANY yeast will work, they just give slightly different flavours.
A cider yeast should give that fresh crisp taste, a wine yeast may give a slightly fuller but perhaps more scrumpy-ish flavour. I often use a wine yeast, quite deliberately.
Lots of people like to use a champagne yeast - not sure exactly what that does to the flavour.
I don't know of anybody who uses ale yeasts for cider, but it would work, just not sure how it'd taste.
The only caveat is that, if you're adding sugar to boost the alcohol to falling-over levels, you may need a wine/champagne yeast to get to the higher alcohol concentration.

 

[Phil R]

ANY yeast will work, they just give slightly different flavours.
A cider yeast should give that fresh crisp taste, a wine yeast may give a slightly fuller but perhaps more scrumpy-ish flavour. I often use a wine yeast, quite deliberately.
Lots of people like to use a champagne yeast - not sure exactly what that does to the flavour.
I don't know of anybody who uses ale yeasts for cider, but it would work, just not sure how it'd taste.
The only caveat is that, if you're adding sugar to boost the alcohol to falling-over levels, you may need a wine/champagne yeast to get to the higher alcohol concentration.

Thanks for your help

 

[hong]

Just bottled the majority of my first batch of TC, bottled with primed sugar at 1.000, didn't get a starting reading but based on sugar (and how drunk I am on 1 pint) it's around 7.5-8%.

The rest is left to carbonate and clear in bottle but most definately very alcoholic and drinkable straight away.

Quite impressed.

Will grab some more yeast and get the next batch on.

Havent made a TC for ages, what was your recipe?

 

[Somnophore]

4 of juice topped up to 4.5l later, 200g sugar heated with 0,5 l of apple juice for extra sugar.

1 packet youngs cider yeast dry pitched

Nothing else.

Will experiment with cup of black tea now as am doing two more batches.

Is it worth trying champagne yeast? Will that need yeast nutrient?

 

[Cussword]

Just started 19 litres.

19 litres of Morrisons apple juice
1teaspoon Tannin
1 grated Ginger root
Youngs cider yeast

NO SUGAR

SG 1044 :thumb:

 

[Springer]

As OB says TC gets better with age. Which reminds me I have some in the store that were brewed in August, think I will have a go tonight. Been working like the proverbial Blackpool donkey all day knocking seven bells out of the bathroom, I deserve a treat. :)
S

 

[oldbloke]

Just started 19 litres.

19 litres of Morrisons apple juice
1teaspoon Tannin
1 grated Ginger root
Youngs cider yeast

NO SUGAR

SG 1044 :thumb:

How big a ginger root? I did about 170g sliced and infused into about half a litre of warm juice for a while before adding to the rest of a gallon, and it was barely enough.
If I'd left in in the FV for the ferment it might have been though.

 

[Cussword]

About the size of a hand, I grated it & I've left it in the FV 'till the end of fermentation.
I strain it out at when I rack :thumb:

 

[Springer]

It certainly does gets better with age

Looks good and tasted as good as any cider I can remember drinking

S

 

[Somnophore]

Just popped to Chester home brew tonight and picked up a 23l FV ad have 20l of sainsburys own juice with 1kg of sugar and a sachet of youngs cider yeast. SG 1.060 so if it ferments out OK will be 8%. Will keep you posted. Might have to try champagne yeast sometime.

 

[Crastney]

re: different yeast varieties.

I started making cider using champagne yeast, as that's what we got in bulk from the LHBS, and it tasted ok. the cider that I'm making now uses proper cider yeast. I've tried lots of different ciders and to be honest I think you'd have to do some very careful controled experiments, with everything the same, except the yeast, and then sample them next to each other to actually notice any differences.

a bit like wine tasting - some people can tell the grape variety, the country, the region, the valley, the farm, and even which farm hand had his feet in the grapes, whereas some people struggle to tell if it's red or white :shock:

The same would apply to cider.

 

[BrewDan]

re: different yeast varieties.

I started making cider using champagne yeast, as that's what we got in bulk from the LHBS, and it tasted ok. the cider that I'm making now uses proper cider yeast. I've tried lots of different ciders and to be honest I think you'd have to do some very careful controled experiments, with everything the same, except the yeast, and then sample them next to each other to actually notice any differences.

a bit like wine tasting - some people can tell the grape variety, the country, the region, the valley, the farm, and even which farm hand had his feet in the grapes, whereas some people struggle to tell if it's red or white :shock:

The same would apply to cider.

Hmm interesting, I have always wondered just how much of a difference yeast makes.

I have made loads of tc, always used youngs wine yeast, did use cider yeast once and it came out quite weak compared to previous attempts, however that could also be due to the fact the recepie was slightly different to what I had normally done.

Does anyone know what kind of yeasts they use in those cloudy scrumpy bottles? Maybe this will be another yeast for me to try and harvest to see what happens

 

[hong]

It certainly does gets better with age

Looks good and tasted as good as any cider I can remember drinking

S

Looks awesome Springer, what was your recipe?

 

[robsan77]

I thought cider yeast and champagne yeast were the same thing? Also, I've just done a batch using wlp 002 English ale yeast. Will report how it ends up. Should be done quickly but will finish sweet I'm guessing.