HELP!!

[joetilley]

This is my first year making cider. I recently bought all the kit from a local brewing shop. The lady told me if i didnt have a press i could do it the old way. Chop the apples into quatres then ferment the juice out by leaving them in the fermenting bin with some sugar and yest for a week. I did this and have gather 5 gallons of liquid that I added to my fermentation bin this week. I accidently added some 3 campden tablets to the liquid. After adding the air lock now there is no signs of bubbles.

How can i restart fermentation??

Have I blown it!

Joe

 

[Tony]

Hi Joe
When did you put the apples with the sugar and yeast into the FV?
When did you gather the 5 gal?

Basically - how long was the apple quarters sitting with sugar and yeast before you added the campden tabs?

 

[joetilley]

Thankyou for your response. Apple quatres, water, yeast and sgar were fermenting for a week. Lady at shop said to shake the liquid and add 4 tea sppons of sugar dissolved in water to restart the process. She said there should be enough yeat in there.??????????

 

[Dec]

did you check the specific gravities?

 

[Tony]

Well (and without any knowledge of gravity readings - as Dec said, did you take any?) I'd think that your cider is made. A week fermenting is about right. If it were me, I'd put it into an FV with a fermentation lock and leave it for a while. Take a gravity reading for the next 3 days and if they read the same, prime and bottle.

Sounds like you've made a good cider there! What yeast did you use?

 

[joetilley]

Well it is not bubbling on the air lock. What is a gravity reading?? Was never sold or told about this. When i tasted it before adding it to the fermenting tub it was not very sweet. Had a waer cider taste. Will the campden powder of damaged it/ stopped fermentation?. The lady said in the shop it needs to be in the fermenting tub for 4-6 weeks. She said i may need to add this sugar solution to get it going again??

 

[Dec]

well campden tabs are for sterilising your must/stopping fermentation so if your cider wasnt finished which it sounds like it was cause its not sweet the tabs would have stopped that. but like tony said a week does sound right any longer and it probs would have gone a bit too dry. search hydrometers on google (for reading your specific gravity) and i would invest in one so you can check when you brew has finished fermenting and your ABV :thumb:

 

[joetilley]

Lady at shop said add 4 teaspoons of sugar diluted in water and shake it around. I have done that and it seems to be bubbling again. she reckons it should stay like this for 4-6 weeks. When should I be bottling it into DJ s and should it tase right when it is done or will it get sweeter?

 

[Dec]

well ive only ever made wine but i asume you would ferment to nearly dry sweeten with artifitial sweetener then prime your bottles and bottle as normal, thats about the only way that i know of for secondary fermentation/carbonating. but dont rely on my judgement as i dont have much knowlege on cider but it sounds right to me. are you gonna carbonate in the dj's? also i dont think 3-4 weeks sounds right. maybe if you were force carbonating in a keg but if you doing secondary fermentation in the bottles then you should only have to have it in the fv for about 6-10 days.

 

The lady told me if i didnt have a press i could do it the old way. Chop the apples into quatres then ferment the juice out by leaving them in the fermenting bin with some sugar and yest for a week.

Interesting idea, I'll give it a go!

 

[joetilley]

How long should i leave the cider fermenting for?? It will only bubble now when I shake the tub. Whats the next stage. Help needed!

 

[Dec]

well im no expert but id guess you prime your bottles and bottle your cider :thumb:

 

[Tony]

If you want to play it safe - rack into a new FV, fit fermentation trap and leave for another week. To be doubly sure, get a hydrometer and take gravity readings each day. When it reads the same for 2 or 3 days, prime and bottle

 

[joetilley]

It has been in there for a week and a half now will it be ok to leave it another week as I am going to egypt tommorow for a week.
Joe

 

How long should i leave the cider fermenting for??

As a rule of thumb, I bottle/keg after 10 days ferment.

 

[joetilley]

If I'm to go on holiday is there any way around this

 

If I'm to go on holiday is there any way around this

2 Campden tablets per gallon and seal the FV lid as tight as you can!