TC Brew

[Scottiedog]

OK got round to doing some TC for the first Time. Made 3 batches.

Demijohn 1 & 2
4.5 ltr Apple juice (Morrison’s)
1tsp Malic Acid
1tsp Tannin
1 tsp Pectolase
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 Packet Champagne Yeast
Mixed ½ ltr Apple juice in a sauce pan with the Malic Acid, Tannin, and Pectolase. Added to Demijohn and added further 4 ltr of apple juice. OG reading 1.048. Added yeast and yeast Nutrient. Airlock on and within an hour bubbling away.

Demijohn 3
4 ltr Apple juice (Morrison’s)
1tsp Malic Acid
1tsp Tannin
1 tsp Pectolase
½ ltr Bramley apple juice (made from 4 large Bramley apples)
340g Acacia Honey
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 Packet Champagne Yeast
Mixed ½ ltr Apple juice in a sauce pan with the Malic Acid, Tannin, Pectolase, Honey. Lightly warmed to melt honey. Mixed in ½ ltr of Bramley apple juice then added to Demijohn. Added the rest of apple juice to demijohn to take it to 4.5 ltr’s. OG reading 1.060. Added yeast and yeast Nutrient. Airlock on and within an hour bubbling away.

Will leave to ferment out and take FG, will then bulk condition each in fresh demijohns for at least until June. Will update with outcome….. Thanks to graysalchemy on advise on TC

 

[graysalchemy]

Glad to see someone trying the MLF thing. One thing I would say would be to use a yeast cultured from a bottle of old rosie, or I believe a few have had sucess bytipping in some old rosie into the DJ once fermentation is complete. This will ensure that you get lactobacillus inoculation and you get the MLF taking place. Once you have brewed a dj of it and got MLF then you will be able to harvets the yeast and re use it knowing that you will get MLF.

:thumb: :thumb:

 

[Zedilly]

Keep an eye on them if you have filled them up from the start, you will possibly end up with an airlock volcano. TC has a habit of foaming up quite vigorously within the first few days. Most folk leave a litre or so of space in the dj to allow the foam some room then top up with the last litre or so when it has subsided.

 

[graysalchemy]

I have not yet had a volcanic tc in all the years I have done it, it has never lived up to its name in my experience.

However it is usual to use just 4L and top up once fermentation has subsided.

 

[Titus A Duxass]

Once you have brewed a dj of it and got MLF then you will be able to harvets the yeast and re use it knowing that you will get MLF.

:thumb: :thumb:

How long can you keep, and how, the harvested yeast for?

 

[graysalchemy]

I have cultured back to life yeast that had been sat at the bottom of the fermenter for about 8 months, and next time I make some will probably be the same story. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[Titus A Duxass]

Cheers, that useful to know.
I'm about to start a TC and will use the recipe above.
My mate has brought me a bottle on Old Rosie from the UK, so I will have a go at harvesting the yeast from that.

 

[Zedilly]

I have not yet had a volcanic tc in all the years I have done it, it has never lived up to its name in my experience.

Is this because you are harvesting your own yeast or is it the same adding shop bought yeast?

I've only done 4 TC's up to now but all 4 would have made a bid for freedom if I hadn't filled them short from the start.

 

[graysalchemy]

steady 18c perhaps,but yes yeast may have something to do with it. :thumb:

 

[knottlaboy]

This might be a dumb question, but is the apple juice used in TC 'apple juice from concentrate' ok to use?

 

[Zedilly]

Not a dumb question at all. The answer is yes.

 

[oldbloke]

Yes, it's what the vast majority of TC makers use.
non-concentrate juices /may/ be a bit more appley, but to get more apple in I use actual concentrate, when I can stand going to 6.5 or 7.5 %ABV.
Do a few small runs, with various juices, see what you personally prefer - although, after variations in other bits of the recipe, fermentatio conditios, aging times, etc, it can be very hard to tell what was down to the the juice and what wasn't.

 

[knottlaboy]

Ok, thanks for the replys, I'll get busy this weekend, cheers!

 

[WillG3]

How much apple concentrate do you use to a gallon oldbloke?

Is the apple concentrate itself expensive?

 

[Scottiedog]

Hi WillG3

I use 4.5 litres per gallon.

From all good supermarkets Apple juice is relatively cheap; just make sure it’s not the really cheap with additives and other ingredients like lemon. 100% concentrate is all good

 

[Scottiedog]

OK, Now my fermenting is done.

Demijohn 1 & 2 - Apple juice only OG = 1048 FG = 1.000 = 6.3% ABV.... Now Racked for a few months in fresh Demijohn's to condition

Demijohn 3 - Apple Juice & Honey OG = 1060 FG = 0.998 = 8.1% ABV.... Now Racked for a few months in Fresh Demijohn to condition

 

[oldbloke]

How much apple concentrate do you use to a gallon oldbloke?

Is the apple concentrate itself expensive?

For 1 gallon I use 1 500ml bottle of Suma concentrate (non-organic) - plus 1/2 or 1 l of normal AJ, 1/2l something-else-to-round-out-flavour, tannin, nutrient, yeast.
That gets the apple quotient up above a just-AJ recipe and is 6.5 to 7.5% depending how much AJ was used.
If you accidentally buy the 400ml bottle of course all your plans come to naught.

Cost works out pretty much the same - I just ordered a 6pack of concentrate from my local hippyfood shop and it was something like 15 quid. I forgot to ask for the quantity discount which I managed to wangle last time. Suma also do it in 5l containers and reckon that'll keep, refrigerated, for a couple of months, if you fancy brewing larger volumes. The organic version is quite a bit more expensive.

 

[WillG3]

Cheers for the instructions gents. :
I shall certainly look into the concentrate Oldbloke, the folks that run the Hippyfood shop round here are most helpful, I'm sure they will assist me in the acquisition of some.