Turbo Cider - too big of a container?

[mattll]

Hi,

I'm very new to homebrew and thought I'd have a go at making a small batch of turbo cider. I put 4L in a 25L fermentation bucket, after 24 hours there's no fizzing or foam. Is this bucket too big?

Thanks for any help

 

[RobWalker]

That's not wise - your cider will need to produce a lot of co2 to stop itself becoming infected. You won't get much bubbling because that happens when you run out of room in the bucket and the cider starts pushing co2 out of the airlock.

Rack it off as soon as fermentation has finished, don't give it any more time in there than it needs. It's a slow fermenter so you're looking at 3 days for visible signs. In the meantime, don't open the bucket or you risk infection!

In future, use demi john, or you can use a 5 litre water bottle if you sanitize it.

 

[shiversaint]

I would say that is a bit risky. I once tried a gallon in a 15 gallon tub, and it infected pretty quickly.

24 hours is not necessarily long enough for it to start bubbling, but everytime you open that lid, you are risking it's survival due to the huge air space. Shut the lid and leave it for 7 days before you look again.

Where are you keeping it?

 

[Laurin]

5l water bottles are a cheap and good choice. I use 4 at the moment and they work perfectly. I just cut a hole in the lid so I can push a cork in there to put the airlock in. You can get for £1-1.10 at the supermarket and are cheaper than plastic demijohns you can buy.