Wish me luck :)

[TRXnMe]

I just put up two gallons of apple and cranberry cider: -

3 litres each Asda apple juice
1 litre cranberry juice
400 grammes of brewing sugar
half cup of very strong tea
malic acid
half sachet of Young's cider yeast.

I added a half litre of ribena to one of them, we've had it in the cupboard for ages and neither of us drinks it so...

Made up to 5 litres with water.

Standing next to the radiator, I'm hoping to see bubbles tomorrow, if I'm right it'll be drinkable for the end of the year.

I've got a demi john left empty yet, not sure what to do with it, but will work summat out tomorrow

 

[oldbloke]

Bottle Ribena or carton Ribena? The bottled has preservatives that may kill your yeast.

 

[TRXnMe]

Bottle Ribena or carton Ribena? The bottled has preservatives that may kill your yeast.

Bugger

Bottled Ribena.

Ah well, I'll see what happens and keep my fingers crossed, at least it's only the one gallon if I have 'killed' the yeast

The OGs were looking good too, 1.055 for the non Ribena one and 1.065 for the Ribena one.

 

[oldbloke]

If it doesn't start you could try heating it gently in a big pan to drive off the preservatives. I wouldn't want to actually boil it as that's probably mess with the flavours of everything, but it'll need a good bit of heat. And then it'll need fresh yeast anyway.
Or, I just read elsewhere (forum on winemakingtalk.com), you can pitch some bread yeast (maybe any cheap yeast?) that'll eat the potassium sorbate but then can't ferment the sugar. Just use a bit, keep doing it until you see fermentation start, then the sorbate is gone and you put your real yeast in.

 

[TRXnMe]

Amazing, I have bubbles coming through the airlocks on both bottles :)

If it stops I can get bread yeast for free off the wife, so I'll give it a whirl, thanks for the advice there :)

I do wish I'd read a bit more first though, I filled the bottles right up, so the juice is starting to make it's way into the bubblers

I'll put a tray under the demi johns to catch any overspill, if I get it into the carpet the wife might not be too happy, despite the offer of cider

I just opened the morning post and have got the champagne yeast I ordered, dunno what I'm going to use it in yet, but I'm sure this place will give me some inspiration

Is there a brewers annonymous society? I seem to be getting hooked on this hobby, watching those little bubbles appear by magic is rather good fun, I need to find more stuff to brew and more things to ferment stuff in!

 

[liampenn]

Is there a brewers annonymous society? I seem to be getting hooked on this hobby, watching those little bubbles appear by magic is rather good fun, I need to find more stuff to brew and more things to ferment stuff in!

I have the same problem mate! I started brewing a month ago, and Im hooked already!
If you into cider try make some Toffee apple pear cider: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/toffee-apple-pear-cider-257237/. Im making some at the moment and it smells great!
Ohh if you into wines and experimenting how about Christmas Pudding Wine: http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=11696

:lol:

Keep me posted on how its going!

A fellow Brew Addict,
Liam

 

[ScottM]

Is the OG not fairly low? I would have expected around 1.060 with those ingredients.

Regardless, sounds lovely if it works out ok. Keep us posted

 

[oldbloke]

Amazing, I have bubbles coming through the airlocks on both bottles :)

Oh, that's good. Maybe you pitched enough yeast to eat the preservatives and have some left over to start a ferment. Or was it the mixed berries one? That doesn't have the preservatives.

 

[TRXnMe]

Scott, with my 'skill' on a hydrometer the readings given probably mean it is 1.060 :)

Oldbloke, I just checked the bottle and it's the strawberry variety, can't find any ingredients on the lable, but it's a bit knackered due to age and spending last night outside in the recycling bin while it peed down :)

Of the two the one with the ribena in is showinng the strongest signs of fermentation, I had to give the other one a quick stir this morning as it appeared to have stalled, it's now showinng signs of fermentation and the signs are speedinng up nicely :)

Liam, I'm mainly brewing beer as that's my preferred tipple, yesterday's venture into cider territory was the result of curioisity, combined with the idea of feeding the wife some home made cider as she likes the crabbies stuff and it costs a bomb As these thigns can be brewed up a gollon at a time I'm a dead cert to try other stuff, including some wine, just so I can say I've tried it, also making a wort up for these thigns is possible with the size pans I already have, making a mash tun is gonna cost me more money