Batch Number:7
Batch Type: Root Beer
Date into Primary:12/6/11
Yeast Type:n/a
Ingredients:
Root beer extract 3tbsp
Sugar 3cups dissolved in 1 cup Hot water
3 gal carbonated cold water
Date into Secondary: n/a
Date Filled:12/6/11
Comments: Made with excess carbonated water from ginger beer fill. We combined the dissolved hot sugar syrup and extract with the ice-cold carbonated water. It foamed over due to the increased temperature from the hot sugar syrup. Then we sealed the pressure vessel and shook it in an attempt to get a uniform solution. It was not sweet enough at all, and when we went to fill it, it foamed like crazy. This was MISERABLE to fill, so we only filled 1 12oz bottle and 2 growlers (each with an extra 1/2 cup sugar in them). If we try this again, we'll try filling each bottle mostly with carbonated water, then adding sugar and extract to taste.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Batch 6: Ginger Beer
Batch Number: 6
Batch Type: Ginger Beer
Date into Primary:11/22/11
Yeast Type: N/A!
Ingredients:
Date Filled: 12/7/11
Comments:
November 20th:
- Sanitized the pressure vessel and o-rings.
- Filled vessel with 4 gallons of cold water.
- Connected CO2 tank to vessel; raised pressure to 80 psi
November 22nd:
- 1.1 lbs fresh ginger was broken and shredded in the food processor
- Placed in a mesh bag and placed in 1 quart of boiling water with 2 cups of Jim's fall honey
- This was boiled/steeped for approximately 1.5 hours
- Sanitized a growler and a funnel
- Transferred the ginger tea concentrate into growler, sealed the container, labeled it, and placed it in storage for use in the future
Hope you feel better soon Jimbo.
12/04/2011 Update:
Dumped the water that was in the tank to replace it with fresh water. Found it to be perfectly carbonated (so much so that I flavored it with some pomegranate juice and enjoyed the sparkling concoction). Refilled vessel with four gallons and placed it under 80 PSI.
Batch Type: Ginger Beer
Date into Primary:11/22/11
Yeast Type: N/A!
Ingredients:
- Ginger root, washed, scalded and chopped -- 3/4 to 1 pound (washed and scalded)
- Water -- 2 quarts (boiled)
- Honey -- 1/2 cup
- Lemons or limes, juice only -- 2 to 3
Method:
Date into Secondary: N/A!- Place the chopped ginger, 3 cups of the water and 1/2 cup honey in a blender and puree well. Let set for at least 30 minutes or overnight to extract all the flavor.
- Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve and pour into a pitcher. Add enough water to make 2 quarts and stir in the the lemon or lime juice and additional honey to taste. Chill well before serving.
- Force carbonate in pressure vessel at 25psi, chill for 24-48 hours and bottle under pressure or serve.
Date Filled: 12/7/11
Comments:
November 20th:
- Sanitized the pressure vessel and o-rings.
- Filled vessel with 4 gallons of cold water.
- Connected CO2 tank to vessel; raised pressure to 80 psi
November 22nd:
- 1.1 lbs fresh ginger was broken and shredded in the food processor
- Placed in a mesh bag and placed in 1 quart of boiling water with 2 cups of Jim's fall honey
- This was boiled/steeped for approximately 1.5 hours
- Sanitized a growler and a funnel
- Transferred the ginger tea concentrate into growler, sealed the container, labeled it, and placed it in storage for use in the future
Hope you feel better soon Jimbo.
12/04/2011 Update:
Dumped the water that was in the tank to replace it with fresh water. Found it to be perfectly carbonated (so much so that I flavored it with some pomegranate juice and enjoyed the sparkling concoction). Refilled vessel with four gallons and placed it under 80 PSI.
12/7/11 Update:
Bulk syrup stored 2 weeks at room temp had mold on the top. This will have to be frozen if we do not make it fresh each time. Mold was skimmed and bulk solution pasteurized prior to use. It smelled and tasted great. We filled this by syringe addition of concentrate to bottles mostly full of carbonated water (filled with the beer gun). This worked quite well, though it required 4 oz of concentrate to get the right intensity. There was not excessive outgassing when adding the concentrate even though it was still slightly warm. The concentrate was not uniform, with greater thickness on the bottom layer than on the top. The sweetness and spice was well balanced in the concentrate, though. We filled approx 12 ea 12oz bottles.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Throwback: Strawberry Melomel
Since we had made some batches prior to starting this blog and didn't keep the best records, we agreed we would occasionally add some posts related to older batches. These won't have batch numbers and the info may be spotty, but we'll try to preserve what we do remember in these posts.
Batch Number: N/A (Pre-Historic)
Batch Type: Melomel
Date into Primary: June 2011
Yeast Type: ? Probably Red Star Cuvee or Cotes de Blanc
Ingredients:
20 lbs of pureed fresh strawberries, frozen, then thawed
Honey, maybe 5#?
Yeast Nutrient
Pectic Enzyme
Water to QS to 5 gallons
Date into Secondary:
Date Racked:
Date Racked:
Date Filled: 9/20/11
Comments:
Cameron got a GREAT deal on jam strawberries from Woolf Family Farms. The berries were the tiny strawberries that have such a great fresh strawberry flavor and aroma.
The most memorable event from brewing this batch was the approximately 6 or 8 inches of fresh strawberry schmutz on the bottom of the primary when we went to rack it. We did not use any kind of cheesecloth bag to contain the fruit pulp during primary fermentation. To deal with this, we racked as much as we could into a clean carboy, leaving the schmutz. Then we walked to the local drug mart where we bought one thing, a pair of ladies nylons. I walked up and put them on the counter, secure in my masculinity, and reached for my wallet. To make it as weird as he could, Cameron stopped me and said, "No. Let me buy these for you." The lady at the register laughed a bit, then explained she'd seen things much weirder than this, and handed us the receipt. We went back to strain the remaining quantity through the sanitized nylons and into a sanitized bowl. We then poured the strained melomel into a separate carboy due to the risk of contamination with all the extra handling and residual cloudiness.
I think this batch was the first we used sparkeloid on, also. It cleared nicely and had a very strong, all natural strawberry flavor.
3/3/12 Update:
I tried a small bottle of "first run" strawberry melomel and was disappointed. It appeared bright and clear and beautiful with some slight sediment on the bottom of the bottle. The strawberry aroma was there, and while a distinctive strawberry flavor was present, it was overpowered by something I can only describe as a gaseous funk. I mean, it wasn't terrible like it had spoiled. It was drinkable but not good. It had an odor of slight mustiness and, after drinking some, I felt I could exhale it. I do not know if this can improve in time. This was only 3 months from brew to fill and less than 6 in the bottle. Maybe there is hope?
4/18/12 Update:
There is no hope. We had a mead judge proclaim this undrinkable and I (Demko) agree. Damavandi thinks it's not that bad, so there must be some things he cannot taste. I'm dumping mine to free up bottles for a future run.
Batch Number: N/A (Pre-Historic)
Batch Type: Melomel
Date into Primary: June 2011
Yeast Type: ? Probably Red Star Cuvee or Cotes de Blanc
Ingredients:
20 lbs of pureed fresh strawberries, frozen, then thawed
Honey, maybe 5#?
Yeast Nutrient
Pectic Enzyme
Water to QS to 5 gallons
Date into Secondary:
Date Racked:
Date Racked:
Date Filled: 9/20/11
Comments:
Cameron got a GREAT deal on jam strawberries from Woolf Family Farms. The berries were the tiny strawberries that have such a great fresh strawberry flavor and aroma.
The most memorable event from brewing this batch was the approximately 6 or 8 inches of fresh strawberry schmutz on the bottom of the primary when we went to rack it. We did not use any kind of cheesecloth bag to contain the fruit pulp during primary fermentation. To deal with this, we racked as much as we could into a clean carboy, leaving the schmutz. Then we walked to the local drug mart where we bought one thing, a pair of ladies nylons. I walked up and put them on the counter, secure in my masculinity, and reached for my wallet. To make it as weird as he could, Cameron stopped me and said, "No. Let me buy these for you." The lady at the register laughed a bit, then explained she'd seen things much weirder than this, and handed us the receipt. We went back to strain the remaining quantity through the sanitized nylons and into a sanitized bowl. We then poured the strained melomel into a separate carboy due to the risk of contamination with all the extra handling and residual cloudiness.
I think this batch was the first we used sparkeloid on, also. It cleared nicely and had a very strong, all natural strawberry flavor.
3/3/12 Update:
I tried a small bottle of "first run" strawberry melomel and was disappointed. It appeared bright and clear and beautiful with some slight sediment on the bottom of the bottle. The strawberry aroma was there, and while a distinctive strawberry flavor was present, it was overpowered by something I can only describe as a gaseous funk. I mean, it wasn't terrible like it had spoiled. It was drinkable but not good. It had an odor of slight mustiness and, after drinking some, I felt I could exhale it. I do not know if this can improve in time. This was only 3 months from brew to fill and less than 6 in the bottle. Maybe there is hope?
4/18/12 Update:
There is no hope. We had a mead judge proclaim this undrinkable and I (Demko) agree. Damavandi thinks it's not that bad, so there must be some things he cannot taste. I'm dumping mine to free up bottles for a future run.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Batch 5 - Fall Methyglyn
Batch Number: 5
Batch Type: Fall Methyglyn
Date into Primary: 11/8/11
Yeast Type: Red Star Montrachet (lot # 2711)
Ingredients:
1 gal honey (Jim's fall honey)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon peel (fresh)
Juice of 1 lemon (from the above lemon)
2 Tbsp orange peel (fresh)
Juice of 2 oranges (From the above oranges)
2.5 cinnamon sticks
60 whole cloves
6 tsp fresh nutmeg
5 inches bruised ginger root (fresh)
35 allspice berries, crushed
1 handful of full leaf black tea
4 tsp mead yeast nutrient
Water to QS to 5 gal
Method:
Made a spice tea by boiling 3-4 cups water and pour over spices in a pan. Steeped for 20 minutes, over low heat.
Heated 1 gal. of water to boiling, allowed to cool and added the honey, stirring until all honey is dissolved.
Added spice tea to hot honey/water solution. Put 3 gal room temperature water in pail with 5 campden tablets. Added hot must to bucket and and let cool. Sealed pail with top and airlock. Stirred via stirbar gently over night.
Yeast to be pitched 11/9/11, target rack date is early December.
Date into Secondary: 12/6/11
Date Racked: 1/31/12
Date Racked: 1/12/13
Date Racked: 6/25/13
Date Racked: 7/30/13
Date Racked: 12/7/13
Date Racked: 2/2/14
Date Filled: 4/12/14
Comments:
11/09/2011 update:
Opened the bucket to add 1 packet of yeast (Red Star Montrachet-lot # 2711), 5 teaspoons of nutrient, and 2.5 teaspoon energizer to the bucket. I must note the fragrance of sweet honey and pleasant citrus/spiced aroma was wonderful (not at all overpowering like I was anticipating upon removal of the lid...although there was a slight plasticy Lipton after-effect...just kidding Jim). Placed the bucket on the stir plate and started continuous mixing at relatively high rate.
11/10/2011 update:
Checked on the bucket to find vigorous and active bubbling of the air lock and the tell-tale sign of excessive CO2 production: puddling of air-lock fluid on the bucket lid. The air-lock still had enough liquid and I probably won't add any until it gets very low.
12/03/2011 update:
Turned off stir-plate/stir-bar in anticipation of racking.
12/04/2011 update:
Brought the bucket up to the processing area (the kitchen island) to allow it a few days to settle prior to racking.
1/31/2012 update:
Tasted upon first racking carboy to carboy. Nice honey flavor, spices weaker than anticipated. Adding another spice tea during the next racking is recommended, maybe April?
6/25/13:
Finally starting to clear, a bit acid. Thin and insufficient mouthfeel. Spice is finally there, citrus and nutmeg predominantly. Fantastic bouquet. Needs sweetness. Perhaps glycerin and honey will help. Probably need to stabilize and further adjust. Spices have become more prominent, not sure if this will continue to develop or if more should be added. This is finally showing some promise.
7/30/13:
Same taste as 6/25/13. Racked and stabilized the 5 gallon batch with 3 campden tabs and 1.5tsp sorbate. Added 4 tsp bentonite to 1/2 cup boiling water and added slurry to the batch. Added 3 lbs JimBo's spring honey. The bentonite was successful in clearing Hoder's batch 13, so trying on this batch which has been cloudy forever. This is the first batch we are stabilizing, clearing and back-sweetening in a single step. Next step: taste and determine whether or not to add another spice tea.
8/13/13:
Still a bit cloudy, though much improved. Very fragrant nose, bright crisp flavor, good acid and sweetness, if anything maybe a touch more honey. Very pleased! Still needs to age just a bit. Will rack and try to clear with Bentonite again in case it will help clear more. If it doesn't clear further with more bentonite, might try sparkeloid. If nothing else works, will have to try to filter it.
11/7/13:
Shockingly enough, this dropped completely clear without any more bentonite or sparkeloid.
12/5/13:
Tasted and was surprised to find how tart it was after clearing. Citric acid from juice of 1 lemon and 2 oranges is really coming out now. Racked and added 1.5 lb Jimbo's spring honey thinned with 2 cups boiled water to ease mixing. Now it is cloudy again and the wait continues.
2/1/14:
Tasted and found it is now more balance, has a slightly bitter finish, though. Racked and added bentonite to clear. Possible mazer cup entry come March.
2/21/14: A brief visit to the brew cellar found this batch has tiny bubbles rising through it, outgassing. Did it restart fermentation after racking? Probably kills a shot as a 2014 mazer entry.
3/1/14: Sorbated with 2.5 tsp on 2/25/14 and shake-uh shake-uh to resuspend bentonite. Cleared nicely, no signs of fermentation on 3/1/14. Racked off of bentonite and filled 3 bottles for 2014 mazer cup.
4/12/14: Bottled. It's good. Some think our best yet. It only took 3 years. Got about 7 each 750mL, 18 each 375mL, and 12 each 12 oz. 1 bottle to Steve, 1 to Charles, 1 to Cameron, 1 to Kelly, my neighbor. I'll bring in a 12 to work, too.
Batch Type: Fall Methyglyn
Date into Primary: 11/8/11
Yeast Type: Red Star Montrachet (lot # 2711)
Ingredients:
1 gal honey (Jim's fall honey)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon peel (fresh)
Juice of 1 lemon (from the above lemon)
2 Tbsp orange peel (fresh)
Juice of 2 oranges (From the above oranges)
2.5 cinnamon sticks
60 whole cloves
6 tsp fresh nutmeg
5 inches bruised ginger root (fresh)
35 allspice berries, crushed
1 handful of full leaf black tea
4 tsp mead yeast nutrient
Water to QS to 5 gal
Method:
Made a spice tea by boiling 3-4 cups water and pour over spices in a pan. Steeped for 20 minutes, over low heat.
Heated 1 gal. of water to boiling, allowed to cool and added the honey, stirring until all honey is dissolved.
Added spice tea to hot honey/water solution. Put 3 gal room temperature water in pail with 5 campden tablets. Added hot must to bucket and and let cool. Sealed pail with top and airlock. Stirred via stirbar gently over night.
Yeast to be pitched 11/9/11, target rack date is early December.
Date into Secondary: 12/6/11
Date Racked: 1/31/12
Date Racked: 1/12/13
Date Racked: 6/25/13
Date Racked: 7/30/13
Date Racked: 12/7/13
Date Racked: 2/2/14
Date Filled: 4/12/14
Comments:
11/09/2011 update:
Opened the bucket to add 1 packet of yeast (Red Star Montrachet-lot # 2711), 5 teaspoons of nutrient, and 2.5 teaspoon energizer to the bucket. I must note the fragrance of sweet honey and pleasant citrus/spiced aroma was wonderful (not at all overpowering like I was anticipating upon removal of the lid...although there was a slight plasticy Lipton after-effect...just kidding Jim). Placed the bucket on the stir plate and started continuous mixing at relatively high rate.
11/10/2011 update:
Checked on the bucket to find vigorous and active bubbling of the air lock and the tell-tale sign of excessive CO2 production: puddling of air-lock fluid on the bucket lid. The air-lock still had enough liquid and I probably won't add any until it gets very low.
12/03/2011 update:
Turned off stir-plate/stir-bar in anticipation of racking.
12/04/2011 update:
Brought the bucket up to the processing area (the kitchen island) to allow it a few days to settle prior to racking.
1/31/2012 update:
Tasted upon first racking carboy to carboy. Nice honey flavor, spices weaker than anticipated. Adding another spice tea during the next racking is recommended, maybe April?
07/23/12 update:
In preparation for our back-sweetening tutorial with Carl a 12oz. sample was drawn into a bottle, capped, and refrigerated.
1/12/13:
Racked and added sparkeloid. Very dry and high alcohol, as with almost every mead. Not a significant spice profile, though perhaps some residual sweetness would bring that out. No new data captured.
1/12/13:
Racked and added sparkeloid. Very dry and high alcohol, as with almost every mead. Not a significant spice profile, though perhaps some residual sweetness would bring that out. No new data captured.
6/25/13:
Finally starting to clear, a bit acid. Thin and insufficient mouthfeel. Spice is finally there, citrus and nutmeg predominantly. Fantastic bouquet. Needs sweetness. Perhaps glycerin and honey will help. Probably need to stabilize and further adjust. Spices have become more prominent, not sure if this will continue to develop or if more should be added. This is finally showing some promise.
7/30/13:
Same taste as 6/25/13. Racked and stabilized the 5 gallon batch with 3 campden tabs and 1.5tsp sorbate. Added 4 tsp bentonite to 1/2 cup boiling water and added slurry to the batch. Added 3 lbs JimBo's spring honey. The bentonite was successful in clearing Hoder's batch 13, so trying on this batch which has been cloudy forever. This is the first batch we are stabilizing, clearing and back-sweetening in a single step. Next step: taste and determine whether or not to add another spice tea.
8/13/13:
Still a bit cloudy, though much improved. Very fragrant nose, bright crisp flavor, good acid and sweetness, if anything maybe a touch more honey. Very pleased! Still needs to age just a bit. Will rack and try to clear with Bentonite again in case it will help clear more. If it doesn't clear further with more bentonite, might try sparkeloid. If nothing else works, will have to try to filter it.
11/7/13:
Shockingly enough, this dropped completely clear without any more bentonite or sparkeloid.
12/5/13:
Tasted and was surprised to find how tart it was after clearing. Citric acid from juice of 1 lemon and 2 oranges is really coming out now. Racked and added 1.5 lb Jimbo's spring honey thinned with 2 cups boiled water to ease mixing. Now it is cloudy again and the wait continues.
2/1/14:
Tasted and found it is now more balance, has a slightly bitter finish, though. Racked and added bentonite to clear. Possible mazer cup entry come March.
2/21/14: A brief visit to the brew cellar found this batch has tiny bubbles rising through it, outgassing. Did it restart fermentation after racking? Probably kills a shot as a 2014 mazer entry.
3/1/14: Sorbated with 2.5 tsp on 2/25/14 and shake-uh shake-uh to resuspend bentonite. Cleared nicely, no signs of fermentation on 3/1/14. Racked off of bentonite and filled 3 bottles for 2014 mazer cup.
4/12/14: Bottled. It's good. Some think our best yet. It only took 3 years. Got about 7 each 750mL, 18 each 375mL, and 12 each 12 oz. 1 bottle to Steve, 1 to Charles, 1 to Cameron, 1 to Kelly, my neighbor. I'll bring in a 12 to work, too.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Batch 4: The Perry-inator
Inspired by Jimbo's first attempt at Perry (essentially pear cider), my children's love (and admittedly mine too) of the cartoon series "Phineas and Ferb", one of the main characters Perry the platypus aka Agent P, and his nemesis Dr. Doofenshmirtz's who is constantly trying to take over the tri-state area (where I grew up) with the "-inators" he builds, I made an executive decision to make Batch 4: The Perry-inator. Sorry I didn't run it by you first Jim!
My brew will have two distinct differences from Dr. Doofenshmirtz's "-inators": 1. No self-destruct mechanism and 2. This "-intator" will work as intended and achieve it's goal of a delicious perry brew! If you are wondering why I have this diatribe of a back-story and you don't know what an "-inator" is, you obviously don't watch the show and won't be able get it no matter how much I explain it.
(Jim's editorial comment for uneducated readers: I found this helpful. There is a concoction brew-inator!)
Now with that out of the way let's get down to business.
Batch Number: 4
Batch Type: Perry (pear cider)
Date into Primary: 10/28/2011
Yeast Type: Salale S-04 Dry Ale Yeast (lot number: 71325 136 1310) 1/2 packet
Ingredients: Pear juice (Gerber 4 quarts and Looza 4 quarts),
Lyons Market Wickedly Spiked Pear Jam (11 oz.),
Honey (approximately 1 lb),
Pectic enyzme,
Yeast nutrient, and
Yeast energizer
Date into Secondary: 11/08/2011
Date Racked: 1/31/12
Date Racked: 5/1/12
Date Filled: 5/15/12
Comments:
I started by sanitizing the Mr. Beer, a stir-bar, and a dessert teaspoon. I then added 1.5 teaspoon of pectin enzyme, 1.5 teaspoon of yeast nutrient, and a tablespoon of yeast energizer.
I then opened the spiked pear jam. I selected this brand because it was spiced with some interesting ingredients (golden raisins, cinnamon, lemon juice, and allspice), from a local company (Garrettsville, OH), and was sweetened with sugar. When I opened it the smell of cinnamon and allspice was very distinctive, much like apple pie. I microwaved it for one minute to loosen it up and added it to the Mr. Beer using the spoon. I tasted a little of the residual jam left in the jar after adding it to the Mr. Beer and have to be honest and say I was a little disappointed that it didn't taste very peary but more like a highly spiced apple pie.
Next the pear juice was added. The Gerber product was obviously filtered as it was clear and the Looza product was not because it was not only cloudy but also had sediment on the bottom of the bottle. When shopping for the juice there were several other products that were (much) cheaper but these were the only two that had only pear juice and water. The rest had high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener and so I eliminated them as options. It was interesting to note that none of the ones I found were sweetened with sugar...I guess it's too expensive.
The final ingredient, honey, was added on a whim. I had originally intended to add only the jam as the sweetener but after smelling and tasting the jam I was afraid it would have to much of an appley association with the spices added and thought that honey might offset that. I had a new 5 lbs container of honey, figured what the heck, and added about one pound of it to the mix. The pictures at the bottom will give an idea of the amount added.
I then added the stir-bar and a half packet of the yeast. I chose this brand and type of yeast (Fermentis, salale dry ale) instead of our normal stand-by (Red Star, cuvee or côte des blanc) because I was hoping to get a sweeter final product as apposed to a dry one. This was recommended by the friendly and helpful staff at Leeners. I hope it works as this packet or yeast was over six times more expensive than what we usually use. I then took the complete batch downstairs to Agent P's secret brew lair, put the Mr. Beer on the stir-plate, and got the stir-bar spinning.
I hope the final brew will be light, fragrant, and refreshing. I'm fairly confident this formulation will be much sweeter and heavier than the batch 3 perry. My thought is that if this batch is too heavy or sweet it can be blended with batch 3 but my hope is that it will hold up on it's own merits and taste so delicious that we won't want to blend it. Time will tell if this Perryinator works!
Side-note: Because at least four weeks have gone by without having purchased any new "high tech" tools, supplies, or equipment I collected a small sample of the batch (approximately 10-20 ml) in a snack size zip-lock bag and froze it. This was done in anticipation of my future acquisition of a refractometer (model RSG-100ATC) to determine the before and after sugar concentrations of our solution and thereby have the ability to calculate the alcohol content.
10/29/2011 Update:
The stir-bar continues to spin but no vortex can be seen on the surface. However there is an abundance of raisins, pears chunks, and other miscellaneous floaties (presumably from the jam) have risen to the top and there is active and heavy bubbling from the yeast.
11/01/2011 Update:
The fermentation has essentially stopped. Floaties (mostly raisins) are still present, apparently most of the other stuff sank. Stir bar is still spinning.
11/08/2011 Update:
Racked to secondary, very cloudy. Quite a bit of yield loss due to lots of schmutz.
11/09/2011 Update:
Looked at the carboy and saw formation of three distinct layers; a sediment layer (that currently looks very thick) on the bottom, a cloudy layer (this takes up 3/4 of the the carboy), and a top translucent layer only a few inches deep. I'm sure over time (a couple of months) the sediment layer will become thin and compact and the cloudiness will dissipate but there will definitely need to be at least one more racking and a sparkaloid addition before bottling.
12/03/2011 Update:
While in the DD Brewing cellar I had the opportunity to inspect the Perry-inator and noticed a very well defined sediment layer that was more that 1/3 the volume of the batch. The liquid phase was significantly more clear than the previous observation but I wouldn't call it clear yet (on the boarder of translucent and clear).
1/31/2012 Update: Racked
5/1/2012 Update:
Stabilized the approximately 1 gallon batch with 1/2 campden tab and 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate upon racking into a 5 gal corny keg. It will sit there until sweetened, carbonated, and chilled. This will be a test of the modified beergun counter-pressure filling system. Data on 5/1/12 was SG = 1.000, vinometer % ABV was 9.5%, refractometer brix was 32. Taste was light, fruity, but dry. Not too bad, will hopefully be what was hoped for once sweetened and carbonated.
05/11/2012 update:
~07:00 Added two 32oz bottles of Gerber pear juice to the keg. Was surprised when the keg was initially opened with a vacuum (which I will take as a positive sign that there was no addition growth since introduction to the keg). Final volume appeared to be approximately a 1/3 full. Resealed and shook to combine.
~18:00: Moved the keg from the basement to the garage and pressurized to 20 psi.
05/14/2012 update:
The keg has maintained a pressure of 20 psi. I put the keg in the cooler with 29 lbs of ice.
5/15/2012 Update:
We filled it. Lessons learned from filling:
1) Attach beer gun to ball lock prior to attaching ball lock to pressurized keg
2) Find a way to keep the pressurized beer gun from falling apart
3) Reduce pressure to 5-8psi for actual bottling. We can determine if 20 psi was good based on how much CO2 is remaining in the perry-inator (Damavandi did not want to open one immediately)
4) We'll need a tall round cooler (like the large ice water beverage ones) so we can really mound up ice in to chill a larger batch in the keg
5) Frozen sanitized bottles and shorter tubing seemed to help foaming/yield (dry ice might have been a bit overkill, though!)
6) Filling outside is a good idea. It can perhaps be done inside a sink or tub if we master items 1, 2, and 3, but it would have been a disaster this time.
5/29/12 Update:
Tasted good, a bit too sweet for my taste but Hoders liked it a lot. I think the sweetness is masking some of the acid complexity, but it is more well balanced than previous brews which were all too dry. It is nicely carbonated! Yea! Measured the following:
Bottled Results:
Specific gravity (via hydrometer): 1.150 (sweet!)
Brix (via refractometer): 36
% mass (sacc) (via refractometer): 8.0
% Alcohol (via vinometer): 6.0%
pH (via pH meter): 3.6
My brew will have two distinct differences from Dr. Doofenshmirtz's "-inators": 1. No self-destruct mechanism and 2. This "-intator" will work as intended and achieve it's goal of a delicious perry brew! If you are wondering why I have this diatribe of a back-story and you don't know what an "-inator" is, you obviously don't watch the show and won't be able get it no matter how much I explain it.
(Jim's editorial comment for uneducated readers: I found this helpful. There is a concoction brew-inator!)
Now with that out of the way let's get down to business.
Batch Number: 4
Batch Type: Perry (pear cider)
Date into Primary: 10/28/2011
Yeast Type: Salale S-04 Dry Ale Yeast (lot number: 71325 136 1310) 1/2 packet
Ingredients: Pear juice (Gerber 4 quarts and Looza 4 quarts),
Lyons Market Wickedly Spiked Pear Jam (11 oz.),
Honey (approximately 1 lb),
Pectic enyzme,
Yeast nutrient, and
Yeast energizer
Date into Secondary: 11/08/2011
Date Racked: 1/31/12
Date Racked: 5/1/12
Date Filled: 5/15/12
Comments:
I started by sanitizing the Mr. Beer, a stir-bar, and a dessert teaspoon. I then added 1.5 teaspoon of pectin enzyme, 1.5 teaspoon of yeast nutrient, and a tablespoon of yeast energizer.
I then opened the spiked pear jam. I selected this brand because it was spiced with some interesting ingredients (golden raisins, cinnamon, lemon juice, and allspice), from a local company (Garrettsville, OH), and was sweetened with sugar. When I opened it the smell of cinnamon and allspice was very distinctive, much like apple pie. I microwaved it for one minute to loosen it up and added it to the Mr. Beer using the spoon. I tasted a little of the residual jam left in the jar after adding it to the Mr. Beer and have to be honest and say I was a little disappointed that it didn't taste very peary but more like a highly spiced apple pie.
Next the pear juice was added. The Gerber product was obviously filtered as it was clear and the Looza product was not because it was not only cloudy but also had sediment on the bottom of the bottle. When shopping for the juice there were several other products that were (much) cheaper but these were the only two that had only pear juice and water. The rest had high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener and so I eliminated them as options. It was interesting to note that none of the ones I found were sweetened with sugar...I guess it's too expensive.
The final ingredient, honey, was added on a whim. I had originally intended to add only the jam as the sweetener but after smelling and tasting the jam I was afraid it would have to much of an appley association with the spices added and thought that honey might offset that. I had a new 5 lbs container of honey, figured what the heck, and added about one pound of it to the mix. The pictures at the bottom will give an idea of the amount added.
I then added the stir-bar and a half packet of the yeast. I chose this brand and type of yeast (Fermentis, salale dry ale) instead of our normal stand-by (Red Star, cuvee or côte des blanc) because I was hoping to get a sweeter final product as apposed to a dry one. This was recommended by the friendly and helpful staff at Leeners. I hope it works as this packet or yeast was over six times more expensive than what we usually use. I then took the complete batch downstairs to Agent P's secret brew lair, put the Mr. Beer on the stir-plate, and got the stir-bar spinning.
I hope the final brew will be light, fragrant, and refreshing. I'm fairly confident this formulation will be much sweeter and heavier than the batch 3 perry. My thought is that if this batch is too heavy or sweet it can be blended with batch 3 but my hope is that it will hold up on it's own merits and taste so delicious that we won't want to blend it. Time will tell if this Perryinator works!
Side-note: Because at least four weeks have gone by without having purchased any new "high tech" tools, supplies, or equipment I collected a small sample of the batch (approximately 10-20 ml) in a snack size zip-lock bag and froze it. This was done in anticipation of my future acquisition of a refractometer (model RSG-100ATC) to determine the before and after sugar concentrations of our solution and thereby have the ability to calculate the alcohol content.
10/29/2011 Update:
The stir-bar continues to spin but no vortex can be seen on the surface. However there is an abundance of raisins, pears chunks, and other miscellaneous floaties (presumably from the jam) have risen to the top and there is active and heavy bubbling from the yeast.
11/01/2011 Update:
The fermentation has essentially stopped. Floaties (mostly raisins) are still present, apparently most of the other stuff sank. Stir bar is still spinning.
11/08/2011 Update:
Racked to secondary, very cloudy. Quite a bit of yield loss due to lots of schmutz.
11/09/2011 Update:
Looked at the carboy and saw formation of three distinct layers; a sediment layer (that currently looks very thick) on the bottom, a cloudy layer (this takes up 3/4 of the the carboy), and a top translucent layer only a few inches deep. I'm sure over time (a couple of months) the sediment layer will become thin and compact and the cloudiness will dissipate but there will definitely need to be at least one more racking and a sparkaloid addition before bottling.
12/03/2011 Update:
While in the DD Brewing cellar I had the opportunity to inspect the Perry-inator and noticed a very well defined sediment layer that was more that 1/3 the volume of the batch. The liquid phase was significantly more clear than the previous observation but I wouldn't call it clear yet (on the boarder of translucent and clear).
1/31/2012 Update: Racked
5/1/2012 Update:
Stabilized the approximately 1 gallon batch with 1/2 campden tab and 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate upon racking into a 5 gal corny keg. It will sit there until sweetened, carbonated, and chilled. This will be a test of the modified beergun counter-pressure filling system. Data on 5/1/12 was SG = 1.000, vinometer % ABV was 9.5%, refractometer brix was 32. Taste was light, fruity, but dry. Not too bad, will hopefully be what was hoped for once sweetened and carbonated.
05/11/2012 update:
~07:00 Added two 32oz bottles of Gerber pear juice to the keg. Was surprised when the keg was initially opened with a vacuum (which I will take as a positive sign that there was no addition growth since introduction to the keg). Final volume appeared to be approximately a 1/3 full. Resealed and shook to combine.
~18:00: Moved the keg from the basement to the garage and pressurized to 20 psi.
05/14/2012 update:
The keg has maintained a pressure of 20 psi. I put the keg in the cooler with 29 lbs of ice.
5/15/2012 Update:
We filled it. Lessons learned from filling:
1) Attach beer gun to ball lock prior to attaching ball lock to pressurized keg
2) Find a way to keep the pressurized beer gun from falling apart
3) Reduce pressure to 5-8psi for actual bottling. We can determine if 20 psi was good based on how much CO2 is remaining in the perry-inator (Damavandi did not want to open one immediately)
4) We'll need a tall round cooler (like the large ice water beverage ones) so we can really mound up ice in to chill a larger batch in the keg
5) Frozen sanitized bottles and shorter tubing seemed to help foaming/yield (dry ice might have been a bit overkill, though!)
6) Filling outside is a good idea. It can perhaps be done inside a sink or tub if we master items 1, 2, and 3, but it would have been a disaster this time.
5/29/12 Update:
Tasted good, a bit too sweet for my taste but Hoders liked it a lot. I think the sweetness is masking some of the acid complexity, but it is more well balanced than previous brews which were all too dry. It is nicely carbonated! Yea! Measured the following:
Bottled Results:
Specific gravity (via hydrometer): 1.150 (sweet!)
Brix (via refractometer): 36
% mass (sacc) (via refractometer): 8.0
% Alcohol (via vinometer): 6.0%
pH (via pH meter): 3.6
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Batch 3 - Pear cider
Batch Number: 3
Batch Type: cider (pear)/melomel
Date into Primary: 10/18/11
Yeast Type: Red Star Cuvee
Ingredients:
1.5 lb honey
Syrup from 5 qt pears (picked, peeled and canned by Jimbo)
Water QS to 2 gallons
2 tsp yeast nutrient
2 tsp pectic enzyme
The pears from the 5 qt above, chopped in to 1" pieces and in a cheesecloth bag
Method:
Mixed pear syrup, honey, water, yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme with 2 campden tablets. Added cut pears to brew in a sanitized cheesecloth bag and stirred.
Date into Secondary: 10/25/11 with an extra 1 lb honey
Date Racked: 1/31/12
Date Racked:
Date Filled: 1/31/12
Comments:
This batch is inspired by Wyder's pear cider (tasty, highly carbonated, 4%ABV) and Jim's old pears that needed to be used up. This batch qualifies as local, though not "fresh". It will be interesting to see how this turns out. There was no way we would be up for fresh pressed local pear cider to brew this year, so this will do. The intent is to eventually carbonate this and compare it to Wyder's.
10/20/11 Update: Yeast added evening of October 19th. Moderate bubbling was noted by the next morning (October 20th) and heavy bubbling by evening.
10/25/11 Update: Removed cheesecloth and racked to secondary. Not much pear flavor or sediment. This batch is kind of watered down and low alcohol. To address both, additional honey on-hand was added, approximately 1 lb. Considering other additions to improve flavor, but might not bother for this experimental small batch. Carbonation may improve the drinking experience and is planned. I learned that pear cider is historically known as perry.
10/28/11 Update: Removed the carboy off the stir-plate (to make room for batch 4) and allowed it to start settling.
10/29/2011 Update: Settling has definitely started to occur and there is still active fermentation as noted by a distinctive bubble ring about an inch away from the side of the carboy. I'm surprised that the bubbling is not uniformly distributed on the surface. The bubbling is very slow but present.
1/31/12 Update: Celebrated the Year of the Hoders during filling. Filled and lightly carbonated with dry ice. An experiment, of course. Overcarbonation was experienced with dry ice chunks larger than a pea in a 12 oz bottle. The pea size was approximately right to prevent explosion and maximize carbonation, though capped bottles were placed in a rubbermaid container with lid as a precaution. The process is very inexact as sublimation is rapid once the dry ice is in the liquid, so carbonation will vary with both chunk size and time to cap. Still need to taste to see if approx. carbonation level is good or not.
5/15/12 Update: This is a light brew with almost no finished carbonation. Dry ice carbonation is a bust. The batch, however, is quite drinkable, though a bit sour and dry. The tartness of the residual acids is not balanced with sweetness. Not sure what the alcohol content is, but it is light. I thought it would not be as good as it is! Happy to not be dumping this one.
5/29/12 update: Tested and found the following:
Bottled Results:Specific gravity (via hydrometer): 1.002
Brix (via refractometer): 18 (dry!)
% mass (sacc) (via refractometer): 4.25
% Alcohol (via vinometer): 4.2%
pH (via pH meter): 3.3
Batch Type: cider (pear)/melomel
Date into Primary: 10/18/11
Yeast Type: Red Star Cuvee
Ingredients:
1.5 lb honey
Syrup from 5 qt pears (picked, peeled and canned by Jimbo)
Water QS to 2 gallons
2 tsp yeast nutrient
2 tsp pectic enzyme
The pears from the 5 qt above, chopped in to 1" pieces and in a cheesecloth bag
Method:
Mixed pear syrup, honey, water, yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme with 2 campden tablets. Added cut pears to brew in a sanitized cheesecloth bag and stirred.
Date into Secondary: 10/25/11 with an extra 1 lb honey
Date Racked: 1/31/12
Date Racked:
Date Filled: 1/31/12
Comments:
This batch is inspired by Wyder's pear cider (tasty, highly carbonated, 4%ABV) and Jim's old pears that needed to be used up. This batch qualifies as local, though not "fresh". It will be interesting to see how this turns out. There was no way we would be up for fresh pressed local pear cider to brew this year, so this will do. The intent is to eventually carbonate this and compare it to Wyder's.
10/20/11 Update: Yeast added evening of October 19th. Moderate bubbling was noted by the next morning (October 20th) and heavy bubbling by evening.
10/25/11 Update: Removed cheesecloth and racked to secondary. Not much pear flavor or sediment. This batch is kind of watered down and low alcohol. To address both, additional honey on-hand was added, approximately 1 lb. Considering other additions to improve flavor, but might not bother for this experimental small batch. Carbonation may improve the drinking experience and is planned. I learned that pear cider is historically known as perry.
10/28/11 Update: Removed the carboy off the stir-plate (to make room for batch 4) and allowed it to start settling.
10/29/2011 Update: Settling has definitely started to occur and there is still active fermentation as noted by a distinctive bubble ring about an inch away from the side of the carboy. I'm surprised that the bubbling is not uniformly distributed on the surface. The bubbling is very slow but present.
1/31/12 Update: Celebrated the Year of the Hoders during filling. Filled and lightly carbonated with dry ice. An experiment, of course. Overcarbonation was experienced with dry ice chunks larger than a pea in a 12 oz bottle. The pea size was approximately right to prevent explosion and maximize carbonation, though capped bottles were placed in a rubbermaid container with lid as a precaution. The process is very inexact as sublimation is rapid once the dry ice is in the liquid, so carbonation will vary with both chunk size and time to cap. Still need to taste to see if approx. carbonation level is good or not.
5/15/12 Update: This is a light brew with almost no finished carbonation. Dry ice carbonation is a bust. The batch, however, is quite drinkable, though a bit sour and dry. The tartness of the residual acids is not balanced with sweetness. Not sure what the alcohol content is, but it is light. I thought it would not be as good as it is! Happy to not be dumping this one.
5/29/12 update: Tested and found the following:
Bottled Results:Specific gravity (via hydrometer): 1.002
Brix (via refractometer): 18 (dry!)
% mass (sacc) (via refractometer): 4.25
% Alcohol (via vinometer): 4.2%
pH (via pH meter): 3.3
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Batch 2 - Sparkling Cider (non-alcoholic, to test pressure vessel)
Batch Number: 2
Batch Type: Sparkling Cider (apple)
Date into Pressure Vessel: 10/16/11
Yeast Type: N/A!
Ingredients:
Apple Cider (2 gallons)
Carbon Dioxide
Date Filled: 10/18/11
Comments:
This batch is to test the forced carbonation equipment setup that Cameron bought (5 gallon Corny keg with dip tube, 20lb CO2 tank, regulator, assorted tubing and fittings) and the pressure filling system that Jim bought ("Beer Gun"). Vessel preparation included repeated sanitation, replacement of the main vessel o-ring and cleaning/sanitation of other o-rings.
The sweet cider was loaded into the main vessel, pressurized to 15-17psi and the keg iced on 10/16/11, allowing for a full 48 hours to chill and saturate with CO2 prior to filling. Pressure held steady, indicating an integral pressure vessel and regulator setup.
We planned to fill into 12oz and 22oz bottles to closely mimic a filling run of carbonated bulk hard cider. We expect that sweet cider would be slightly less carbonated than hard cider due to the higher amount of dissolved sugars at the same pressure, so the pressure was set at 15-17 to compensate for a proposed target 12 psi to be used with hard cider. We will fill the batch into pre-chilled and room temp bottles to determine if the difference in CO2 release during filling is problematic for room temp bottles.
So how did filling go? It went pretty well, actually. Cameron was brave enough to allow us to do this in his kitchen. We cleaned and sanitized the gun, assembled everything and let it rip. The bulk was cold, but we don't have data. The pressure vessel was laying diagonally in a cooler with a bag of mostly melted ice on top, ice water in the bottom about 4" deep. I'm guessing we were up in the mid 40s instead of down in the mid 30s, so we probably had less dissolved CO2 than possible at lower temps. We used room temp bottles in a 70 degree room. Everything foamed a lot and required topping off. Of the 2 gallon bulk, we got the equivalent of 1.25 gallons of filled bottles, so yield was low, approx 62.5%, attributed to some slight spillage and excessive foaming. There was nearly zero line loss and about 3 tbsp left in the bottom of the pressure vessel. Next run we'll try immersing the pressure vessel in ice water in the upright position for chilling, not just filling. The bottled cider, after refrigeration overnight, was very lightly carbonated, enough to tingle on the tongue, but no head when pouring.
We tried filling at a range of pressures and used a slightly larger diameter fill tube to the beer gun than recommended. Colder temps, lower fill pressures (8-10psi), and using the 3/16" ID tubing would probably significantly reduce foaming and improve yield.
Update: I (CD) can't speak for Jimbo but all of our bottled cider is gone...it was very delicious with a very light fizz on the tongue. My only recommendation for next time is to pre-carbonate in ice bucket at a higher PSI (60 to 80+ PSI) and fill at a lower one (5 PSI).
Batch Type: Sparkling Cider (apple)
Date into Pressure Vessel: 10/16/11
Yeast Type: N/A!
Ingredients:
Apple Cider (2 gallons)
Carbon Dioxide
Date Filled: 10/18/11
Comments:
This batch is to test the forced carbonation equipment setup that Cameron bought (5 gallon Corny keg with dip tube, 20lb CO2 tank, regulator, assorted tubing and fittings) and the pressure filling system that Jim bought ("Beer Gun"). Vessel preparation included repeated sanitation, replacement of the main vessel o-ring and cleaning/sanitation of other o-rings.
The sweet cider was loaded into the main vessel, pressurized to 15-17psi and the keg iced on 10/16/11, allowing for a full 48 hours to chill and saturate with CO2 prior to filling. Pressure held steady, indicating an integral pressure vessel and regulator setup.
We planned to fill into 12oz and 22oz bottles to closely mimic a filling run of carbonated bulk hard cider. We expect that sweet cider would be slightly less carbonated than hard cider due to the higher amount of dissolved sugars at the same pressure, so the pressure was set at 15-17 to compensate for a proposed target 12 psi to be used with hard cider. We will fill the batch into pre-chilled and room temp bottles to determine if the difference in CO2 release during filling is problematic for room temp bottles.
So how did filling go? It went pretty well, actually. Cameron was brave enough to allow us to do this in his kitchen. We cleaned and sanitized the gun, assembled everything and let it rip. The bulk was cold, but we don't have data. The pressure vessel was laying diagonally in a cooler with a bag of mostly melted ice on top, ice water in the bottom about 4" deep. I'm guessing we were up in the mid 40s instead of down in the mid 30s, so we probably had less dissolved CO2 than possible at lower temps. We used room temp bottles in a 70 degree room. Everything foamed a lot and required topping off. Of the 2 gallon bulk, we got the equivalent of 1.25 gallons of filled bottles, so yield was low, approx 62.5%, attributed to some slight spillage and excessive foaming. There was nearly zero line loss and about 3 tbsp left in the bottom of the pressure vessel. Next run we'll try immersing the pressure vessel in ice water in the upright position for chilling, not just filling. The bottled cider, after refrigeration overnight, was very lightly carbonated, enough to tingle on the tongue, but no head when pouring.
We tried filling at a range of pressures and used a slightly larger diameter fill tube to the beer gun than recommended. Colder temps, lower fill pressures (8-10psi), and using the 3/16" ID tubing would probably significantly reduce foaming and improve yield.
Update: I (CD) can't speak for Jimbo but all of our bottled cider is gone...it was very delicious with a very light fizz on the tongue. My only recommendation for next time is to pre-carbonate in ice bucket at a higher PSI (60 to 80+ PSI) and fill at a lower one (5 PSI).
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Batch 1: Hard Cider
Batch Number: 1 and sub-lot Z
Batch Type: Hard Cider (apple)
Date into Primary: 10/10/11
Yeast Type: Red Star - Côte des Blanc (green - lot # 0520)
Ingredients: Woolf Farm fresh apple cider, Old Orchard 100% Juice Frozen Apple Concentrate, pectic enyzme, yeast nutrient
Date into Secondary: 10/18/11
Date Racked: 11/8/11
Date Racked: 5/15/12
Date Racked: 5/28/12 (due to visible contamination)
Date Racked: 8/28/12 (due to adjustment for taste)
Date Racked: 9/18/12 (due to additional adjustment)
Date Filled:
Comments: While this is probably our tenth batch, our records have been shoddy. This is the first batch we'll track start to finish on the blog. So it has the honor of being designated batch number 1.
On October 5th, I (CD) gave Dale from Woolf Farms two - four gallon plastic bottles at the CCH farmer's market (last one for 2011). We made arrangements for him to press the cider on Friday and have me pick it up on Saturday. On Saturday, October 9th the cider was picked up in the afternoon in Streetsboro and taken home. The primary bucket and a one gallon jug was cleaned and sanitized on Sunday. Seven gallons of the cider was transferred into the primary and one gallon into the jug. The jug was then placed in the refrigerator for Jimbo and seven campden tablets (potassium metabisulphite) were crushed and added to the remaining seven gallons along with a sanitized stir-bar. The bucket was placed on top of a stir-plate and allowed to spin until Monday morning when the wife ask the the stir-plate be turned off due to the somewhat annoying noise made by the plate. I obliged as my marital happiness takes precedence to the brew.
On the evening of October 10th an executive decision was made to split the batch. The original plan called for a six gallon batch to be made with one gallon of fresh cider going to Jimbo and one for me. However, due to a shortage of one gallon jugs and a lack of space in my over stuffed refrigerator I made a decision to add my one gallon to the proverbial (and in this case literal) pot or bucket. After doing so I realized that this would not be a feasible option as there was very little head space in the bucket and the "sweeting agent" aka frozen apple juice concentrate had not yet been added. So I made the decision to have the pilot batch of our "regular" brew and make an additional table top sub-lot using my Mr. Beer. On Monday evening I purchased eight frozen "Old Orchard" brand 100% juice frozen apple concentrate (lot number 291K). I proceeded to sanitize my Mr. Beer, a one quart measuring cup, and a stir-bar. I opened the bucket and removed one gallon and one quart of cider from the primary bucket and transferred it to the Mr. Beer using the measuring cup.
In the primary bucket I added two tablespoons of yeast nutrient, one tablespoon of pectin enzyme, five containers of frozen apple juice concentrate, and two packets of yeast (Red Star - Côte des Blanc - green - lot # 0520).
I then added one teaspoon of yeast nutrient and one "heavy" teaspoon of pectin enzyme (to finish off the container) to the Mr. Beer. I also added three containers of the frozen apple juice concentrate, one packet of the yeast (Red Star - Côte des Blanc - green - lot # 0520) and the stir-bar. I then placed the Mr. Beer on the stir-plate and allowed it to stir for one hour. The Mr. Beer was then replaced with the primary bucket and allowed to stir all night.
My only concern at this point is with the Mr. Beer brew, which I will tentatively call batch "Z" after my daughter Zarrina, because I am afraid it might be too sweet. If it is too sweet, the high sugar concentration may actually inhibit growth of the yeast. My goal is to make the recipe with such a high concentration of sugar that the yeast stop growing (due to the high alcohol content) without consuming all the sugar thereby leaving significant residual sweetness in the final product. The challenge will be to find the "sweet-spot" (shameless pun, I know) where the yeast can grow/thrive but not consume all the sugar. I know that the brew could be sweetened after fermentation but that isn't the point!
Well enough rambling. I will monitor the primary over the next few days and keep the blog updated.
C. Damavandi
October 11th update:
Both batches have started to show signs of active fermentation (air lock on the bucket is bubbling and the Mr. Beer is has started to show minor signs of bubbling and foaming). The bucket was placed back on the stir-plate and allowed will be allowed to run until tomorrow morning.
C. Damavandi
October 12th update:
I had been storing everything in the dining room up until today. I came home to the very strong odor of fermenting apple cider and a wife who was none to please with the smell. Upon inspection of the airlock I notice that most of the fluid had been blown out the top and onto the lid the gas production had been so intense (even with the top guard on the airlock) but there was still enough liquid to maintain integrity, but just barely. I took the stir-plate and the Mr. Beer downstairs first. I started the stir-bar spinning in the Mr. Beer and immediately heard the hissing and out gassing of the CO2. I also saw fine but heavy fizz coming from the appley goodness inside the container. The thought behind the stirring is so we get good distribution of the sugar to the yeast hoping that will maximize consumption of the sugar and production of EtOH. I allowed that go for at least 30 minute. During that time I took the bucket downstairs and made a small cup of sanitizer and got a small syringe to replace the fluid in the airlock. After 30 minutes of stir time I replace the Mr. Beer with the brew buck and started the stir bar. Within five seconds the newly replaced fluid in the airlock had been blown out and the pungent smell of fermenting cider filled the basement. After 5 minutes of stirring I added another dose of sanitizer in the airlock and then gave up on that endeavor. The intent from this point forward is to keep the stir-plate on until fermentation slows significantly (as indicated by the airlock). Since everything is now in the basement, the noise of the stir-plate running continuously and the smell of cider BO won't bother the wifey so it will be running contantly from today forward. I'm guessing that it will probably be three or four more days before I turn off the stir-plate and let everything settle in preparation for the first rack (tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 18th).
C. Damavandi
October 18th Update: I took the bucket off the stir-plate on October 15th around noon after the air-lock essentially stopped bubbling and replaced it with the Mr. Beer. I removed the Mr. Beer off the stir-plate late on the night of October 16th.
Unfortunately I forgot to bring the bucket and Mr. Beer up to the kitchen the night before the transfer so Jimbo brought the containers up when he got here (so it only had a few hour to settle) but it didn't seem to impact the transfer too badly. In preparation for the transfer two five gallon carboys and associate accoutrements (stopper, airlock, etc) were rinsed and sanitized.
During the transfer the (very full) bucket was transferred to a five gallon carboy. One of the first things that was noted was how much more cloudy and yellow this batch appeared to be in comparison to our past batches. So much so that we took pictures. I've included one in this post.
Unfortunately this was not large enough to hold the entire contents of the bucket. The remainder of the bucket was transferred into the second carboy designated for the Z batch. This unfortunately meant that we had to blend (aka sully and otherwise adulterate) the Z batch with what was remaining in the Lot 1 bucket (the final blend ended up looking like a 50/50 blend). Both carboys were stoppered and stored in the Damavandi "brew cellar"
10/23/2011 Update:
Checked on the lot 1 carboy tonight to find that the cloudiness that was initially noted was significantly reduced (the top half of the carboy bordered on being classified as clear). This settling was also noted in the Z batch. While both carboys still had a more yellow color/tint than has been seen in past lots it appears to be darkening slightly and the hope is that this will continue to progress into the amber color seen in past lots.
10/29/2011 Update:
Both carboys (lot 1 and Z-blend) are essentially clear but still has a yellow color to it.
11/08/2011 Update:
Racked. Still yellow colored, maybe a function of the cider apples used. Main batch is quite clear with little sediment, not a lot of flavor. Z blend had more flavor and, of course, more alcohol (as determined by the use of Fran's vinometer) due to the extra sugar. I was so impressed with the ease of use of the vinometer that the decision was made to purchase one on the spot from eBay.
11/12/2011 Update:
The new vinometer arrived today. Tested accuracy with store bought wine and water. The instrument is much more accurate than I would have though. Looking forward to using it the next time we work with this batch.
5/15/2012 Update:
Gathered some data around these batches in the secondary after second racking:
Brix (refractometer): 21 (1), 23 (1Z)
% mas sach (refractometer): 5.5% (1), 6.5% (1Z)
% alcohol (vinometer): 6.5% (1), (1Z)
pH: 3.6 (1), 3.8 (1Z)
5/29/12 Update:
DISASTER STRIKES! We racked these in the basement after carrying down sanitized racking cane and carboys and two weeks later we have surface contamination, worst on the Z batch. Looks like a fungus. The fungus growth once visible was fast moving (from no noticeable surface growth to total coverage within 2 days). We tasted each and the taste was fine, a bit dry, so we re-racked carefully to not carry over the stuff floating on top and stabilized both with a mix of two campden tabs and one and one half teaspoons of potassium sorbate. Remeasured batches post-apocalypse, this time with SG (at least on the Z):
Specific Gravity (hydrometer): ? (1), 0.996 (1Z)
Brix (refractometer): 20 (1), 21 (1Z)
% mas sach (refractometer): 5.0% (1), 5.75% (1Z)
% alcohol (vinometer): 6.5% (1), 8.2% (1Z)
pH: 3.6 (1), 3.7 (1Z)
Next step is to sweeten, carbonate, and fill.
Batch Type: Hard Cider (apple)
Date into Primary: 10/10/11
Yeast Type: Red Star - Côte des Blanc (green - lot # 0520)
Ingredients: Woolf Farm fresh apple cider, Old Orchard 100% Juice Frozen Apple Concentrate, pectic enyzme, yeast nutrient
Date into Secondary: 10/18/11
Date Racked: 11/8/11
Date Racked: 5/15/12
Date Racked: 5/28/12 (due to visible contamination)
Date Racked: 8/28/12 (due to adjustment for taste)
Date Racked: 9/18/12 (due to additional adjustment)
Date Filled:
Comments: While this is probably our tenth batch, our records have been shoddy. This is the first batch we'll track start to finish on the blog. So it has the honor of being designated batch number 1.
On October 5th, I (CD) gave Dale from Woolf Farms two - four gallon plastic bottles at the CCH farmer's market (last one for 2011). We made arrangements for him to press the cider on Friday and have me pick it up on Saturday. On Saturday, October 9th the cider was picked up in the afternoon in Streetsboro and taken home. The primary bucket and a one gallon jug was cleaned and sanitized on Sunday. Seven gallons of the cider was transferred into the primary and one gallon into the jug. The jug was then placed in the refrigerator for Jimbo and seven campden tablets (potassium metabisulphite) were crushed and added to the remaining seven gallons along with a sanitized stir-bar. The bucket was placed on top of a stir-plate and allowed to spin until Monday morning when the wife ask the the stir-plate be turned off due to the somewhat annoying noise made by the plate. I obliged as my marital happiness takes precedence to the brew.
On the evening of October 10th an executive decision was made to split the batch. The original plan called for a six gallon batch to be made with one gallon of fresh cider going to Jimbo and one for me. However, due to a shortage of one gallon jugs and a lack of space in my over stuffed refrigerator I made a decision to add my one gallon to the proverbial (and in this case literal) pot or bucket. After doing so I realized that this would not be a feasible option as there was very little head space in the bucket and the "sweeting agent" aka frozen apple juice concentrate had not yet been added. So I made the decision to have the pilot batch of our "regular" brew and make an additional table top sub-lot using my Mr. Beer. On Monday evening I purchased eight frozen "Old Orchard" brand 100% juice frozen apple concentrate (lot number 291K). I proceeded to sanitize my Mr. Beer, a one quart measuring cup, and a stir-bar. I opened the bucket and removed one gallon and one quart of cider from the primary bucket and transferred it to the Mr. Beer using the measuring cup.
In the primary bucket I added two tablespoons of yeast nutrient, one tablespoon of pectin enzyme, five containers of frozen apple juice concentrate, and two packets of yeast (Red Star - Côte des Blanc - green - lot # 0520).
I then added one teaspoon of yeast nutrient and one "heavy" teaspoon of pectin enzyme (to finish off the container) to the Mr. Beer. I also added three containers of the frozen apple juice concentrate, one packet of the yeast (Red Star - Côte des Blanc - green - lot # 0520) and the stir-bar. I then placed the Mr. Beer on the stir-plate and allowed it to stir for one hour. The Mr. Beer was then replaced with the primary bucket and allowed to stir all night.
My only concern at this point is with the Mr. Beer brew, which I will tentatively call batch "Z" after my daughter Zarrina, because I am afraid it might be too sweet. If it is too sweet, the high sugar concentration may actually inhibit growth of the yeast. My goal is to make the recipe with such a high concentration of sugar that the yeast stop growing (due to the high alcohol content) without consuming all the sugar thereby leaving significant residual sweetness in the final product. The challenge will be to find the "sweet-spot" (shameless pun, I know) where the yeast can grow/thrive but not consume all the sugar. I know that the brew could be sweetened after fermentation but that isn't the point!
Well enough rambling. I will monitor the primary over the next few days and keep the blog updated.
C. Damavandi
October 11th update:
Both batches have started to show signs of active fermentation (air lock on the bucket is bubbling and the Mr. Beer is has started to show minor signs of bubbling and foaming). The bucket was placed back on the stir-plate and allowed will be allowed to run until tomorrow morning.
C. Damavandi
October 12th update:
I had been storing everything in the dining room up until today. I came home to the very strong odor of fermenting apple cider and a wife who was none to please with the smell. Upon inspection of the airlock I notice that most of the fluid had been blown out the top and onto the lid the gas production had been so intense (even with the top guard on the airlock) but there was still enough liquid to maintain integrity, but just barely. I took the stir-plate and the Mr. Beer downstairs first. I started the stir-bar spinning in the Mr. Beer and immediately heard the hissing and out gassing of the CO2. I also saw fine but heavy fizz coming from the appley goodness inside the container. The thought behind the stirring is so we get good distribution of the sugar to the yeast hoping that will maximize consumption of the sugar and production of EtOH. I allowed that go for at least 30 minute. During that time I took the bucket downstairs and made a small cup of sanitizer and got a small syringe to replace the fluid in the airlock. After 30 minutes of stir time I replace the Mr. Beer with the brew buck and started the stir bar. Within five seconds the newly replaced fluid in the airlock had been blown out and the pungent smell of fermenting cider filled the basement. After 5 minutes of stirring I added another dose of sanitizer in the airlock and then gave up on that endeavor. The intent from this point forward is to keep the stir-plate on until fermentation slows significantly (as indicated by the airlock). Since everything is now in the basement, the noise of the stir-plate running continuously and the smell of cider BO won't bother the wifey so it will be running contantly from today forward. I'm guessing that it will probably be three or four more days before I turn off the stir-plate and let everything settle in preparation for the first rack (tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 18th).
C. Damavandi
October 18th Update: I took the bucket off the stir-plate on October 15th around noon after the air-lock essentially stopped bubbling and replaced it with the Mr. Beer. I removed the Mr. Beer off the stir-plate late on the night of October 16th.
Unfortunately I forgot to bring the bucket and Mr. Beer up to the kitchen the night before the transfer so Jimbo brought the containers up when he got here (so it only had a few hour to settle) but it didn't seem to impact the transfer too badly. In preparation for the transfer two five gallon carboys and associate accoutrements (stopper, airlock, etc) were rinsed and sanitized.
During the transfer the (very full) bucket was transferred to a five gallon carboy. One of the first things that was noted was how much more cloudy and yellow this batch appeared to be in comparison to our past batches. So much so that we took pictures. I've included one in this post.
Unfortunately this was not large enough to hold the entire contents of the bucket. The remainder of the bucket was transferred into the second carboy designated for the Z batch. This unfortunately meant that we had to blend (aka sully and otherwise adulterate) the Z batch with what was remaining in the Lot 1 bucket (the final blend ended up looking like a 50/50 blend). Both carboys were stoppered and stored in the Damavandi "brew cellar"
10/23/2011 Update:
Checked on the lot 1 carboy tonight to find that the cloudiness that was initially noted was significantly reduced (the top half of the carboy bordered on being classified as clear). This settling was also noted in the Z batch. While both carboys still had a more yellow color/tint than has been seen in past lots it appears to be darkening slightly and the hope is that this will continue to progress into the amber color seen in past lots.
10/29/2011 Update:
Both carboys (lot 1 and Z-blend) are essentially clear but still has a yellow color to it.
11/08/2011 Update:
Racked. Still yellow colored, maybe a function of the cider apples used. Main batch is quite clear with little sediment, not a lot of flavor. Z blend had more flavor and, of course, more alcohol (as determined by the use of Fran's vinometer) due to the extra sugar. I was so impressed with the ease of use of the vinometer that the decision was made to purchase one on the spot from eBay.
11/12/2011 Update:
The new vinometer arrived today. Tested accuracy with store bought wine and water. The instrument is much more accurate than I would have though. Looking forward to using it the next time we work with this batch.
5/15/2012 Update:
Gathered some data around these batches in the secondary after second racking:
Brix (refractometer): 21 (1), 23 (1Z)
% mas sach (refractometer): 5.5% (1), 6.5% (1Z)
% alcohol (vinometer): 6.5% (1), (1Z)
pH: 3.6 (1), 3.8 (1Z)
5/29/12 Update:
DISASTER STRIKES! We racked these in the basement after carrying down sanitized racking cane and carboys and two weeks later we have surface contamination, worst on the Z batch. Looks like a fungus. The fungus growth once visible was fast moving (from no noticeable surface growth to total coverage within 2 days). We tasted each and the taste was fine, a bit dry, so we re-racked carefully to not carry over the stuff floating on top and stabilized both with a mix of two campden tabs and one and one half teaspoons of potassium sorbate. Remeasured batches post-apocalypse, this time with SG (at least on the Z):
Specific Gravity (hydrometer): ? (1), 0.996 (1Z)
Brix (refractometer): 20 (1), 21 (1Z)
% mas sach (refractometer): 5.0% (1), 5.75% (1Z)
% alcohol (vinometer): 6.5% (1), 8.2% (1Z)
pH: 3.6 (1), 3.7 (1Z)
Next step is to sweeten, carbonate, and fill.
07/30/12 Update:
In preparation for our back-sweetening tutorial with Carl two 12oz. samples were drawn into bottles, capped, and refrigerated, one from batch 1 and one from the Z batch.
08/27/2012 update:
Moved batch 1 and batch 1-Z carboys from the brew cellar to the kitchen in preparation for batch adjustments tomorrow.
8/28/12: Racked batches 1 and 1Z to sanitized carboys and adjusted to taste as follows:
Batch 1: To an approx. 15000mL batch added 1890mL (.5 gal) of sweet cider and 45mL of glycerin USP
Batch 1Z: To an approx. 7000mL batch added 1200mL sweet cider and 16.0 g malic acid
Both batches were shaken by hand to mix in ingredients. Batch 1Z was then unceremoniously dumped into a sanitized corny keg and pressurized w/ CO2 for later bottling. Batch 1 is being stored under airlock. We need another corny keg so we can bottle two batches in the same night. A 2L growler of batch 1 remains unadjusted (but stabilized) for later combining with other tailings/surplus. We needed to create some space in the carboy for sweet cider addition and mixing!
9/18/12: Intending to fill batch 1 and move batch 1Z to the empty corny keg, we moved 1 up from the brew cellar and noted fine white powder on the bottom of the carboy. Turned out to be acid. It probably did not fully dissolve after adjustment on 8/27/12. We tasted batch 1 and it was too acid, even before trying to dissolve the acid that lay on the bottom. We racked 1 off the acid and added 500mL of sweet cider to taste.
Hydrometer 1.000, pH 3.0 degree Oe = 22, % mas sach 6.0, KMW 5.0. % alcohol 5.0%. These are post adjustment measurements. The pre-adjustment values were very close. Not filled, racked to a new empty corny keg that we sanitized.
We speculated 1Z would also be overly acid to taste.
10/2/12 Update: 1Z was overly acid. Not sure if we ever added sweet cider or not. Needs at least a half gallon.
12/1/12 Update: Added 1 can of thawed apple concentrate to 1Z only and bottled under forced carbonation. Still too tart, but at least there is sweetness to balance it. Did not touch Batch 1, which will need racked to corny keg and sweetened before filling.
10/5/13 Update: Upon re-tasting this batch was far too acid to adjust and enjoy. We SCRAPPED this batch on 10/5/13 and ate pork instead.
08/27/2012 update:
Moved batch 1 and batch 1-Z carboys from the brew cellar to the kitchen in preparation for batch adjustments tomorrow.
8/28/12: Racked batches 1 and 1Z to sanitized carboys and adjusted to taste as follows:
Batch 1: To an approx. 15000mL batch added 1890mL (.5 gal) of sweet cider and 45mL of glycerin USP
Batch 1Z: To an approx. 7000mL batch added 1200mL sweet cider and 16.0 g malic acid
Both batches were shaken by hand to mix in ingredients. Batch 1Z was then unceremoniously dumped into a sanitized corny keg and pressurized w/ CO2 for later bottling. Batch 1 is being stored under airlock. We need another corny keg so we can bottle two batches in the same night. A 2L growler of batch 1 remains unadjusted (but stabilized) for later combining with other tailings/surplus. We needed to create some space in the carboy for sweet cider addition and mixing!
9/18/12: Intending to fill batch 1 and move batch 1Z to the empty corny keg, we moved 1 up from the brew cellar and noted fine white powder on the bottom of the carboy. Turned out to be acid. It probably did not fully dissolve after adjustment on 8/27/12. We tasted batch 1 and it was too acid, even before trying to dissolve the acid that lay on the bottom. We racked 1 off the acid and added 500mL of sweet cider to taste.
Hydrometer 1.000, pH 3.0 degree Oe = 22, % mas sach 6.0, KMW 5.0. % alcohol 5.0%. These are post adjustment measurements. The pre-adjustment values were very close. Not filled, racked to a new empty corny keg that we sanitized.
We speculated 1Z would also be overly acid to taste.
10/2/12 Update: 1Z was overly acid. Not sure if we ever added sweet cider or not. Needs at least a half gallon.
12/1/12 Update: Added 1 can of thawed apple concentrate to 1Z only and bottled under forced carbonation. Still too tart, but at least there is sweetness to balance it. Did not touch Batch 1, which will need racked to corny keg and sweetened before filling.
10/5/13 Update: Upon re-tasting this batch was far too acid to adjust and enjoy. We SCRAPPED this batch on 10/5/13 and ate pork instead.
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