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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