So this is my first post. I am just about to finish up with my graduate school so I decided in my last little bit of time before the real world I would finally break into my dream of making my own fermented beverages. I had wanted to do beer but realized quickly that buying all the equipment I needed for that at once wasn't going to be possible. So I got me a fermenting bucket and a bunch of juice (listed below in my recipe) and started my first batch of cider. I have high hopes for this and just let me know if there is anything I can do to make my life easier for this particular batch or in my subsequent batches (at least until I can finally start my all grain brewing).
Anyway, below is my recipe, it's pretty traditional but still different enough someone might want to try it depending on how it turns out.
I went to Walmart and purchased 4 gallons of juice, 2 of apple juice and 2 of this great value brand "apple punch". The apple punch was a blend of orange, grape, apple, and cherry. Smelled great and doesn't have any preservatives.
1) Sanitized my bucket and put all but a half gallon of the juice in there. Put the other half gallon on the stove and heated it to dissolve almost 2 pounds of brown sugar.
2) I then combined 4 tsp of yeast nutrient, 2 tsp of yeast energizer, 1/2 cup of 100 degree water and my Premier Cuvee Red Star yeast in a measuring cup. I slowly poured the apple juice out of the stove that had been cooling into this over the course of 15 minutes until the cup was mostly full.
3) I dumped the rest of the sugary juice and the pint of yeast slurry into the bucket and put the lid on with an airlock.
About 20 hours later I get home from class and it is bubbling about 3 times a minute and its only getting more frequent as I type. My goal is that this is going to be stopped at 1.030 (started at 1.055). Then I plan to use my auto-siphon to move it to my old Mr. Beer keg to age a little more then use that to fill the plastic soda bottles I have collected and let it carb. I will of course not be able to bottle pasteurize these so when they get "tight" with CO2 I will just continue to keep them in the fridge as me and my friends try them out.
I look forward to any and all suggestions, I am excited and hope it turns out half as good as some of the recipes I have been drooling over on these forums for the past few months.
Anyway, below is my recipe, it's pretty traditional but still different enough someone might want to try it depending on how it turns out.
I went to Walmart and purchased 4 gallons of juice, 2 of apple juice and 2 of this great value brand "apple punch". The apple punch was a blend of orange, grape, apple, and cherry. Smelled great and doesn't have any preservatives.
1) Sanitized my bucket and put all but a half gallon of the juice in there. Put the other half gallon on the stove and heated it to dissolve almost 2 pounds of brown sugar.
2) I then combined 4 tsp of yeast nutrient, 2 tsp of yeast energizer, 1/2 cup of 100 degree water and my Premier Cuvee Red Star yeast in a measuring cup. I slowly poured the apple juice out of the stove that had been cooling into this over the course of 15 minutes until the cup was mostly full.
3) I dumped the rest of the sugary juice and the pint of yeast slurry into the bucket and put the lid on with an airlock.
About 20 hours later I get home from class and it is bubbling about 3 times a minute and its only getting more frequent as I type. My goal is that this is going to be stopped at 1.030 (started at 1.055). Then I plan to use my auto-siphon to move it to my old Mr. Beer keg to age a little more then use that to fill the plastic soda bottles I have collected and let it carb. I will of course not be able to bottle pasteurize these so when they get "tight" with CO2 I will just continue to keep them in the fridge as me and my friends try them out.
I look forward to any and all suggestions, I am excited and hope it turns out half as good as some of the recipes I have been drooling over on these forums for the past few months.