Recent content by JPStinky

I've been drinking "Snakebites" at my local pub. Its a mix of stout and pear cider. I have been toying around with the idea of brewing a stout and mixing it with blackberry cider made from berries that I have picked. I've never tried this before, so I'd love some input. Here is the plan: I'm...

I haven't gotten to figure out final gravity since my hydrometer broke. :( I was thinking about backsweetening, but I have been bottling right at two weeks so it will carbonate. I'm still kinda new to this. Can I bottle carbonate and backsweeten?

I've been making cheap cider at home. I've done a few batches, and it is ok, but there is always a bitter taste at the end. Here's my process: 4 gallons of Tree Top Apple, heat up and mix in C&H sugar until SG is 1.090. Cool down to 100 F, then pitch Cote Des Blanc yeast. I let it...

You, sir, are an American hero. I just started experimenting with different juices. Thanks for taking a lot of guesswork out.

I wanted to make sure to update everyone on the finished product here. The plum wine came out very nice. Several of my friends really enjoy it, while others didn't care for how different it was from grape wine. The person who donated the plums to me over the summer has the last name "Drake"...

I twirled it, then let it sit for a few minutes before I took that picture. SG yesterday was down to 1.004. Question: If I want it to keep some of its sweetness, do I add Potassium metabisulfite when it reaches 1.000? Or should I just let it ferment, then backsweeten it before bottling...

SG was around 1.030 last night, so I got up this morning and ran to LHBS to grab a 5 gallon Better Bottle. Racked it. SG was at 1.016 at the time of racking.

Thanks all for your input. Don't worry about scaring me, if something looks wrong, I'd rather investigate than get 3 months in and figure out that its ruined.

Slowly but surely, gravity is dropping. It's down to 1.065 now. I keep reading different things about racking. Some places say don't rack until SG 1.020. Other places say to rack it off the lees after 3-4 weeks. Any thoughts?

Oh No! I have a theory (as someone who doesn't know what they are talking about). I think my yeast had trouble getting started due to poor aeration. When I went back and aerated it, I started seeing activity. There was about and inch of lees on the bottom of the carboy. When it broke up and...

Day 10 after pitching yeast - large chunks (lees?) have started to float up to the top of the carboy. Day 11 - Large chunks have dissolved into a layer at the top. SG 1.065

Oh, is 10 pts normal? From the reading that I've been doing, it sounded like it was supposed to be dropping a lot within the first week, then slowly after that. I'll grab a wine thief next time I'm close to LHBS. It is not being temperature controlled, it is just sitting in my kitchen, so...

I have not seen much activity and I was hoping for some input. A few days ago I pitched the yeast (with 5 tsp of nutrient). I read that I am supposed to keep my carboy open (I have the airlock on, but no cap and no water) and to stir it everyday. On the first day, SG was 1.090, but I...

I checked, it IS Potassium Metabisulfite. Brewshop guy told me that it kills bacteria and yeast, so add it to the must, then wait 24 hours so it doesn't kill YOUR yeast. He also told me that you add it before bottling to kill your yeast so your wine does not ferment in the bottles. (Accurate?)...

I am trying to get my must up to 1.090. I just added 5 cups of sugar and it went up to 1.050. Most of the recipes that I see recommend 3/4 cup per gallon. Should I stop here, or add more until I can get it up to 1.090?