DanTilford
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- Jun 22, 2013
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So...
My first attempt at brewing anything; figured hard cider would be pretty easy. Went to my homebrew shop and picked up campden tabs, champagne yeast, a 1 gallon carboy, sanitizer and an airlock.
I got home and proceeded to sanitize everything. I then poured about 3/4 a gallon of apple juice (no preservatives, yes it had vitamin c) into the carboy. I didn't realize how important sugar was at this point so I only added one cup to the apple juice (for a one gallon batch). Oh I forgot I used half a campden tablet on the apple juice first and waited 24 hours before all these steps. I poured a little cinnamon into the apple juice and then pitched the yeast (first time, used cold water instead of hot water).
I noticed after 24 hours that there was bubbling through the airlock but my cider didn't quite look like other pictures on the internet. I have a clump of red stringy fuzzy looking things at the top that appeared around the same time as bubbles appeared in the airlock. It has been two days now and I noticed the top of my cider beginning to clear and I have bubbles in the airlock roughly twice every second or so. So its obviously fermenting but I still have this red stuff floating at the top. It appeared too quick to be mold but is this the champagne yeast? There is no foaming/frothing/anything besides some red stuff at the top, noticeable change of color, and bubbles in the airlock.
Started a second batch with following the correct steps (used more sugar, pitched the yeast in hot water and this time with an ale yeast) and theres already obvious frothing that looks more correct with pictures on the internet.
Sorry for the rambling but whats up with my first batch?
My first attempt at brewing anything; figured hard cider would be pretty easy. Went to my homebrew shop and picked up campden tabs, champagne yeast, a 1 gallon carboy, sanitizer and an airlock.
I got home and proceeded to sanitize everything. I then poured about 3/4 a gallon of apple juice (no preservatives, yes it had vitamin c) into the carboy. I didn't realize how important sugar was at this point so I only added one cup to the apple juice (for a one gallon batch). Oh I forgot I used half a campden tablet on the apple juice first and waited 24 hours before all these steps. I poured a little cinnamon into the apple juice and then pitched the yeast (first time, used cold water instead of hot water).
I noticed after 24 hours that there was bubbling through the airlock but my cider didn't quite look like other pictures on the internet. I have a clump of red stringy fuzzy looking things at the top that appeared around the same time as bubbles appeared in the airlock. It has been two days now and I noticed the top of my cider beginning to clear and I have bubbles in the airlock roughly twice every second or so. So its obviously fermenting but I still have this red stuff floating at the top. It appeared too quick to be mold but is this the champagne yeast? There is no foaming/frothing/anything besides some red stuff at the top, noticeable change of color, and bubbles in the airlock.
Started a second batch with following the correct steps (used more sugar, pitched the yeast in hot water and this time with an ale yeast) and theres already obvious frothing that looks more correct with pictures on the internet.
Sorry for the rambling but whats up with my first batch?