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Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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Tell us more, how do you do it?
Cobbler
Codger bodger
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Have a look at Hamstead Home brew centre, they have a huge range of kits. I think it’s the biggest home brew shop in Britain, their own kits are good as well, used them several times, their Genius Stout kit is lovely.
But what does it taste like?
Shiny Steve
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The apples are put into a food grade glorified garden shredder to produce a pulp then this is put on the press in cloths with wooden lattice in between each of them and then given a good squishing to produce juice. (Modified old Clark workshop press)
Campden tablets are added to the juice and left for a couple of days then yeast is added.
Cider fermenting seems to be quite a slow process but we have kept a small batch in the warm to ferment quicker, it was decanted after about a month and Hase been left to settle, now seems quite drinkable.
The taste is very dry scrumpy style cider.
Campden tablets are added to the juice and left for a couple of days then yeast is added.
Cider fermenting seems to be quite a slow process but we have kept a small batch in the warm to ferment quicker, it was decanted after about a month and Hase been left to settle, now seems quite drinkable.
The taste is very dry scrumpy style cider.
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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Don't the initially Campden tablets kill the natural yeasts and impair the subsequent yeast's action?
Shiny Steve
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Yes the kill the natural yeast, but after a couple of days should be neutralized. That's when you add a know yeast to get a more consistent fermentation.
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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Well it's been 2 months since I made the Joe's Ancient Orange Mead Recipe. I'd left it, in the warm, (circa 25degC), in a dark place. I was pretty sure the fermentation was slowing or had stopped but couldn't be sure. Yesterday I took a look and was amazed at how clear it was, the recipe says it will clear all by itself. Might have been a trick of the light as to how clear though. There was some of the fruit still floating on top.
I lifted it out if where it was with the intention of racking it. By the time I got to the kitchen I'd stirred things up a bit and it wasn't as clear as I'd thought.
Left overnight in the pretty cold kitchen (17/18degC) in the hope it would clear. It hasn't. This is it this morning:
The only thing is that some more of the fruit has sunk to the bottom. Is that because it's gotten cold or just that moving the demijohn gave it a nudge to sink as it was on the brink? Not sure what to do now, rack it or put it back in the warm and see if it's still fermenting? I've just sat it on the oil boiler. Figured it'll warm up the lees and I'll note if it's still fermenting.
Back in the day, to clear, I'd have syphoned off a pint into a jug and mixed with an egg white.
I lifted it out if where it was with the intention of racking it. By the time I got to the kitchen I'd stirred things up a bit and it wasn't as clear as I'd thought.
Left overnight in the pretty cold kitchen (17/18degC) in the hope it would clear. It hasn't. This is it this morning:
The only thing is that some more of the fruit has sunk to the bottom. Is that because it's gotten cold or just that moving the demijohn gave it a nudge to sink as it was on the brink? Not sure what to do now, rack it or put it back in the warm and see if it's still fermenting? I've just sat it on the oil boiler. Figured it'll warm up the lees and I'll note if it's still fermenting.
Back in the day, to clear, I'd have syphoned off a pint into a jug and mixed with an egg white.
I'd rack it into a clean demijohn and chuck some finings in with it. I don't think it'll ever really clear all the time the fruit etc is floating around in it.
Or just drink it, if nothing else it'll clear you out. If you do, please report back but no pictures.
www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk
Or just drink it, if nothing else it'll clear you out. If you do, please report back but no pictures.
Buy Wine and Beer Finings From Our Home Brewing Range
Buy Wine and Beer Finings From Our Home Brewing Range @ The Home Brew Shop
www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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Right or wrong I racked it.
Can't say it tasted of much...
Had to stick the dregs through a tea strainer to get the remainder of the precious nectar!
Mixed up a pint of it with an egg white and dropped a crushed Camden tablet in it.
Going to make it up to the gallon with boiled water that's cooled.
Can't say it tasted of much...
Had to stick the dregs through a tea strainer to get the remainder of the precious nectar!
Mixed up a pint of it with an egg white and dropped a crushed Camden tablet in it.
Going to make it up to the gallon with boiled water that's cooled.
The_Yellow_Ardvark
https://www.death-clock.org/
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Looking good.
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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The mead I'd say has cleared on it's own really well. There's some lees at the bottom that it needs to be racked off of.
I was thinking of buying a filter. Something like the old Boots one that took the round filter pads. I don't think they're still around but is there a close copy made?
I was thinking of buying a filter. Something like the old Boots one that took the round filter pads. I don't think they're still around but is there a close copy made?
Maker
Most folk just call me; Orange Joe
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Just rack it off. Gravity filtering fines from a large volume is a huge pain, the paper quickly clogs and there's so little force pushing the liquid through so the filtration stalls and you have to change the paper. You'll have to try pretty hard to keep it all sterile too.
Commercial breweries use a pump and a Plate and Frame filter to get as much filter area as possible, and as much pressure behind it as possible, not really very feasible at home unfortunately.
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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Interesting, I religiously used to use the Boots one with consistent, great results.
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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Filtered the mead and started to bottle. Kids are just working on some labels.
One oddity, dug the years old, double lever crown corker out of the garage. De-rusted and de-ratted!
Depending on the bottle neck profile it sometimes dents the crown corks. Only done 3, 500ml, clear bottles so far, aiming for 10.
The one in the foreground has the depression the lid:
Can't remember if the crown cork machine maybe had a magnet in that's rusted off?
One oddity, dug the years old, double lever crown corker out of the garage. De-rusted and de-ratted!
Depending on the bottle neck profile it sometimes dents the crown corks. Only done 3, 500ml, clear bottles so far, aiming for 10.
The one in the foreground has the depression the lid:
Can't remember if the crown cork machine maybe had a magnet in that's rusted off?
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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I dug the crown corking machine out and gave it a clean. Needed a citric acid bath for the rusty bits!
Looking inside I think there might be a bit missing as that central, raised disc can mark the bottle cap:
Anyone got one? Guessing maybe there was a rubber washer or something there once?
Looking inside I think there might be a bit missing as that central, raised disc can mark the bottle cap:
Anyone got one? Guessing maybe there was a rubber washer or something there once?
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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I'm thinking the mead lost something through the two stage filter process. First coarse, then fine. Body/robustness I suppose you'd call it. Quite drinkable but maybe a bit lightweight. Or is it it just needs conditioning for a bit?
Oh well, suppose I'll have to make another gallon.
Oh well, suppose I'll have to make another gallon.
