Yeast

dasboot

Hi everyone,may i say what a fantastic find to stumble over this forum.Any way my question i have brewing my own cider and i am very happy with the results.I have been completing the second fermentation in 2litre cider bottles and it has had a very pleasing sparkle to it.But i seem to have to much yeast in the bottom of the bottle which spoils the final cider by clouding up.So is there a better way of doing this,or is it iam carrying to much yeast over from the first fermination,I have been racking it if at 1005 on the hydrometer,starting from 1050. Should i be leaving this longer ? Primary fermentation has been finished between two to three weeks, 5 galls at a time in the warmth of the kitchen, using a champagne yeast, I was going to try your 500 ml pet bottles next as smaller amount smaller amount of yeast.Could i do the second fermentation with the bottles inverted,so i could release the cap and pour this of,before turn the bottles over and pouring ??.Also what do you recomend for your plastic bottles,I was concerned about using clear uv light etc etc,not that it lasts that long...
Sorry to be a pest but what is the maximum temp for primary fermentation,I ask as I am retiring to the top north west tip of Thailand and i want to continue brewing there.

HBO_Staff

Hi Dasboot. Racking it at 1005 is fine, I rack mine at 1010. 2 to 3 weeks for primary fermentation sounds about right too so no problems there. You always get some sediment at the bottom of your bottles, it cant be helped. There is a few things you can do to reduce sediment. Firstly before racking you should alway keep your fermenting vessels undisturbed for a few days, to keep the sediment as compact to the bottom as possible. Also when syphoning, keep a eye on the end of the tube so you can see your not sucking any sediment up. Some cider makers will rack into a second fermenting vessel, leave it in for a few more days for any remaining sediment to settle, then bottle up. You could also experiment with using different yeasts, some yeasts are better than others and will leave a more compact sediment in the bottom of your fermenting vessel, so you'll pick up less when racking off.

Even if you do all of the above you'll still get some sediment in the bottom of your bottles. If you leave the bottles some where nice and cold for a few weeks upright and undisturbed, this will make the sediment harder to disturb and more compact. Then all you need to do is gently pour into a glass and leave the little murky bit in the bottom of your bottle. I wouldnt try inverting them myself, I could see it getting a bit messy.

The little clear 500ml bottles would be fine for Cider but you would need to keep them out of direct sunlight. If thats not going to be easy I would recommend the green or brown 500ml crown cap bottles. These bottles look alot nicer and are much better quality, but you would need to get a capper too. The green or brown bottles are all I use, I find glass to time consuming to clean.

As for NW Thailand, I think for the cooler seasons of the year it would be fine to brew, probably ideal. I've lived in Chaing Mai before so I've had a feel for the weather there. For the hotter seasons, some companies in Australia do yeasts to suit the very hot and humid climates. Probably be hard to keep everything clean and uncontaminated I would imagine. The hottest would probably be around 29, 30 ish, I'm guessing.

Hope this helps.

dasboot

Many thanks, I going home for a month,Dec/Jan,taking most of the things I need with me,yeast traps steriser etc. I have a few ideals for the rest of the kit and where to locate them,so iam going to have a trial brew. My home is traditional Thai being up on tree stumps to allow air flow,even in the hottest part of the day it feels quite a few degrees cooler ,will set up a thermometer but I feel the temp hovers in the mid twenties,it always is a lot more comfortable led out in the hammock just sipping a beer.
If a can source enough apple juice, I might even consider building a cool room at the back out of the sun,can't wait for the Thais to try Cider. Found out recently you need a licence in Thailand for home brew.
Anyway thanks for the help,I have 5 gallons to bottle this weekend,this I left for slightly longer in the first ferment, I had the PH at 3.8 and added a pinch of Tannin,so we will check this. I think leaving it in a cold place will help,but it never seems to last that long. Will be back in touch in Jan after I have had to suffer all that terrible sunshine over Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you and the staff........Many Thanks.....Dasboot, hic

HBO_Staff

Sounds like your going to have good christmas. Good luck with the the cider, all of us here are looking forward to hearing how it turns out. Merry Christmas.