Do I stir

Mike77

I am fermenting another John bulls mix. My first one did not turn out well after 6-7 weeks it still is yeasty tasting almost a vinegary wine. I am quite sure I did something wrong just not sure what. One suggestion I heard was that it did not ferment all the way as when it got to 1.000 I bottled straight away and did not wait a few days to see if it changed so it was suggested to stir the brew to get it fermenting. Or my bottles were not cleaned properly. If I stir the mix every two or three days will that be bad. should I leave it longer can I leave it in primary ferment to long were I would loose the brew. I have heard good things about John bulls so am willing to give it another go. But want to get this right this time

Mike77

As a side comment I keep my cider fermenting at 24 deg is this to warm or a good temp

HBO_Staff

24 degrees is a warm temperature and it will ferment quickly, the most important thing is to check that everything that will come into contact with the cider is sterilised and clean, a vinegary smell/taste can be a sign of contamination. As long as everything is well cleaned the risk of contamination is greatly reduced, although it can still happen and is just one of those things unfortunately. We suggest once it is mixed up and the yeast added, leave covered over and somewhere out of the way for a few days and it will ferment on it's own. Towards the end of the fermentation time check the hydrometer reading and it needs to be low and constant, leaving an extra day or two is no problem and ensures you don't bottle or barrel too early, but try to avoid leaving it in the fermenting vessel for too long as it is best syphoned away from the dead yeats sooner rather than later. Let us know how you get on