cider

[c45183]

gday all

 

 

 

i put a cider down on sunday the 7/8 and still no sign of it starting to ferment, this is my first effort at cider so maybe this is the norm.if anyone has a suggestion i would be happy to listen.

 

 

 

cheers

 

 

 

ciderstuck

[PB2]

If the airlock is not bubbling look for other signs of fermentation;

 

• condensation on the inside of the lid,

sediment build up at the base of the fermenter,

scum ring around the top of the brew (may not be noticeable with cider),

a sample from the tap should be foamy and cloudy,

by now the specific gravity should be less than when first mixed.[/list:u]

[c45183]

Thanks Paul for your reply,

 

 

 

There are no signs of what you mentioned and the hydrometer is reading over 1.050,maybe my yeast is in poor nic, can i try more yeast?

 

 

 

cheers

 

Anthony

[PB2]

You can... be aware that the longer you leave a brew sitting without active yeast working in it the more chance their is of spoilage.

 

I am assuming that the current brew temp is 18\xb0C or higher?

[c45183]

Thanks Paul

 

My brew is at 28 degrees at the moment and when I left for work it was bubbling every 25 seconds or so.I think cider may need more heat to ferment,i hope it starts to ferment faster,only time will tell.

 

 

 

Cheers for your advise

 

 

 

Anthony

[The Brew Master]

Hi Anthony,

 

If you like cider try substituting 2 litres of water with 2 litres of unsweetened apple juice. This tends to give the finished product more body.

 

Happy Brewing,

 

 

 

Regards, Peter

[PB2]

Yeast reacts to temperature, the higher the temp the faster it works.

 

 

 

A temp of 28\xb0C should be more than enough for plenty of fermentation activity...reasons for slow airlock activity could be:

 

The strain of yeast is not overly aggressive,

 

The viability (amount of live, healthy cells) is low,

 

Insufficient oxygen dissolved in the brew at the start,

 

 

 

or the most likely reason

 

 

 

The fermenter does not have a perfect seal.

[c45183]

Thanks fellas

 

 

 

My ferment is going well now,it just seems less vigerious than my beer ferments.I will be buying a new seal tonight.

 

Thanks again Paul for your advise,I think this is a great forum and will be visiting alot more in the future.

 

 

 

CHEERS

 

Anthony.

[PB2]

Anthony,

 

you don't need go out and buy another seal...coz you don't need to have a good seal to make good beer!

 

 

 

All I was trying to say is that a poor seal will cause the airlock to bubble less or not bubble at all. Don't use airlock activity as an indication of fermentation activity.

[Oliver]

ciderstuck,

 

 

 

If it's 28C now, what was the temperature when you pitched the yeast?

 

 

 

It's possible that it was so warm as to have killed the yeast.

[c45183]

Gday fellas

 

 

 

My brew is bubbling nicely but has a funky smell,I hope this is normal.I got the new seal so will replace the old one next brew.The wort was about 22 degrees when I added the yeast so no probs there,I still believe it is poor yeast.

 

Talking to a mate at the pub tonight and mentioned adding apple juice to cider brews, he has been doing that for years,even cuts up pears and throws them in,thinks its great, he's dropping in tomorrow with a few,cant wait.

 

I guess anything goes when you brew your own,

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Anthony