Brand new to brewing, and on a very tight budget. I’m sick of the high prices of beer and liquor in my area, wanted to home brew.
I’ve acquired some equipment, and made two batches so far, very unhappy with the results.
Trying to make Hard Cider, with the aim of perhaps freezing it into Apple Jack later on. Honey is very expensive, but once I learn how to do this, I plan on making Mead also.
Using this pair of brew jugs from Amazon:
From Amazon: Home Brew Ohio One gallon Wide Mouth Jar with Drilled Lid & Twin Bubble Airlock-Set of 2
First time, used a commercial liquid no-rinse sterilizer on all items, Star San.
I strongly suspect each time that temperature was inconsistent.
First batch:
One gallon Apple Juice (member’s mark brand from Sam’s Club, no
preservatives),
One quarter teaspoon Yeast Nutrient per each gallon jug
(Amazon: Yeast Nutrient 1 lb. from Home Brew Ohio)
One fifth teaspoon (approximate) Champagne Yeast per gallon
(Amazon: Red Star Premier Blanc Wine Yeast, 5 g, )
Star Sans Sanitizer 4 oz.
Sanitized all items without rinsing, poured apple juice in jug leaving about two inches of air at top, then heated one fourth cup water to 100 degrees and dissolved yeast. Let yeast sit 20 minutes, added yeast nutrient to juice, then added yeast to juice.
Covered with lid and airlock, took about two days to begin ferment.
Seemed to bubble inconsistently, sometimes fast, sometimes seemed to stop.
After about ten days, tasted.
Very carbonated. Dry, sour, bitter. Very strong Vinegar flavor. No impression of alcohol.
Second batch was made the same way, except with these changes:
Used approx. one gallon apple juice Safeway Grocery Store “Signature Select” brand with only juice and ascorbic acid in it;
Also used approx. one gallon Safeway Grocery Store brand Cranberry Juice for the other gallon, again no preservatives in it except ascorbic acid. Did say it has some added sugar.
Used one tablespoon bleach to one gallon of water to make sink full of sanitizer. Boiled a large quantity of water to rinse with.
This second batch took 24 hours to begin fermenting, bubbled very aggressively for about three days, then seemed to completely stop.
Worried, I made up another quarter cup yeast, and added one tablespoon to each batch. Foamed furiously, capped back up, and began fermenting again.
After about ten days, stopped fermenting. Again, I think my temperatures where it was sitting were very inconsistent.
This time, apple juice a tiny bit better. Very dry, very carbonated. Sour flavor similar to a type of wine I powerfully dislike, I think Pinot Grigio.
Did not taste like vinegar, but like a sour and very weak wine.
The cranberry was incredibly bitter and very carbonated.
Poured into jugs, careful not to transfer yeast. Put about a quarter cup white sugar in each jug. Capped and sitting now.
Probably will end up pouring down the toilet unless this radically improves.
I’ve bought cider at the store, left it a long time in a cool place, and it has naturally turned “hard” by itself eventually. This was sweet and delicious. But cider from the store in expensive. I’m looking to produce alcohol cheap, very cheap, and delicious.
What I made completely destroyed any sweetness or flavor.
So, my questions are:
Am I using the wrong type of yeast? I like the fizzy carbonated result, but the dryness is bitter.
Should I be adding in some white sugar at the very beginning? The jugs are glass, can’t afford an explosion.
I have not invested in a thermometer or hydrometer. Are those two tools going to get me better results?
Am I fermenting too long? Too short? Will this improve with age?
What I’d like is a relatively fizzy but medium sweet Apple wine with high alcohol content.
What I most want to avoid is the SOUR flavor almost like sour Pinot Grigio white wine.
Cranberry wine would be nice also, though that came out incredibly bitter.