Got a tonne of questions, answers to any are appreciated

Mead, wine, beer, and any other form of alcoholic beverages, as well as vinegar.

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Got a tonne of questions, answers to any are appreciated

Postby McBrewNewb on Wed Sep 07, 2016 11:22 am

Help a brewing newbie out, i plan on fermeting fruits, will these do?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Youngs-Ale-o...92pHqqNSlKnOHQ

i plan to buy the cider yeast, apperantly it can withstand up to 15% alcohol, i want to have the highest amount possible without any sweetness, so i need to calculate exactly how much sugar i need to put/if any

i know you can use an hydrometer, will this do? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Triple-Scale...sAAOSwnipWX~Bp
I plan on making like 4.5 liters of it, any advice?, anything i should refrain from doing, wont the fruit rot in the 2 week period when its in the container?, should i use mineral water instead of tap water for a better taste?, also will 5 grams of that yeast be enough for 4.5 liters?, also can i just put yeast with water and sugar to create regular alcohol?, will it taste bad?, when its all finished can i drink the yeast or do i want to strain it off?, thanks to anyone that can answer any of my questions
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Re: Got a tonne of questions, answers to any are appreciated

Postby khoomeizhi on Fri Sep 09, 2016 5:47 pm

i'll see if i can help.

first, i don't have any experience with storebought yeasts. if you think you've found one that will work for you, go for it. (although, this place being what it is, have you considered using wild yeast?)

the link you have after asking about hydrometers has scales on it. hydrometers measure the specific gravity of a liquid, not weight. is that the right link?

when using fruit, the usual process is to have it in an open-topped (but covered with cloth or something most of the time) vessel for primary, so it's easier to access to stir and punch down the fruit. the fruit won't rot if it gets punched down a few times a day, and young wines/meads benefit from aeration in the early stages. by somewhere between 4 and 10 days or so, i'm usually straining things into a carboy with an airlock for the rest of fermentation.

mineral water vs tap, dunno. it's possible tap water could add some off flavors, but you won't know 'til you try. the difference may not be noticeable enough to make the expense worthwhile.

as far as i know most commercial yeast packets are supposed to be good for anything up to 5 gallons - so 5L should be fine.

just fermenting sugar water? yeah, that'll probably taste pretty bad. partly because the mixture is totally devoid of nutrients, so the yeast, if it does survive enough to make alcohol, will be stressed and making off-tastes and smells, as well as 'hotter' than usual alcohol flavors. you could fix that somewhat by adding yeast nutrient, but it would still probably not be very pleasant.

when it's all finished, the usual thing is to wait long enough that all the yeast and other particles in suspension drop out, then you rack the clear liquid off the dregs and bottle it. and then wait some more! generally the more alcohol in a wine or mead, the more aging it'll need before it's 'good'. with mead they usually say age one month per % alcohol. that's not a hard and fast rule, but consider that instead of insisting on making a 15% beverage that may be harsh for a while, you could aim a bit lower and be drinking something more tolerable sooner. just because a yeast *could* go to 15% - with proper handling - doesn't mean it has to. and it can be difficult, especially for a beginner, to take a yeast all the way to its limit. there's nothing really less cool about a 12% wine, when you come down to it.
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Re: Got a tonne of questions, answers to any are appreciated

Postby McBrewNewb on Sat Sep 10, 2016 3:20 am

khoomeizhi wrote:i'll see if i can help.
snip

thanks for your helpful reply, i decided not to add fruit pieces to it and instead go with juice all the way to avoid extra risks and steps, either way i wont buy the hydrometer, i will just add a few spoons of sugar and stop there, thanks for the help!
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Re: Got a tonne of questions, answers to any are appreciated

Postby khoomeizhi on Sat Sep 10, 2016 7:36 am

'a few spoons of sugar' added to juice might actually be fairly low alcohol. you may want to look up a brewing calculator online, to see how much juice + sugar makes how much alcohol. seems like maybe a cup or a bit more sugar would still be safe...
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Re: Got a tonne of questions, answers to any are appreciated

Postby McBrewNewb on Sun Sep 11, 2016 3:01 am

khoomeizhi wrote:'a few spoons of sugar' added to juice might actually be fairly low alcohol. you may want to look up a brewing calculator online, to see how much juice + sugar makes how much alcohol. seems like maybe a cup or a bit more sugar would still be safe...


now that i think about it you are right, 4.5 liters should take alot more than a few spoons, ill add a cup, it wouldve been easier if i had a hydrometer but im not in the mood for waiting for it and the glass tube to arrive in the mail, thanks for the advice!
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