Raising yeasty-beasties

[casner6]

This year I finally decided to go ahead and try brewing. I've been "a-gonna do it" for a lot of years now, but never started. I bought an extra 15 pounds of honey from my coworker's father (locally sourced food!) intending to make mead as my first foray.  Cindy said, "We just picked and pressed 23 gallons of apple cider, you should make hard cider

Comments

[norahd]

Wow, Bruce! That sounds like a whole lot of work!How do you make sure that it does not "harden" into vinegar? However, it also sounds as if it might be a lot of fun - and taste good also. Do you remember how your grandma's grape juice sometimes turned into wine? Forbidden brew!

[casner6]

The line about bad bugs refers to the vinegar producing acetobacter. Prevention is basically a matter of making sure everything is clean, very clean, and preventing oxygen from getting into the brewing vessel. That's what the water lock does.

I've sampled some of the results when I have taken readings, and when I racked the fluid from the primary to secondary. It's pretty good already, and not done yet.

I didn't remember Grandma's juice turning, but I know we had some zippy cider when we stored it on the front porch a couple of times in the winter.

[krypton81]

yeast + sugar = :)

I have begun a renewed vigorous wine making program. I have 2 6 gal carboys full of dark alcoholic liquid. Tomorrow I hope to purchase another 25-30 lbs of fruit for the next batch. I decided if it take several years for the final product to peak, I need to be making a lot - what's the garage for after all.

[casner6]

I like your photo for this one. So that's about 60 wine bottles so far? Cindy says pause for now.