What are you brewing?

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

Nice!

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Brewed my first cider a month ago.
From the bag. And its realy good. Only added 1/3 of the sweetener and the whole bag of lemon and berry flavor. Even SWMBO likes it. Filled 2 party kegs (5l each) and bottled the rest. Verry strong though! Didn't take gravity measurements [emoji28]. Cleared nicely, yeast formed a solid at the bottom so you can poor the whole bottle without sediment joining. I think its a Champaign yeast, very small bubbles with no head to speak off. For sure im brewing this again.

I probably was one like this:



I'm hopefully starting my Mango and Raspberry pouch cider today. Everyone I see talking about these pouches have nothing but good things to say about them, so I'm really looking forward to it.

On that note, my next brew (Dublin Dry Stout) has arrived. Thanks to Crafty for the recommendation - price was right and it looks to be a little more "sophisticated" kit than your regular cans and bags. I'm hoping to find some cacao nibs before I brew it to enhance the chocolate flavour, but I can't seem to find places with stock. Also don't really want to spend "health food" prices for a handful of them, since those prices can be simply crazy.

[Guest Close AtronSeige]

I'm hoping to find some cacao nibs before I brew it to enhance the chocolate flavour, but I can't seem to find places with stock. Also don't really want to spend "health food" prices for a handful of them, since those prices can be simply crazy.

You can try baking stores (like Jodees, Cadies). Not sure what they might be called in Pta. They should have stock. Or ask at a local home industry (tuis nywerheid) where they get it.

If you really struggle, post again and I can see if I can get the restaurant supply store that has stock.

[Guest Close AtronSeige]

For sure im brewing this again.

Glad your brew went well! I might just make this for the wife.

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

Giving the wife some more treats to bribe her into allowing me to continue the hobby in the kitchen... Doing an experimental little 3.5l batch of Liquifruit apple cider courtesy of some US05 yeasty bugs.
Quite new to making a non-kit cider ... So far very little foam but surprisingly fizzy when tapped.
Expect to prime it a bit and back sweeten with xylitol in a week or so

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

You can try baking stores (like Jodees, Cadies). Not sure what they might be called in Pta. They should have stock. Or ask at a local home industry (tuis nywerheid) where they get it.

If you really struggle, post again and I can see if I can get the restaurant supply store that has stock.

Thanks man, I'll post again if I have trouble! I see that Brewmart near my house sold it, but seems to be out of stock. I'll pay them a visit a bit and ask them to order a packet for me. Got quite a few of baking stores around as well, so I might just get lucky!

On what I'm brewing - right now, nothing. Fermenter is standing around looking all empty and boring, but that's the way it is for now.

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Giving the wife some more treats to bribe her into allowing me to continue the hobby in the kitchen... Doing an experimental little 3.5l batch of Liquifruit apple cider courtesy of some US05 yeasty bugs.
Quite new to making a non-kit cider ... So far very little foam but surprisingly fizzy when tapped.
Expect to prime it a bit and back sweeten with xylitol in a week or so

Would you mind posting process and a possible price breakdown when you're done? I'm wondering if it's worth it to make a cider like this or if it's cheaper to just a pouch with a bag of dextrose like I currently have.

[atunguyd Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close atunguyd]

Toxxcy,

Coincidently I saw last night that my coffee bean supplier also supplier caocao.
Check out www.cultivar.co.za and click on offer list.



Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Toxxcy,

Coincidently I saw last night that my coffee bean supplier also supplier caocao.
Check out www.cultivar.co.za and click on offer list.

Thanks man, will check them out! Are they nibs though?

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

... On what I'm brewing - right now, nothing. Fermenter is standing around looking all empty and boring, but that's the way it is for now.

Whaaaaaat!?

Would you mind posting process and a possible price breakdown when you're done? I'm wondering if it's worth it to make a cider like this or if it's cheaper to just a pouch with a bag of dextrose like I currently have.

After the fact I think a kit might be cheaper, but to analyse:
-2x1.5L Apple Liqui @R38, diluted to 3.5L gives R22/L
-Current BFA cider kit @R360 makes 20L gives R18/L with the bonus of the apple aroma

All in all, I would be happy with the higher price just for pure spur-of-the-moment convenience, but obviously in small batches only.

So far the method was:
1. 2x1.5L Liquifruit Apple, poured from high to aerate, measured 1.050
2. I wanted to lower ABV a bit, so adding 500ml took it down to 1.042
3. Added 3g US-05, rehydrated

The rest TBC, but plans are:
4. Ferment 2 weeks-ish in primary
5. Clarify 2 days with ~1g gelatine, still in primary
6. Bottle direct and then dose each bottle with a dextrose/xylitol syrup to carbonate/ backsweeten.
7. Taste after 2 weeks; 1 month; 3 months; 6 months

The above method might be a moot point if it turns out icky.

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Whaaaaaat!?



After the fact I think a kit might be cheaper, but to analyse:
-2x1.5L Apple Liqui @R38, diluted to 3.5L gives R22/L
-Current BFA cider kit @R360 makes 20L gives R18/L with the bonus of the apple aroma

All in all, I would be happy with the higher price just for pure spur-of-the-moment convenience, but obviously in small batches only.

So far the method was:
1. 2x1.5L Liquifruit Apple, poured from high to aerate, measured 1.050
2. I wanted to lower ABV a bit, so adding 500ml took it down to 1.042
3. Added 3g US-05, rehydrated

The rest TBC, but plans are:
4. Ferment 2 weeks-ish in primary
5. Clarify 2 days with ~1g gelatine, still in primary
6. Bottle direct and then dose each bottle with a dextrose/xylitol syrup to carbonate/ backsweeten.
7. Taste after 2 weeks; 1 month; 3 months; 6 months

The above method might be a moot point if it turns out icky.

It'll turn out fine. Buy some Strongbow cider to see what it might taste like. I found Strongbow to be closer to home brewed ciders than your typical Savannah ciders.

On the cost - it's not bad. I suspect that when you get the juice on special it might be quite cheap, mostly because the cider kit I have was closer to R500 for the lot. R475 for the pouch and R20 for the dextrose. Making 23 litres, the total cost will be:

Pouch: R475
Dextrose: R20
Water: R25
Total: R515

Over 23l, that leaves R22,39 per liter, or R10.30 per 440ml bottle (if I get 50 bottles out of it, which I should as per experience). Cheaper than store bought cider, but not really "cheap" in the true sense of the word.

PS: Fermenter is empty as exams are closing in, but I do suspect a kit brew can be squeezed into a quick rest session this weekend... :P

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Fixed my above issue. Mangrove Jack's Raspberry and Mango Cider pouch is in the fermenter. VERY impressed with this kit, like, A LOT. It contains a specified M02 Cider Yeast, and not your typical workhorse yeasts that you get in most pouches. The flavour of the unfermented cider juice is also a lot better than I expected, even without the "flavour sachet" you get to add in the end. I think this will turn out really, really well, can't wait for it!

Another pro - took literally 10 minutes to put together, if you follow the instructions to the T. Boil a kettle of water, add sugar and hot water to the fermenter, stir to dissolve the sugar (which happens quickly if you use dextrose), add the juice from the pouch and top off with cold water. Add the sweetener and yeast and you're good to go!

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

Fixed my above issue. Mangrove Jack's Raspberry and Mango Cider pouch is in the fermenter. VERY impressed with this kit, like, A LOT. ...

Look forward to your feedback on this kit

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

Whaaaaaat!?



After the fact I think a kit might be cheaper, but to analyse:
-2x1.5L Apple Liqui @R38, diluted to 3.5L gives R22/L
-Current BFA cider kit @R360 makes 20L gives R18/L with the bonus of the apple aroma

All in all, I would be happy with the higher price just for pure spur-of-the-moment convenience, but obviously in small batches only.

So far the method was:
1. 2x1.5L Liquifruit Apple, poured from high to aerate, measured 1.050
2. I wanted to lower ABV a bit, so adding 500ml took it down to 1.042
3. Added 3g US-05, rehydrated

The rest TBC, but plans are:
4. Ferment 2 weeks-ish in primary
5. Clarify 2 days with ~1g gelatine, still in primary
6. Bottle direct and then dose each bottle with a dextrose/xylitol syrup to carbonate/ backsweeten.
7. Taste after 2 weeks; 1 month; 3 months; 6 months

The above method might be a moot point if it turns out icky.

Turns out I lied. The price I remembered was actually for a larger Liquifruit. So, to correct...

-2x1.5L Apple Liqui @R28, diluted to 3.5L gives R16/L

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Look forward to your feedback on this kit

Where in JHB are you? I'll do you one better - when it's done in a month or so, come pick one up and check for yourself!

Turns out I lied. The price I remembered was actually for a larger Liquifruit. So, to correct...

-2x1.5L Apple Liqui @R28, diluted to 3.5L gives R16/L

That ain't half bad. If you do this large scale (~23l batches), you can get a packet of yeast for ~R50 and that'll work out cheaper than the pouch. It'll depend if you backsweeten or not, though.

PS: My kit's OG measured in at 1.040.