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Neko-chan
Lovin' The Homestead
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RobinsValleyVT
Power Conserver
Maybe from sulfites? I know a lot of people are sensitive to that, I get rashes on my neck and face when I drink anything with sulfites in it. Too bad, since I like Woodchuck's cider, but can't drink it often or in large quantities.valmom said:Ooh, I am certainly going to follow this thread!
SO gets migraines from beer, wine, and some liquor. Would mead be worth a try? We aren't sure that it isn't the yeast that is the culprit, but I could drink it!
I'm not sure about brewing without yeast, I'm sure there are techniques, I just haven't looked into it. I always thought even if you don't add yeast fermentation took place with the yeast that occurs naturally in the air, or in your fermenting liquid if you don't boil it. Hopefully someone else knows more about that, I'm definitely not a chemist!
RobinsValleyVT
Power Conserver
You could siphon off everything but the bottom layer of pulp and the cloudiest liquid and into secondary fermentation and it should clear up a bit more. There are clearing agents you can add as well, but our local brew shop guru says they work more for looks than taste or quality, so we don't add anything extra if we don't need to.Neko-chan said:I've seen bentonite used. How do you use the egg whites? Just mix em in?
The kiwifruit wine is fermenting merrily. I'm almost loathe to move it into a jug (I just used the last of my cheesecloth too, dang...) I added an extra cup of sugar (dissolved in some warm water) and it smells amazing. I can't get over how good it smells.The yeast must be feeding on the fruit pulp itself, because it feels like there's less fruit when I punch the cap down. The fruit has also lost it's vivid green color. The liquid itself is a pale cloudy green.
Time to go read up on second stage fermentation.
RobinsValleyVT
Power Conserver
The cyser (cider mead) we made with champagne yeast came out to about 12-14%, a bottle of that will kick you in the pants! It is dry, but after a few sips you get used to that and all the other flavors and some sweetness start to come through. By your second glass it just tastes good!k15n1 said:
I saw some people doing that for a huge vat. They stirred it and slowly poured in the egg whites. I think it's a pH-dependent trick. Anyway, see if you can find more information before you risk a nice batch of wine.Neko-chan said:
I've read that this same trick can be used for clearing up soup stock. Here, it's a temp thing, rather than pH. Anyway, I've tried this several times without even a eensy-teensy bit of success. It always ruins the stock and makes it even more cloudy that it started.
Dawn419
Almost Self-Reliant
Finally braving posting our watermelon wine attempt!
We weren't sure if we'd manage to pull this one off as I's spent weeks resaeching it and most folks won't waste time on this one due to the fact that the juice can spoil before fermentation. The yeast starter solved that problem for us.
Watermelon-Grape Concentrate Wine (makes 1 gallon)
6-8 lb watermelon
12 oz white grape concentrate
water to make up 1 gallon
juice and zest of 2 lemons
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 crushed Campden tablet
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Champagne or Sauterne wine yeast
Cut the rind off of melon, cut melon into one-inch cubes, remove loose seeds, and put melon and any free juice in primary. Thinly grate the yellow off two lemons, juice the lemons, and add the juice and zest (gratings) to primary. Add grape concentrate and crushed Campden tablet to primary. Add water to make up 3-3/4 quarts total liquid. Add sugar and stir well to dissolve. Cover primary with cloth, wait 24 hours and add yeast and yeast nutrient. Cover and ferment 5-7 days, stirring daily. Siphon off sediments into secondary, fit airlock and ferment 30 days. Rack, top up, refit airlock, and repeat 30 days later. After additional 60 days, rack, top up, and stabilize (add 1/4 tsp potassium sorbate and another crushed Campden tablet). Wait 10 days, rack, sweeten to taste and bottle. Allow to age in bottles 3 months to one year. [Author's recipe]
It's from Jack Keller's winemaking site.
Things we did differently:
Cut watermelon into slices, well away from the rind and put the slices into a strainer to juice it. The strainer contained most of the seeds...only had to pick out a few escapees by hand.
http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a7.../?action=view¤t=WatermelonWine11006.jpg
Added a yeast starter to jump start fermentation so the juice wouldn't spoil, which seems to be a big problem for most people who try this wine. We'd also read to refrigerate the juice for 24 hours before pitching the yeast but living in a camper with a dorm-sized fridge, this wasn't an option so we opted to "jump-start" fermentation.
http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a7.../?action=view¤t=WatermelonWine11004.jpg
We had a small sip when we siphoned off into the secondary and think it's gonna be good with a lot of time and patience, meaning it probably won't be deemed drinkable for atleast a year.
We weren't sure if we'd manage to pull this one off as I's spent weeks resaeching it and most folks won't waste time on this one due to the fact that the juice can spoil before fermentation. The yeast starter solved that problem for us.
Watermelon-Grape Concentrate Wine (makes 1 gallon)
6-8 lb watermelon
12 oz white grape concentrate
water to make up 1 gallon
juice and zest of 2 lemons
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 crushed Campden tablet
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Champagne or Sauterne wine yeast
Cut the rind off of melon, cut melon into one-inch cubes, remove loose seeds, and put melon and any free juice in primary. Thinly grate the yellow off two lemons, juice the lemons, and add the juice and zest (gratings) to primary. Add grape concentrate and crushed Campden tablet to primary. Add water to make up 3-3/4 quarts total liquid. Add sugar and stir well to dissolve. Cover primary with cloth, wait 24 hours and add yeast and yeast nutrient. Cover and ferment 5-7 days, stirring daily. Siphon off sediments into secondary, fit airlock and ferment 30 days. Rack, top up, refit airlock, and repeat 30 days later. After additional 60 days, rack, top up, and stabilize (add 1/4 tsp potassium sorbate and another crushed Campden tablet). Wait 10 days, rack, sweeten to taste and bottle. Allow to age in bottles 3 months to one year. [Author's recipe]
It's from Jack Keller's winemaking site.
Things we did differently:
Cut watermelon into slices, well away from the rind and put the slices into a strainer to juice it. The strainer contained most of the seeds...only had to pick out a few escapees by hand.
http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a7.../?action=view¤t=WatermelonWine11006.jpg
Added a yeast starter to jump start fermentation so the juice wouldn't spoil, which seems to be a big problem for most people who try this wine. We'd also read to refrigerate the juice for 24 hours before pitching the yeast but living in a camper with a dorm-sized fridge, this wasn't an option so we opted to "jump-start" fermentation.
http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a7.../?action=view¤t=WatermelonWine11004.jpg
We had a small sip when we siphoned off into the secondary and think it's gonna be good with a lot of time and patience, meaning it probably won't be deemed drinkable for atleast a year.
Tried the first batch of hard cider. Turned out OK. Put out a growler at a party and it was gone by the end of the night. Still have 2 gallons left... I'm going to kill off the years, sweeten it a bit, and bottle it up.
Many people add a bit of sugar and bottle it with the yeast still there to make sparkling hard cider (this always gives me a headacke) you made 'still' hard cider which can be very potent, some of my civilized friends add sugar to sweeten and water to knock the proof down for everyday sipping, spices sugar and water for mulled spicy cider for the holidays. Cutting it with plain apple juice (like a child's juice box works well too, cutting with orange juice makes a different Mimosa. ~gdk15n1 said:
