Scr*w science. Brew it, drink it. End of story. On Wed, Aug 3, 2016 at 10:34 PM, Floyd Thursby via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote:
> I have the technology, I just never pay attention to it. I just brew it > and drink it! > > HyGrometer. > > --R > > > On 8/3/16 7:15 PM, Curley McLain via Mercedes wrote: > >> Brix is easy to measure with a hydrometer with a brix scale. About $15 >> from your FLWS (Friendly local wino supply) or presque Isle piwine.com >> . You just drop it in the brew, let it stabilize and read the brix >> number. >> >> Floyd Thursby via Mercedes <mailto:mercedes@okiebenz.com> >>> August 3, 2016 at 5:55 PM >>> I put about 5lb of sugar in my 2-2.5gal batch, I think it all got eaten >>> by the yeastie beasties, mostly as there was still a bit in there for fizz >>> after I bottled it. Putting some simple syrup in a bottle after I drank a >>> bit got it nice and sweet and fizzed up about right, so I guess that got it >>> just beyond what the yeast could eat, there was still some yeast in there >>> though to eat some sugar and fizz it up. Next time I'll go with maybe >>> 6-7lb sugar. I could do some specific gravity measures, but that is too >>> much work! I just want to drink it! >>> >>> --R >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Curley McLain <mailto:126die...@gmail.com> >>> August 3, 2016 at 12:19 PM >>> For naturally fermented bubbly: >>> In order to have sweetness left at the end of fermentation, you need >>> excess sugar beyond what is needed to produce the alcohol level that will >>> kill the yeast. >>> >>> In other words, if you use red star champagne yeast, it will die off at >>> about 16%, give or take, depending on temps. If you start with 23 BRIX, >>> after primary fermentation, before bottling, you will end up with a sweet >>> bubbly (and need high pressure bottles, Like waterloo W25. THis is good >>> for a winter/after dinner bubbly. If you start with 22 brix, you will get >>> a nice summer bubbly, less sweet. YMMV, but this will give you a couple of >>> starting points with specific yeast and specific bottles. >>> >>> The alternative is to add sulfites when you get to 3 or 5% or whatever >>> level you want. The sulfites will kill the yeast and stop the >>> fermentation. I call this the unnatural method, or the industrial method. >>> I can't give you specifics for this because I have only made rustic, or all >>> natural bubbly products. A good wino supply should be able to give you >>> specifics. The all natural method is harder to get right, but much more >>> satisfying. Plus, many people can't take the sulfites. The sulfites may >>> produce various gastric distress, from heartburn to indigestion, Diarrhea, >>> etc. and even allergic reactions. People who said they could not drink >>> wine, whom I was able to convince to try my hooch, loved it and said it did >>> not bother them like commercial wines. >>> >>> In the PRCa, the wild yeast/natural fermentation wines like I made are >>> now considered very high end stuff. ($100/bottle) Wish I coulda got 1/4 >>> that! >>> >>> Also, be aware that if a naturally fermented bubbly has its temperature >>> elevated, say 80ºF or higher, the fermentation will restart, and increase >>> the pressure on the bottle. >>> >>> I once had a bottle from Von Stiehl winery in WI blow up in the back >>> seat of my 200D while at an MBCA meeting. It was a very hot sunny day. I >>> think back then perhaps the good Doktor Von Stiehl did not use sulfites. >>> (MB content) >>> >>> FWIW, I found some ginger beer called Pedal Hard here recently. It is >>> quite good. It is better than their root beer, called Row Hard. >>> >>> >>> Rich Thomas via Mercedes <mailto:mercedes@okiebenz.com> >>> April 8, 2016 at 7:08 PM >>> A few weeks back I made a ginger brew, something like 4-5lb of ginger >>> root I shredded up in the food processor then boiled it in a coupla gallons >>> of water for an hour or so with 4-5lb of dark raw sugar. Put it in the >>> fermenter with some champagne yeast for about 10 days then put it in some >>> 1L soda bottles and left it sit for 2 weeks. >>> >>> Tasted it and it had a little bit of fizz but no sweetness -- I guess >>> all the sugar had been fermented. It tasted kinda like a ginger wine, was >>> good with a very good ginger punch. Not bad but no sweetness. I made some >>> dark n' stormies with about 1/2L out of a bottle and a bit of simple syrup, >>> then added some simple syrup to that bottle, it has sat for a week and >>> fizzed up a bit more but is sweeter now, more like a ginger ale/beer. >>> >>> Made a cocktail tonight with some Goslings and my sweeter fizzier ginger >>> brew and WOW!!!! is it good. I think the ginger brew has a pretty good >>> ethanol level now too. I gave 3L away and have 9L more, so need to work on >>> it! More Goslings needed! >>> >>> OOOPS my cocktail is gone, buhbah!!!! >>> >>> --R >>> >>> _______________________________________ >>> http://www.okiebenz.com >>> >>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >>> >>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >>> >>> >> _______________________________________ >> http://www.okiebenz.com >> >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >> >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >> >> > -- > --FT > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
