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Scarab1

Scarab1

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 9, 2012
66
1
0
Milwaukee, WI
Please be gentle. Complete newbie.
DATA:
48 oz Cherry Pom Concentrate
3 lb Cali Orange Bloss Hny
48 oz Spring water
5g EC-1118 (LAL)
--All liquids were heated and mixed..never brought to boil. I do not know exact temp do not have thermometer--

Would guesstimate 90 F and got a measurement off the charts and would guess by visual to be 1.176.

What am I to expect?
Is there any adjustments I should make before it goes too far?

Thanks
Steve
 
Did you by chance take a gravity reading of the concentrate and water mixture before adding honey? From the looks of the recipe, you've only got 96oz of liquid other than honey in there, and I'm assuming the concentrate had a decent SG.

I would bump up the volume with some more water to bring it somewhere in the 1.110-1.120 range. That should be a much easier must for the yeast to ferment in.
 
Thank you for the quick response. If i left it as is what would be the approx outcome with no contamination? Looking to go a month before rack.

No,i did not get a reading with water and concentrate only.
 
What you have is a 'high gravity must'
Whilst its possible to ferment it and have some residual sweetness with EC-1118, one of two things will happen
A. Very high alcohol content
B. Stalled out ferment.

Yeast will have trouble getting started under all that pressure.
The yeast may throw nasty flavours.
If it stalls out early, you'll have an over sweet brew.
If it ferments out, you'll have a high alcohol, hot brew, that will take years to mellow out.

There are techniques for brewing something this heavy, but 'chuck it all in and wait' is not one of them.
Suggest you water it down to 1.130 at least, then back sweeten after ferment.
 
Thank you for the additional info. Will attempt to add water to get it there now.

Edit - Added 40oz water and now at 1.140 still way too high?
 
Last edited:
Not mega high but a drop of 133 point gravity is equivalent to 18% ABVand given that yyou've use a cherry fruit base its liable to taste like very alcoholic cough medicine for a long time.

I'd take some out (pint or two), reserve that (in fridge with a quarter of campden tablet) let the rest down further and then ferment dry. Then use the reserved bit for topping up/back sweetening later on.
 
I am very new to this so I am not sure I want to pull some out to hold on to so I added 14oz water and am now at 1.127.

102 total oz of water..... can i leave this be for a week or so now?
 
yeah, FatBloke's idea was good, but you can backsweeten with anything.
Let it go now, and ask about backsweetening when it's finished.
You'll need some Potassium Sorbate and Potassium Metabisulphate from your LHBS
 
Ok, when should I check on it next? AND
When is 'done' ?

I have both of those from LD CARLSON
1oz Sorbate
100 tabs Meta
 
You have a hydrometer I recall reading, so take a reading regularly. (weekly will do)
When it stays the same for three weeks, it's done.
Due to the particulars of this particular brew, you can expect it to finish below 1.000
Now be patient ;-)
 
Thanks for all the great info. Lol
102 oz is about 3 liters...sorry did not realize it. Thanks again will check back when it quits on me
 
DAY 2 - I am seeing about 12 bubbles per minute this morning. There is a definate odor being emitted.

Is the CO2 being produced something to worry about in a small apartment or am I just being crazy?
***I have a pet that roams the floors so just thought I would ask.***
 
If you were doing large batches in a confined space then you might have to think about ventilation, but I doubt that a single 5 gallon or so batch is likely to be an issue.

I've got about 12 gallons on the go in our dining room and haven't noticed any problem...

The smell suggests that the ferment is nicely underway, so you should be thinking about daily aeration and whether you will need to add any more nutrient at the 1/3rd break....
 
Yea, I have just over a gallon(4.5L). I do not have an air stone or anything fancy. When you say I should aerate is there an 'easy' way for me to do this?

*Is is as simple as open, stir/whip, and close?**

My OG was 1.127 and the calculation that I worked out with FG of .990 gives me 1.081 as the 1/3 value. Am I aiming too low on the FG?

When I get to the Magical 1/3 value I will be required to add more sugar?

Thanks in advance,
Steve T
 
Well given that you reduced the gravity down to about 1.127 and 0.990 is a total drop of 137 points, it would be well on its way to 19% ABV. Which is a bit more that the tolerance so a more realistic FG would be 1.000 and the 1/3rd break doesn't have to be mega accurate, a little either side isn't gonna hurt any.

It's the point where you'd normally stop aerating and if you've split the nutrients its also the point where you'd add the last bit.

Yes, basic aeration is just opening the fermenter and stirring - once the foaming subsides keep stirring for a couple of minutes more. I often use an electric whisk or stick blender if I can. If the batch has fruit in it, I stir to remove the gaseous CO2 but then put some of the liquid in a liquidiser and blitz it that way (all kit sanitised of course). Then the aerated must is added back in.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2
 
Thank you for all of the great information.

So should I aerate daily until I get to the 1.085(ish) and then just let it be until it get's to 1.000?

I am assuming when it get's to the magic number(1.000) I will have to add my Sorbate and Meta?
 
Aeration to the 1/3rd break (some like to aerate twice a day I just do that once a day generally) then add any final nutrients and airlock off and let it do its thing. Once there's no bubbling, that's when you check the gravity every 2 or 3 days and when you have 3 consecutive identical readings its either finished or you work out what's going on. If its finished let it drop some sediment if its not finished and stalled it depends on where its stalled as to what you try next - cross that bridge if and when.

If you get 18% ABV you may not need to stabilise. Thats for if the yeast has room for further fermentation and you're intending to back sweeten with fermentable sugars.

Have a read of the NewBee guide in the meantime....

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2
 
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