simple mash

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 4:33 pm

i was looking at the nutrition facts on a gallon bottle of apple cider and it seemed to have a lot of suger (30 g per serving). I can buy this VERY cheaply. Would it work to just buy a jug of it, throw some yeast in, and have it ferment? would i need to add extra sugar? or would it spoil before the yeast really started to ferment, b/c it's supposed to be refrigerated?

Also, would grapefruit juice work? at the store, they sell huge jugs of this for cheap. I think it may be too acidic though.

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:12 pm

I've fermented apple juice before. I know it has potasium sorbate in it as a preservative, but it has never failed to ferment when a decent sized starter was used.

There are 454 grams per lb. Calculate the amount of sugar in the juice then just add enough sugar to equal 2 lbs. per gallon of wash and ferment away.

Yes grapefruit and orange juice will ferment.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:22 pm

i've heard that when apple/orange juice ferments, the yeast produces a large amount of methanol. is there any way to tell which juices will give only small amounts of methanol? i don't like hangovers.

Josesillo · Post by **Josesillo** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:30 pm

not only a hangover, methanol is more dangerous as you may think, if you are worried of methanol in your distillate just take a bigger cut on the foreshots (150 ml).

Yttrium · Post by **Yttrium** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 9:21 pm

At least around me, apple juice is usually pastuerized and doesn't have preservatives, while apple cider often is not pastuerized and has preservatives. Of course, a careful reading of the ingredient list on the "nutrition facts" label will tell you if the cider/juice has something in it deterimental to your yeast.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:49 pm

well, i have decided to follow the law and abstain from distilling for awhile. thus, i have no way to remove any methanol and need to find something with a low methanol creation potential to brew.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:50 pm

because i'm just making wine here.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Dec 23, 2004 9:10 am

Anonymous wrote:because i'm just making wine here.

If your just making wine, you wont have to worry about the methanol. I have made many batches of hard cider and apple wine. I never really had problems with hangovers from it.