Same actually, watching all your videos and putting the links in your vids has made me spend about $400 on things. Very thankful for the help you guys provide and the new hobby!
Hey. The sanitize the scissors guy... his mind was in the right place. Kudos to him. He will learn as he goes. He'll learn what corners to cut after time. But ill bet he'll has a lot less botched batches than the average homebrewer. Good for him😊
It is absolutely safe to let a half-bottle carbonate, but you are likely to get a half-carbonation. The air above a carbonated drink is a spring, and carbonation needs it to be compressed. Too little air space and the air gets very high pressure and can become a bottle bomb if you added too much sugar. Too much air space and the pressure doesn't rise as much because more goes into compressing the air.
I don't even drink. Why did I watch this entire video, after watching the entire other blueberry cider video? Cause you two are neat and funny. And you make it sound so good that I almost wish I did drink.
I think the sanitized scissors thing comes from a lot of the pre packages kits you can buy. They always mention sanitizing the scissors in their instructions. If Red Star would just make packets that rip we wouldn't have to worry LOL! Can't sanitize it all folks just do what you can! Can't wait to try this recipe!
If we used regular sugar, it would ferment again. That, combined with trying to carbonate would continue to ferment until the bottles exploded due to pressure buildup. So by using a non-fermentable sugar, we got a safe amount of carbonation and a good sweetness level.
Absolutely love you two! I've started on my first project because of watching you. A apple/pear/raspberry cider to start! Why also raspberry? That was the condition my fiancee set for me starting this hobby 😂 going to go a little nuts pretty soon and buy at least 4 more fermenting bottles because I looooooooove mead!
For 1 gallon batches I have a mini keg that fits in fridge and I can pressure it up as much as I want and serve it directly from the mini keg while it sits on the fridge shelf. I know that doesn't complete the video cider bottling video but for your own drinking of the brew you can actually unbottle and put in keg and drink from the mini and no one has to know. 🙂
Just want to say you both rock.. there are many people who make wine vids but never go over the why and how's Like the two of you do. You explain every step and show the failures (few and far between) which is why you are my go to on wine, ciders, and meads. Thanks a lot for everything you do and all the work that goes on off the camera. Shane A Chelsea, Maine
Last fall I made a straight apple cider using Safcider AC-4 for primary fermentation, but it was 3 months later (racked 3x, including off one cold crash) I had none left to add for carbonation, and used a Champagne yeast- Red Star Premier Cuvee because that's what I had on hand. I was very pleased with the results. Crisp, fruity, and with great carbonation. You've inspired me to try an apple/blueberry using frozen wild berries. I had tried once before using a blueberry concentrate, and It was not optimal.
Awesome video, lots of great information as well as fun and humor! I don't mind the cats if they appear, and y'all having fun is so infectious! Made me smile and laugh with you. Love love blueberry, it's in my top 3 favorite (mango, blueberry, watermelon) fruits so this recipe is wonderful.
Just went to Maiden Rock cidery and orchard and had their Crabby cider. It's made from 100% mixed crabapple juice off their trees. As a cider hound seeker, I thought 8t was the best pure apple cider I've ever drank. They somehow got the essence of those apples to shine through. Bad thing was that they hadn't bottled any yet, so it was just an in-person experience. You all are getting me close to try my own, especially with that choco pomegranate wine. Yum!
I finally did it. Made a batch of cherry cider 2.3 gallons (9 litres) of cider. Also making another standard batch of 9 liters of cider. Just shy 5 Gallons of cider
Finally got my first batch of this recipe started last night 8:30 Fermenter in pan. Used full package Safale S04 and 2.5G Fermaide O. Last minute remembered need to add black tea! Stirred in very slowly but still hot. Fermenting started within an hour, supercharged airlock this morning! Thx again for a successful start to this great tasty new hobby. Youtze 2 rock!
First? Editing later, after watching. LOL EDIT: Awesome scores! Last week I took sole of my meads to a farewell party. All were melomels, finished on the semi-sweet side. I live in an area where mead is a virtual unknown. Almost everyone who tasted them came to me telling me they tasted my ‘cider’. Every time I told them what I brought was actually mead. THEY LOVED THEM! The person for whom the party was took some with him to have his mother, who is from a family of commercial wine makers in Italy. He wanted her to taste my product. A few asked me if I was willing to sell them a few bottles. Nope: it’s illegal and that’s a risk I’m not willing to take. One of them however was so taken with my melomels he kept insisting. So we’re going to trade skills. My melomels for his woodworking. Happy days. Next time all of us get together I need to have a few ciders to contribute. This one needs to be in the line-up. That means I’ve got work to do. Happy days!
Juicing apples yourself tastes so much better than store bought in my opinion. I'm including concentrate. Done several different tests over 3 years. Fuji apples produce the best Cyser I've personally had.
I just bought a starter kit and all the testers bottles and Sterilizing mix To make my own Wine And cider ❤ Love your Show ! . Found You both on utube watch alot of your shows this weekends. both are knowledgeable in making homemade Brew. 😋 Just retired And have been wanting to do this .Blueberry cider sounds yummy Good 👍
Love the channel. I've been following you all since "My First Mead" popped up on my TH-cam feed during the pandemic. I've made many of your brews, with various success, and I really appreciate you all making these videos and teaching me how to brew. Several years ago now you made a series of videos for a blueberry buckwheat hydromel. I made that brew over and over with tons of success, but when we moved I lost the recipe. You all seem to have taken the videos down now (possibly because the blueberries you recommended in the video had sunflower oil on them? That's just a guess). I would very much like to make this brew again. It was a great mead that didn't take nearly as long as a traditional mead. If you felt so inclined as to post that recipe, I would be incredibly grateful. Like I said, love the channel.
@@CitySteadingBrews Certainly. And I suppose I could probably just recreate the recipe myself. It wasn't a very complicated one. I'd just have to remember the rules around how much honey for how much gravity, etc. I think most of that fell out of my brain when my second child was born. I could probably figure it out, but I also didn't want to be making a brew that was like actively bad to make, no matter how much I enjoyed drinking it.
I've only used Mangrove Jack's Cider Yeast M02 yeast for making the ciders I've done. It was recommended by our local home brew store. So far, I really like the results over the last 3 years of cider. I'd love your opinion on it! 😁 I just made a batch of cider with Transparent apples and Lambert cherries out of my yard. Holy crap! Did it work fast and furious! 5 days of the air lock burping every 1-3 seconds until my SG was 1.001. Rack, back-sweeten and pasteurized at about 6% ABV. I'll let you know next summer out of the keg & keezer. The packet states: "A high ester-producing cider strain imparting wonderful flavor depth, reveling the full fruit potential. Makes exceptionally crisp, flavoursome and refreshing ciders." From the back of the pack: Attenuation (95-100%) Flocculation very high (5/5) alcohol tolerance 17.5% (out of Auckland NZ packed in the UK). BTW, I still want to make a huckleberry cider... Someday!
Regarding carbonation: Try to open one of those at about 55F. That should be cool enough to inhibit geysering, but warm enough for the CO2 to fully express. 40F will almost always inhibit natural carbonation from expressing fully. Not having made ciders, I don't know if you get this effect, but in making beers, you know your stuff is carbonated when you get a light film of lees on the bottom of the bottles. Also, an old rule of thumb is when the airlock is only bubbling every two to four seconds, that's when you should carbonate (as there will still be a healthy enough colony of yeast to do the job). Anyhow, some of this may be helpful.
@@CitySteadingBrews Yeah, there may be a certain level of risk there. I haven't ever had a problem with it, but you might. I mean, your method works, so why mess with it?
Looks lovely!! For me, where I live, we have lots of fruit growers and beautiful produce in season, so I pick or buy fresh blueberries (and other fruit) and freeze them for brewing, and I freeze fresh pressed cider when I can for this purpose also. I never use Campden tablets anymore - I am still bitter about the gorgeous colour of my strawberry-rhubarb wine that was totally RUINED (bleached out) by adding Campden a few years back lol. I would rather take my chances with yeasty-beasties than do that again. My latest strawberry/blueberry/rhubarb wine is a nice dark red-pink colour and should age nicely!
Super vidéo ! Being a french retired in Belhaven NC, after doing apple cider with some Friends at Sainte Mère Église in Normandie for over 10 years, it IS better to taste any ciders (like beers!) Not too COLD, and you may have more fizz and carbonation, don't change 😂
Watching you two always brings a smile to my face. Thank you for doing what you do, I have a LOT of backlog to catchup on, and I intend to get through it. First ever batch of mead has been racked, second batch will be underway in the next week, all thanks to your teachings and advice
I'm probably coming to the comments a bit late, but I've just processed 5 gallons of cider from our apple tree and am looking for ways to back-sweeten and include some additional fruit flavors in some of my upcoming brews. I typically add a few grains of EC-1118 as my "insurance yeast" but I add them to each bottle. I've gone through several batches of dry sparking cider using the EC-1118 grains in the bottle technique and have yet to have any not restart fermentation.
We never saw any bubbles in our 5 gallon bucket fermentation and we are 5 days in. Bucket lid is secure and air tight and the room smells like blueberry bread. Only thing I was curious about was pitching the yeast on top vs mixing it in. This is our first home brew so we are anxious new parents with this brew.
When I open a bottle of my homebrewed cider and find it lacking carbonation, I'll pour it into a cleaned, clear 20oz pop bottle, affix a carbonation cap and hook it up to a CO2 tank from when I kegged all my brews. A quick shake and I can salvage any drink into something bubbly. Well worth the small, initial cost.
This looked really beautiful and it's for sure a recipe I would try to replicate, with a little twist. Here in Sweden (and in many parts of the northen parts of the world) we have bilberries instead of blueberries (but we still call ours blueberries). Also called "Nordic Wild Blueberries"... Actually it would be fun to see you try this recipe with those, to see how you would experience the difference, if you somehow could get your hands on some. (they're difficult to transport, at least fresh. Frozen shouldn't be a problem). One thing that's interesting: The Anthocyanin content in American wild blueberries is 150 mg / 100 g. It's the pigment that turns it blue, red and purple. Bilberries has 800 mg / 100 g. Imagine the color of that cider ;)
yah, here a lot of our wild blueberries are actually huckleberries, purple guts instead of white, growing up on both i just didn't notice the difference in flavour, they seem similar, might make a very purple beverage, and they're easier to ship fresh, being from north america.
I've truly enjoyed watching and learning from you over the last year and a half. Including adding to my vocabulary with derica created words. The only problem is that when I view other channels I have difficulty biting my tongue. I recently watched someone make a wine from table grapes, water, various spices, bread yeast, and enough sugar to choke a horse. They go on to say that it is ready to drink after 3 days and that it is 10% abv and ready to bottle. All without using a hydrometer, mind you. O.M.G. After getting a hold of myself, I sometimes give a brief explanation of why the information is not entirely safe and or accurate, and then direct them to your channel in the hopes of clearing things up and saving them from themselves. Oh yeah, great video. Highly recommend using frozen wild blueberries. Took my wines to another level in regards of flavor and color.
I recently got into brewing my own mead and cider, I love how to the point you guys are and how informative you are in every one of your videos. You guys have really helped me learn the craft and essentially held my hand through the scary parts like racking and gravity readings. Would you guys consider making any videos on brewing beers like lagers and ales? I'd like to try my hand at those.
Hello guys, this looks incredible. I’m going to get some supplies tomorrow for my next few brews and this will be one. It looks nice and easy and from your reactions it’s delicious. I’m going to try the carbonation technique you used here. What an easy video to watch. Very funny and great info. Cheers guys 🇦🇺
That’s was pretty great. Yea I’ve had issues with natural carb. And I even got a small keg and it works better but I can’t bottle from it. It loses carb fast.
I do half bottles with carbonation with beer all the time. I use them as testers to see if the priming worked. I only let them sit for maybe 3-4 days and then pop it open. If i get that delightful pop i know its working and the others are carbonating nicely. There is more room for pressure in a half bottle, but there's also less brew, so it won't make as much CO2. I think its safe, as long as your bottle is good.
I had that wierd smell before in different brands of apple juice. Campden tablets wouldn't cause that smell but the apple juice would. I think it was the brand of apple juice that you used in the other video. I always use this type of apple juice in this video
We have used it before and never had that smell. A few others said the sulfites could cause it. We haven't used them since and no smell, but that could just be coincidence too.
I picked 1.75kg of wild raspberries today (in Scotland). By the look and smell of them there are at least 3 different varieties. Got super lucky and found a single raspberry cane loaded with golden raspberries... Won't be using them for wine or jam... They are going on top of my Christmas pavlova. Been a productive day. If you read my previous comments you'll know I had no plans to brew anything this year... And as such, I don't have the "proper" wine and cider making equipment. What I do have... Is a laboratory... This year I'll be making raspberry wine, using knowledge I learned on this channel + lab glassware. If I do okay... Next year I'll buy some fermenting jars and demijohns...
Been binge watching your videos for a few months, just now decided to drop about $250 on some brewing gear :D very excited to get into home brewing. Thank you both for the content!
Hey there i started homebrewing the same time as you , i discovered your videos and have watched them weekly ever since, as a Brit and a big cider fan, dissapointed to see another failed carbonation attempt, my own opinion obviously,, My rule of thumb that has never let me down once in 5 years, 10g of sugar per litre of must, for a Us gallon i would go 40g, try it once, if i am wrong i will eat humble pie, Keep the videos coming, one of the highlights of my week
A bit more sugar might not hurt. 40 g vs the 28 we used should be fine. Our channel started 5 or so years ago but we started years before that. Just simple stuff.
You are both an inspiration, always pushing boundries, i have recently done an appel cyser methaglin that I am going to fortify it with apple jack daniels for a tasty Xmas drink I live in the Shetland islands in the uk, check us out on google Sending love from one of your most remote fans ❤
Another great video. I seem to be saying that a lot, cause it's true 😁. I'll be looking for a bunch of fresh blueberries now. I searched for information on carbonation and partial bottles and the majority of replies said there should be no difference between a full bottle and a partial bottle except a possible bitter taste from excessive carbon dioxide in the container. I've never had a problem when carbonating and leaving headroom. But I'll also add, I've never made anything with strong carbonation because I think soda and beer are way over carbonated 😊👍🙏❤️
I recently finished a Brewer's Best Scottish Ale, and was left with a half bottle upon bottling. I've also heard both sides on whether or not to keep partial bottles so I decided to try it myself. The beer barely carbonated, like someone placed a can of seltzer next to it and tried really hard to will the bubbles into existence. As others have mentioned, it's likely because the increase in head space in the bottle simply caused the air to compress in the space instead of dissolving the carbon dioxide into the beer. I did also notice a slight funk in the taste, probably from oxidation. If you're dead set on bottling every last drop of a brew, I know there's a product out there that's intended for extending the shelf life of opened bottles of wine and spirits by purging the air volume in the bottle with an inert, food-safe gas (nitrogen I think), similar to those canned keyboard duster products. I think that would work well on higher-ABV brews, and anything you were ok with drinking still, but I wouldn't try it on beer. On a completely different note, have you experimented at all with using monk fruit extract as a non-fermentable backsweetener? I have a small bottle of a highly concentrated (something like 100x white sugar) liquid monk fruit sweetener, and thought it may be a good way to back sweeten without increasing the final volume
I used to use a "bottling sugar" from LD Carlson, an i seem to remember it taking 2 weeks to carbonate. If one of your bottles pop, put the rest in the fridge. If at the 2 week mark, you got 6 months in AC temps, 8 in the fridge, then they will pop. Also milk crates act a little like a cage to contain the glass, but not the mess. I like your "bomb shelter" idea. Also, as an exuse to drink more "gotta go defuse a bomb."
Our locals Costso's (yes there are two nearby) have been out of Kirkland apple juice for about a year. You can order it through the app though and have it delivered to your door. We found that a dozen gallons is enough to get free shipping.
In some of your videos when you add to the brew you use a scale; does the towel under the scale cause incorrect weights? Aren't scales supposed to be on solid surfaces, towels can be quite soft and thick. Maybe a video experiment can be done?
@@CitySteadingBrews I probably using old info or just overthinking it. I know how y'all like explaining things and having exact numbers; I'd hate to think you're off by a tablespoon or ounce
Just an idea for you, i have seen where soda is carbonated with dry ice. You could use a "pressure cooker" like what grandma used to use for canning or cooking the roast. Pour in the Mead and put some dry ice in and close it up tight then wait for an hour then bottle. if it doesn't work as much as you want, add more dry ice. (i am referencing making root beer at home method {i.e. the flavor it gives} ) This method would be interesting to see if it actually worked.
I finally opened my blackberry cider it tastes pretty good for being my first one but it has a off flavor I can't place it has a slight funk is how I would describe it. This one looks good
I am going to have to try this one. Blueberry is my jam. Might I suggest watermelon for a nice summertime brew. I made a watermelon wine last year that i am currently enjoying the heck out of.
Care to share your recipe? I know watermelon can be difficult to work with. I have a 5 gallon batch going now using watermelon juice from Arizona brand and hoping it works!
After watching your one year Ikea video, I thought it might be fun for you (Okay, for us to watch.) to make a second batch of a brew, same recipe, that's coming up for its one year tasting to compare the new vs the old.
My daughter-in-law used my Little Big Mouth Bubbler to make kombucha. Is it safe to use it to make ciders, meads, and wine, or is it permanently contaminated with the kombucha mother?
Funny how things just happen to work out. I was already thinking about getting a 1 gallon Wiess kit from Morebeer. Then one day I was out exploring TH-cam looking for information on urban homesteading or "city steading" when I came across your channel. And I'm SO glad I did! If you don't mind, I have a few questions... 1)I know you like the 1.5-gallon wide-mouth fermenter, but what are your thoughts on FastFerment's 3-gallon conical? It's not as compact as the 1.5 gallons but would help eliminate issues while racking or bottling. Can also save yeast too! 2)I haven't watched all your videos yet, but so far you've been using whole fruit like blueberries. Except for when you cut the stems out, you didn't really do much with the strawberries either. Would it help with flavors if your fruit is slightly mashed up? 3)early on in your channel's history you did a few ale videos. I haven't watched any yet, as I do watch your complete videos and some are 1 hour long! I would really like to see a fruit ale being done or better yet, I could use advice on how to turn Morebeer's Weiss kit into something that tastes like Lienenkugel's Honey Weiss.
I do not like to ferment in plastic. Tiny scratches can hold infections. Yeast are microscopic and will get the the sugars. We don’t do specific beer styles as we are not really beer makers. Instead we offer a few recipes now and then. Beer is the least popular topic on our channel historically. So we instead offer information on topics our audience wants to see.
@@CitySteadingBrews Re Ale/Beer, fair enough. Already many folks already covering it. Hadn't thought about the scratch issues. I wasn't totally sold on it anyways, at 26" tall with the stand and airlock included, it's not exactly compact as I would like.
Those bubblers also have a medicine cup looking cap airlock and you put the sanitizer in the ring of the black lid, I use that for height to keep them in a cabinet.
I have seen some talk about using the "soda stream" to carbonate beverages instead of doing a natural carbonation. Have you heard of this technique or has anyone in the community some insight into this, any information would be appreciated. Keep up the great videos and informative content. Thanks
I wonder if you could of taken a gravity reading of the carbonated cider out of the bottle to see if more sugar was present. I guess you would need an original gravity from 1 bottle first to see if it was done carbonation, just for a learning perspective.
1st time commenter...Great content btw. I constantly have something brewing at the house. I can say the only time I've ever used a campden tab was in a watermelon wine and I swear it gave it a funky smell. Tasted great but I couldn't get over the smell. Wasn't rot or eggs, just some weird funk. I've been scared to use them ever since.
This is just my experience. Swing top bottles are not reliable when doing carbonated beverages in the long run. It maybe my bad luck of the batches of bottles, but they leak a lot of gasses over time. What was once the non chilled geyser you described. A year later, there was no carbonation. (Same batch different bottle.) I've since just used traditional beer bottle capping as my go-to without fail.
@@CitySteadingBrews These bottles I described where new and only used for one batch. 1L and 8oz bottles. It was a very highly carbonated rose hibiscus mead. It could of been bad luck on my end IDK. Like i said I just returned to traditional capped bottles for my carbonated beverages since and reserved my flip tops for my non carbonated yummies. To each their own. Ty for your videos and everything. You both have taught me much. Cheers and happy brewing. I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with next.
What about adding some extra sugar to help boost the ABV during fermentation? I’m in a bit of a quandary about making meads and distilling my own whiskey, bourbons, and brandy’s.
Blueberries are similar to bilberries. I wonder about billberry substitute in mead since I have abundance of them. It might be slighty more acidic since bilberry have lower ph then blueberry so extra honey would help.
Thinking I need to try this with blackberries. I like carbonating with a can of condensed apple juice and using a test plastic bottle to gauge carbonation. Refrigerate bottles once plastic bottle is tight. Never had a bomb form
Just FYI, refrigerating will not actually stop fermentation. But it's about the same amount of sugars we add since most frozen apple juices are about 30g of sugar in 10 ounces.
I noticed that you didn't use the French Oak piece this time. Just wondering if that could have brought the funk. You said it was used before so maybe it was whatever it was in before leached out.
Just found your channel and watched both videos on Blueberry Cider. I loved your videos! I found them to be not only informative but also very entertaining! I suspect that the Brett funk you were getting from your first brew was most likely due to the oak addition. Whenever I have used oak, especially "used" oak, I like to sanitize it by boiling(which I suspect you did) and then adding it after fermentation instead of at the beginning so there is less "food" and a decent alcohol level to suppress any yeast or bacterial growth. Just a thought. Anyway, keep up the good work!!
Definitely going to try this recipe! Though in my case, I think skipping the carbonation steps and just using a soda stream to carbonate when we serve individual pours would be easier.
Watching you two has caused me to invest about $300 to start my own brew. I adore you two. Quirky and weird ❤
I resemble that remark.
I have paused and went to Amazon app at least 4-5 times….
I love quirky and weird❤❤❤
Same actually, watching all your videos and putting the links in your vids has made me spend about $400 on things. Very thankful for the help you guys provide and the new hobby!
ha. they did the same thing to me. my blueberry wive is bubbling away.
Hey. The sanitize the scissors guy... his mind was in the right place. Kudos to him. He will learn as he goes. He'll learn what corners to cut after time. But ill bet he'll has a lot less botched batches than the average homebrewer. Good for him😊
It is absolutely safe to let a half-bottle carbonate, but you are likely to get a half-carbonation. The air above a carbonated drink is a spring, and carbonation needs it to be compressed. Too little air space and the air gets very high pressure and can become a bottle bomb if you added too much sugar. Too much air space and the pressure doesn't rise as much because more goes into compressing the air.
thanks for your service brian.....i was in the 101st Airborne from 1979-1991...air assault soldier!!!!!!!
Happy happy, joy joy! Happy happy, joy joy!
You coveteth my ice cream bar!
I don't even drink. Why did I watch this entire video, after watching the entire other blueberry cider video? Cause you two are neat and funny. And you make it sound so good that I almost wish I did drink.
Lol, thanks :)
I think the sanitized scissors thing comes from a lot of the pre packages kits you can buy. They always mention sanitizing the scissors in their instructions. If Red Star would just make packets that rip we wouldn't have to worry LOL! Can't sanitize it all folks just do what you can! Can't wait to try this recipe!
Yup! But… I still don’t sanitize scissors for opening yeast.
If we used regular sugar, it would ferment again. That, combined with trying to carbonate would continue to ferment until the bottles exploded due to pressure buildup. So by using a non-fermentable sugar, we got a safe amount of carbonation and a good sweetness level.
Absolutely love you two! I've started on my first project because of watching you. A apple/pear/raspberry cider to start! Why also raspberry? That was the condition my fiancee set for me starting this hobby 😂 going to go a little nuts pretty soon and buy at least 4 more fermenting bottles because I looooooooove mead!
It’s always good to keep significant others happy!
For 1 gallon batches I have a mini keg that fits in fridge and I can pressure it up as much as I want and serve it directly from the mini keg while it sits on the fridge shelf. I know that doesn't complete the video cider bottling video but for your own drinking of the brew you can actually unbottle and put in keg and drink from the mini and no one has to know. 🙂
I did a cherry (20%) cider each week for 1 year to learn brewing ciders..... now I'm using hops in my cider.
Just want to say you both rock.. there are many people who make wine vids but never go over the why and how's Like the two of you do. You explain every step and show the failures (few and far between) which is why you are my go to on wine, ciders, and meads.
Thanks a lot for everything you do and all the work that goes on off the camera.
Shane A
Chelsea, Maine
Thank you, Shane! We truly appreciate the kind words and appreciation.
Last fall I made a straight apple cider using Safcider AC-4 for primary fermentation, but it was 3 months later (racked 3x, including off one cold crash) I had none left to add for carbonation, and used a Champagne yeast- Red Star Premier Cuvee because that's what I had on hand. I was very pleased with the results. Crisp, fruity, and with great carbonation. You've inspired me to try an apple/blueberry using frozen wild berries. I had tried once before using a blueberry concentrate, and It was not optimal.
I appreciate the pH reading. Info on acidity is hard to find, and having a value paired with a result is super helpful.
Awesome video, lots of great information as well as fun and humor! I don't mind the cats if they appear, and y'all having fun is so infectious! Made me smile and laugh with you. Love love blueberry, it's in my top 3 favorite (mango, blueberry, watermelon) fruits so this recipe is wonderful.
Happy to hear it!
I love the blueberries from Costco. I've been making wine and mead with them. Now, I'll be making cider. Thanks guys!
They are really good :)
did you edit out a snorting laugh? You two make me happy. I made a blueberry mead based on yours and it turned out great, I'll try this one next.
Maybe? Thought it was a cough.
this has come at a perfect time.... i have 4 meads on the go and got 1 bucket free, sooooo Cider it is :D
Awesome!
To me the cats add that home love feeling...
Just went to Maiden Rock cidery and orchard and had their Crabby cider. It's made from 100% mixed crabapple juice off their trees. As a cider hound seeker, I thought 8t was the best pure apple cider I've ever drank. They somehow got the essence of those apples to shine through. Bad thing was that they hadn't bottled any yet, so it was just an in-person experience. You all are getting me close to try my own, especially with that choco pomegranate wine. Yum!
I finally did it. Made a batch of cherry cider 2.3 gallons (9 litres) of cider. Also making another standard batch of 9 liters of cider. Just shy 5 Gallons of cider
Nice!
Finally got my first batch of this recipe started last night 8:30 Fermenter in pan. Used full package Safale S04 and 2.5G Fermaide O. Last minute remembered need to add black tea! Stirred in very slowly but still hot. Fermenting started within an hour, supercharged airlock this morning! Thx again for a successful start to this great tasty new hobby. Youtze 2 rock!
Brian checked website and Amazon can't find affiliate link for larger Fermenter. Got one?
First?
Editing later, after watching. LOL
EDIT: Awesome scores!
Last week I took sole of my meads to a farewell party. All were melomels, finished on the semi-sweet side. I live in an area where mead is a virtual unknown. Almost everyone who tasted them came to me telling me they tasted my ‘cider’. Every time I told them what I brought was actually mead. THEY LOVED THEM! The person for whom the party was took some with him to have his mother, who is from a family of commercial wine makers in Italy. He wanted her to taste my product. A few asked me if I was willing to sell them a few bottles. Nope: it’s illegal and that’s a risk I’m not willing to take. One of them however was so taken with my melomels he kept insisting. So we’re going to trade skills. My melomels for his woodworking. Happy days.
Next time all of us get together I need to have a few ciders to contribute. This one needs to be in the line-up. That means I’ve got work to do. Happy days!
Lol
Juicing apples yourself tastes so much better than store bought in my opinion. I'm including concentrate.
Done several different tests over 3 years.
Fuji apples produce the best Cyser I've personally had.
I don't doubt it. Fuji... heh, my favorite apple!
Love your blueberry recipe!!!! I"m all in making ciders my friends! Thank you.
I just bought a starter kit and all the testers bottles and Sterilizing mix To make my own Wine And cider ❤ Love your Show ! . Found You both on utube watch alot of your shows this weekends. both are knowledgeable in making homemade Brew. 😋 Just retired And have been wanting to do this .Blueberry cider sounds yummy Good 👍
Awesome! Welcome to the hobby!
Mine came out great aged about 8 weeks. Followed the recipe. Thanks
Love the channel. I've been following you all since "My First Mead" popped up on my TH-cam feed during the pandemic. I've made many of your brews, with various success, and I really appreciate you all making these videos and teaching me how to brew. Several years ago now you made a series of videos for a blueberry buckwheat hydromel. I made that brew over and over with tons of success, but when we moved I lost the recipe. You all seem to have taken the videos down now (possibly because the blueberries you recommended in the video had sunflower oil on them? That's just a guess). I would very much like to make this brew again. It was a great mead that didn't take nearly as long as a traditional mead. If you felt so inclined as to post that recipe, I would be incredibly grateful. Like I said, love the channel.
I will have to check. If we remove a video there is always a good reason... I don't recall what the issue was with this series though.
@@CitySteadingBrews Certainly. And I suppose I could probably just recreate the recipe myself. It wasn't a very complicated one. I'd just have to remember the rules around how much honey for how much gravity, etc. I think most of that fell out of my brain when my second child was born. I could probably figure it out, but I also didn't want to be making a brew that was like actively bad to make, no matter how much I enjoyed drinking it.
I've only used Mangrove Jack's Cider Yeast M02 yeast for making the ciders I've done. It was recommended by our local home brew store. So far, I really like the results over the last 3 years of cider. I'd love your opinion on it! 😁 I just made a batch of cider with Transparent apples and Lambert cherries out of my yard. Holy crap! Did it work fast and furious! 5 days of the air lock burping every 1-3 seconds until my SG was 1.001. Rack, back-sweeten and pasteurized at about 6% ABV. I'll let you know next summer out of the keg & keezer. The packet states: "A high ester-producing cider strain imparting wonderful flavor depth, reveling the full fruit potential. Makes exceptionally crisp, flavoursome and refreshing ciders." From the back of the pack: Attenuation (95-100%) Flocculation very high (5/5) alcohol tolerance 17.5% (out of Auckland NZ packed in the UK). BTW, I still want to make a huckleberry cider... Someday!
I have yet to use M02, but we did use M05.
LOL Ren & Stimpy quote...very apt in this instance!
Regarding carbonation: Try to open one of those at about 55F. That should be cool enough to inhibit geysering, but warm enough for the CO2 to fully express. 40F will almost always inhibit natural carbonation from expressing fully. Not having made ciders, I don't know if you get this effect, but in making beers, you know your stuff is carbonated when you get a light film of lees on the bottom of the bottles. Also, an old rule of thumb is when the airlock is only bubbling every two to four seconds, that's when you should carbonate (as there will still be a healthy enough colony of yeast to do the job). Anyhow, some of this may be helpful.
All true!
I am not a fan though of the bubble counting rule… could be dangerous.
@@CitySteadingBrews Yeah, there may be a certain level of risk there. I haven't ever had a problem with it, but you might. I mean, your method works, so why mess with it?
I haven’t made a brew in almost two years… I just love listening to the commentary. KEEP IT UP!
Looks lovely!! For me, where I live, we have lots of fruit growers and beautiful produce in season, so I pick or buy fresh blueberries (and other fruit) and freeze them for brewing, and I freeze fresh pressed cider when I can for this purpose also. I never use Campden tablets anymore - I am still bitter about the gorgeous colour of my strawberry-rhubarb wine that was totally RUINED (bleached out) by adding Campden a few years back lol. I would rather take my chances with yeasty-beasties than do that again. My latest strawberry/blueberry/rhubarb wine is a nice dark red-pink colour and should age nicely!
Super vidéo ! Being a french retired in Belhaven NC, after doing apple cider with some Friends at Sainte Mère Église in Normandie for over 10 years, it IS better to taste any ciders (like beers!) Not too COLD, and you may have more fizz and carbonation, don't change 😂
I haven't tried blueberry cider yet. I am going to try I think.
You two are amazing! Definitely have me itching to get started fermenting something!! Thanks for doing what you do!
You are welcome!
I think I may do this recipe next! I love blueberry cider! 💙
Watching you two always brings a smile to my face. Thank you for doing what you do, I have a LOT of backlog to catchup on, and I intend to get through it. First ever batch of mead has been racked, second batch will be underway in the next week, all thanks to your teachings and advice
Happy to help!
It seems to work better when you shake a few yeasties into the bottles individually
I have a Whibos! White bucket of sanitization. But it works. I put a screw on lid on it and sanitize like a wild man!
I'm thinking it would be almost as good without carbonation. This looks really good.
I'm probably coming to the comments a bit late, but I've just processed 5 gallons of cider from our apple tree and am looking for ways to back-sweeten and include some additional fruit flavors in some of my upcoming brews. I typically add a few grains of EC-1118 as my "insurance yeast" but I add them to each bottle. I've gone through several batches of dry sparking cider using the EC-1118 grains in the bottle technique and have yet to have any not restart fermentation.
You can use non fermentable sugars or any of these methods: th-cam.com/video/tvvuVJNn2jM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_w_N-0tefV71HiCa
We never saw any bubbles in our 5 gallon bucket fermentation and we are 5 days in. Bucket lid is secure and air tight and the room smells like blueberry bread. Only thing I was curious about was pitching the yeast on top vs mixing it in. This is our first home brew so we are anxious new parents with this brew.
There is no harm in pitching on top as it should get absorbed in anyway. If you see no activity, I would open it up and take a look for bubbles.
When I open a bottle of my homebrewed cider and find it lacking carbonation, I'll pour it into a cleaned, clear 20oz pop bottle, affix a carbonation cap and hook it up to a CO2 tank from when I kegged all my brews. A quick shake and I can salvage any drink into something bubbly. Well worth the small, initial cost.
Ref. sanitising scissors, I just pour boiling water over the blades , never had a problem
For opening yeast packets I just don’t worry about it.
Can you please share the link to the bomb shelter or a link to something like it? Thank you so very much.
It’s just a big plastic tub… this might be similar to ours: amzn.to/3rTVD0g
This looked really beautiful and it's for sure a recipe I would try to replicate, with a little twist. Here in Sweden (and in many parts of the northen parts of the world) we have bilberries instead of blueberries (but we still call ours blueberries). Also called "Nordic Wild Blueberries"...
Actually it would be fun to see you try this recipe with those, to see how you would experience the difference, if you somehow could get your hands on some. (they're difficult to transport, at least fresh. Frozen shouldn't be a problem).
One thing that's interesting: The Anthocyanin content in American wild blueberries is 150 mg / 100 g. It's the pigment that turns it blue, red and purple. Bilberries has 800 mg / 100 g. Imagine the color of that cider ;)
These were wild blueberries.
yah, here a lot of our wild blueberries are actually huckleberries, purple guts instead of white, growing up on both i just didn't notice the difference in flavour, they seem similar, might make a very purple beverage, and they're easier to ship fresh, being from north america.
Derica's Ren and Stimpy Robin Höerk reference made my day.
I've truly enjoyed watching and learning from you over the last year and a half. Including adding to my vocabulary with derica created words. The only problem is that when I view other channels I have difficulty biting my tongue. I recently watched someone make a wine from table grapes, water, various spices, bread yeast, and enough sugar to choke a horse. They go on to say that it is ready to drink after 3 days and that it is 10% abv and ready to bottle. All without using a hydrometer, mind you. O.M.G. After getting a hold of myself, I sometimes give a brief explanation of why the information is not entirely safe and or accurate, and then direct them to your channel in the hopes of clearing things up and saving them from themselves. Oh yeah, great video. Highly recommend using frozen wild blueberries. Took my wines to another level in regards of flavor and color.
Yeah… a clear understanding of fundamentals is important! Thanks for sticking with us :)
I recently got into brewing my own mead and cider, I love how to the point you guys are and how informative you are in every one of your videos. You guys have really helped me learn the craft and essentially held my hand through the scary parts like racking and gravity readings. Would you guys consider making any videos on brewing beers like lagers and ales? I'd like to try my hand at those.
We have many beer videos!
I will be making this tomorrow. I made the apple bochet last weekend and it already tastes great. I normally brew beer and needed a change.
Hahahaha!!!! "I HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE!" Such a great movie... Thank you for that. I love it when I get your references :D
Hello guys, this looks incredible. I’m going to get some supplies tomorrow for my next few brews and this will be one. It looks nice and easy and from your reactions it’s delicious. I’m going to try the carbonation technique you used here. What an easy video to watch. Very funny and great info. Cheers guys 🇦🇺
That’s was pretty great. Yea I’ve had issues with natural carb. And I even got a small keg and it works better but I can’t bottle from it. It loses carb fast.
I do half bottles with carbonation with beer all the time. I use them as testers to see if the priming worked. I only let them sit for maybe 3-4 days and then pop it open. If i get that delightful pop i know its working and the others are carbonating nicely.
There is more room for pressure in a half bottle, but there's also less brew, so it won't make as much CO2. I think its safe, as long as your bottle is good.
I had that wierd smell before in different brands of apple juice. Campden tablets wouldn't cause that smell but the apple juice would. I think it was the brand of apple juice that you used in the other video. I always use this type of apple juice in this video
We have used it before and never had that smell. A few others said the sulfites could cause it. We haven't used them since and no smell, but that could just be coincidence too.
Have you ever tried racking with a brew bag or cheesecloth over the siphon when you have fruit?
Sure. We have done that but most times just being carful works well.
I picked 1.75kg of wild raspberries today (in Scotland).
By the look and smell of them there are at least 3 different varieties.
Got super lucky and found a single raspberry cane loaded with golden raspberries...
Won't be using them for wine or jam...
They are going on top of my Christmas pavlova.
Been a productive day.
If you read my previous comments you'll know I had no plans to brew anything this year...
And as such, I don't have the "proper" wine and cider making equipment.
What I do have... Is a laboratory...
This year I'll be making raspberry wine, using knowledge I learned on this channel + lab glassware.
If I do okay... Next year I'll buy some fermenting jars and demijohns...
Can I ask for a little advice?
I'll send you a picture if you like... I think you'll get a kick out of it.
Wine making in labware...
It’s what this channel is for :)
Lol, yeah. I have seen people doing that before. Very mad acientisty :)
Been binge watching your videos for a few months, just now decided to drop about $250 on some brewing gear :D very excited to get into home brewing. Thank you both for the content!
Welcome!
It was the camden. It sometimes causes the sulfides to be more present.
If so... not using them again.
Going to try your recipe only need to translate to the metric system 🤷🏼♂️☺️greetings from Europe 🤙🏼 love you guys
Hey there i started homebrewing the same time as you , i discovered your videos and have watched them weekly ever since, as a Brit and a big cider fan, dissapointed to see another failed carbonation attempt, my own opinion obviously,,
My rule of thumb that has never let me down once in 5 years, 10g of sugar per litre of must, for a Us gallon i would go 40g, try it once, if i am wrong i will eat humble pie,
Keep the videos coming, one of the highlights of my week
A bit more sugar might not hurt. 40 g vs the 28 we used should be fine. Our channel started 5 or so years ago but we started years before that. Just simple stuff.
You are both an inspiration, always pushing boundries, i have recently done an appel cyser methaglin that
I am going to fortify it with apple jack daniels for a tasty Xmas drink
I live in the Shetland islands in the uk, check us out on google
Sending love from one of your most remote fans ❤
Another great video. I seem to be saying that a lot, cause it's true 😁.
I'll be looking for a bunch of fresh blueberries now.
I searched for information on carbonation and partial bottles and the majority of replies said there should be no difference between a full bottle and a partial bottle except a possible bitter taste from excessive carbon dioxide in the container.
I've never had a problem when carbonating and leaving headroom. But I'll also add, I've never made anything with strong carbonation because I think soda and beer are way over carbonated 😊👍🙏❤️
Thanks!
Very interesting learning Thank you very much !!! Good luck !!!
Awesome video. I’m still learning. Btw now I know what those clear bottles are called 🎉🎉🎉
I recently finished a Brewer's Best Scottish Ale, and was left with a half bottle upon bottling. I've also heard both sides on whether or not to keep partial bottles so I decided to try it myself. The beer barely carbonated, like someone placed a can of seltzer next to it and tried really hard to will the bubbles into existence. As others have mentioned, it's likely because the increase in head space in the bottle simply caused the air to compress in the space instead of dissolving the carbon dioxide into the beer. I did also notice a slight funk in the taste, probably from oxidation. If you're dead set on bottling every last drop of a brew, I know there's a product out there that's intended for extending the shelf life of opened bottles of wine and spirits by purging the air volume in the bottle with an inert, food-safe gas (nitrogen I think), similar to those canned keyboard duster products. I think that would work well on higher-ABV brews, and anything you were ok with drinking still, but I wouldn't try it on beer. On a completely different note, have you experimented at all with using monk fruit extract as a non-fermentable backsweetener? I have a small bottle of a highly concentrated (something like 100x white sugar) liquid monk fruit sweetener, and thought it may be a good way to back sweeten without increasing the final volume
We haven't tried it yet. From some reports I heard there was an odd flavor, but we have yet to try it.
Well I have to try to make this
I used to use a "bottling sugar" from LD Carlson, an i seem to remember it taking 2 weeks to carbonate.
If one of your bottles pop, put the rest in the fridge.
If at the 2 week mark, you got 6 months in AC temps, 8 in the fridge, then they will pop.
Also milk crates act a little like a cage to contain the glass, but not the mess.
I like your "bomb shelter" idea.
Also, as an exuse to drink more "gotta go defuse a bomb."
Yeah cold doesn't stop fermentation. Best to make sure it's finished fermenting the. Carbonate with the right amount of sugars, otherwise, pop.
Our locals Costso's (yes there are two nearby) have been out of Kirkland apple juice for about a year. You can order it through the app though and have it delivered to your door. We found that a dozen gallons is enough to get free shipping.
Thanks for the tip!
In some of your videos when you add to the brew you use a scale; does the towel under the scale cause incorrect weights? Aren't scales supposed to be on solid surfaces, towels can be quite soft and thick.
Maybe a video experiment can be done?
It’s not that thick.
Interesting question. We experimented with our bathroom scale, and there was about a 10 pound apparent difference between carpet and tile.
I can test it I suppose. I think we would notice discrepancies in weight though.
@@CitySteadingBrews I probably using old info or just overthinking it. I know how y'all like explaining things and having exact numbers; I'd hate to think you're off by a tablespoon or ounce
Just an idea for you, i have seen where soda is carbonated with dry ice. You could use a "pressure cooker" like what grandma used to use for canning or cooking the roast. Pour in the Mead and put some dry ice in and close it up tight then wait for an hour then bottle. if it doesn't work as much as you want, add more dry ice. (i am referencing making root beer at home method {i.e. the flavor it gives} ) This method would be interesting to see if it actually worked.
The second you take off the lid you lose the carbonation.
I hope this has a one year taste test. It will be epic!
I think we put some away.
Awesome! I need to do that too instead of drinking or giving it all away! @@CitySteadingBrews
Just tried upscaling this to a 5 gallon recipe. My first brew, hopefully all goes well.
For your first, I would have stayed at a gallon, but best of luck!
How’d it go?
I finally opened my blackberry cider it tastes pretty good for being my first one but it has a off flavor I can't place it has a slight funk is how I would describe it. This one looks good
I just got my hands on some blueberry honey. I am thinking about making a blackberry mead with it. Still new sorry if I get the terminologies wrong.
You're fine. Good luck!
I am going to have to try this one. Blueberry is my jam. Might I suggest watermelon for a nice summertime brew. I made a watermelon wine last year that i am currently enjoying the heck out of.
Care to share your recipe? I know watermelon can be difficult to work with. I have a 5 gallon batch going now using watermelon juice from Arizona brand and hoping it works!
Big fan of this!
You guys are adorable! Very enjoyable to watch, and informative. So, thank you 😁
Thank YOU for watching!
Great video, and thanks for using the PH meter. That helps me!
Thanks!
After watching your one year Ikea video, I thought it might be fun for you (Okay, for us to watch.) to make a second batch of a brew, same recipe, that's coming up for its one year tasting to compare the new vs the old.
Well… interesting idea! Thanks by the way. I suppose we can see what is coming up in a few months and remake it…
I like the new carbonation method. Thanks for the video guys 😊
My daughter-in-law used my Little Big Mouth Bubbler to make kombucha. Is it safe to use it to make ciders, meads, and wine, or is it permanently contaminated with the kombucha mother?
Clean it really good, sanitize it fully.
Funny how things just happen to work out. I was already thinking about getting a 1 gallon Wiess kit from Morebeer. Then one day I was out exploring TH-cam looking for information on urban homesteading or "city steading" when I came across your channel. And I'm SO glad I did!
If you don't mind, I have a few questions... 1)I know you like the 1.5-gallon wide-mouth fermenter, but what are your thoughts on FastFerment's 3-gallon conical? It's not as compact as the 1.5 gallons but would help eliminate issues while racking or bottling. Can also save yeast too! 2)I haven't watched all your videos yet, but so far you've been using whole fruit like blueberries. Except for when you cut the stems out, you didn't really do much with the strawberries either. Would it help with flavors if your fruit is slightly mashed up? 3)early on in your channel's history you did a few ale videos. I haven't watched any yet, as I do watch your complete videos and some are 1 hour long! I would really like to see a fruit ale being done or better yet, I could use advice on how to turn Morebeer's Weiss kit into something that tastes like Lienenkugel's Honey Weiss.
I do not like to ferment in plastic. Tiny scratches can hold infections.
Yeast are microscopic and will get the the sugars.
We don’t do specific beer styles as we are not really beer makers. Instead we offer a few recipes now and then. Beer is the least popular topic on our channel historically. So we instead offer information on topics our audience wants to see.
@@CitySteadingBrews Re Ale/Beer, fair enough. Already many folks already covering it. Hadn't thought about the scratch issues. I wasn't totally sold on it anyways, at 26" tall with the stand and airlock included, it's not exactly compact as I would like.
Do you prefer the single piece airlock over the three piece? Why?
I just like how they look?
Those bubblers also have a medicine cup looking cap airlock and you put the sanitizer in the ring of the black lid, I use that for height to keep them in a cabinet.
I really don’t like the built in airlock. Far too exposed for my preferences.
@CitySteadingBrews Question, Can you make wine from dehydrated fruits like frozen fruits ?
Yes. We use frozen and dried fruit all the time.
Great inspiration! Thanks for all you guys do!
Thanks for watching :)
Just found your channel. You guys are fun. Also that recipe looks yummy. I think I'll give it a try.
I have seen some talk about using the "soda stream" to carbonate beverages instead of doing a natural carbonation. Have you heard of this technique or has anyone in the community some insight into this, any information would be appreciated. Keep up the great videos and informative content. Thanks
Some say it works but others say it makes a mess. It voids the warranty and can damage the machine too.
I did a test yesterday to find the exact gravity points that allulose provides. If sugar gives 1.045 in a lb/gal ratio, allulose is 1.052. Just FYI.
Good to know.
It’s a lot lighter than sugar, makes sense.
I wonder if you could of taken a gravity reading of the carbonated cider out of the bottle to see if more sugar was present. I guess you would need an original gravity from 1 bottle first to see if it was done carbonation, just for a learning perspective.
It's not much at all added really so... I doubt it would read anything.
Ummmm....Thanks! That was super fast. I didn't even expect an answer. Lol
1st time commenter...Great content btw. I constantly have something brewing at the house. I can say the only time I've ever used a campden tab was in a watermelon wine and I swear it gave it a funky smell. Tasted great but I couldn't get over the smell. Wasn't rot or eggs, just some weird funk. I've been scared to use them ever since.
Hmm… sounds familiar!
Any chance of you guys maybe investing in a mini ball-lock keg and doing some videos on force carbonating?
It’s something we are considering.
I absolutely love you guys and you Visio’s!!!! I’m new to the wine making world. I need all the help I can get from you!!! Thanks
This is just my experience. Swing top bottles are not reliable when doing carbonated beverages in the long run. It maybe my bad luck of the batches of bottles, but they leak a lot of gasses over time. What was once the non chilled geyser you described. A year later, there was no carbonation. (Same batch different bottle.) I've since just used traditional beer bottle capping as my go-to without fail.
The seals do wear out eventually but they can be replaced.
@@CitySteadingBrews These bottles I described where new and only used for one batch. 1L and 8oz bottles. It was a very highly carbonated rose hibiscus mead. It could of been bad luck on my end IDK. Like i said I just returned to traditional capped bottles for my carbonated beverages since and reserved my flip tops for my non carbonated yummies. To each their own. Ty for your videos and everything. You both have taught me much. Cheers and happy brewing. I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with next.
There's a HUGE variance in quality too. We have a few bottles that suck, but the Aldi ones? OMG, so amazing.
What about adding some extra sugar to help boost the ABV during fermentation? I’m in a bit of a quandary about making meads and distilling my own whiskey, bourbons, and brandy’s.
Coders are intended to be lower abv but sure you can. As for distilling, it's illegal in many places so be aware of that.
Blueberries are similar to bilberries. I wonder about billberry substitute in mead since I have abundance of them. It might be slighty more acidic since bilberry have lower ph then blueberry so extra honey would help.
Couldn't say as I have never had them myself.
Thank you for your work.
My pleasure!
Thinking I need to try this with blackberries. I like carbonating with a can of condensed apple juice and using a test plastic bottle to gauge carbonation. Refrigerate bottles once plastic bottle is tight. Never had a bomb form
Just FYI, refrigerating will not actually stop fermentation. But it's about the same amount of sugars we add since most frozen apple juices are about 30g of sugar in 10 ounces.
I noticed that you didn't use the French Oak piece this time. Just wondering if that could have brought the funk. You said it was used before so maybe it was whatever it was in before leached out.
It may have, yup.
Just found your channel and watched both videos on Blueberry Cider. I loved your videos! I found them to be not only informative but also very entertaining! I suspect that the Brett funk you were getting from your first brew was most likely due to the oak addition. Whenever I have used oak, especially "used" oak, I like to sanitize it by boiling(which I suspect you did) and then adding it after fermentation instead of at the beginning so there is less "food" and a decent alcohol level to suppress any yeast or bacterial growth. Just a thought. Anyway, keep up the good work!!
great vid. I need to figure out that co2 side. I'm a carbo addict. Maybe I'll try on my skeeter pee that's in ferment right now
Definitely going to try this recipe! Though in my case, I think skipping the carbonation steps and just using a soda stream to carbonate when we serve individual pours would be easier.