To help a novice to begin brewing at the most basic level, we have a one
litre carton of apple juice from the supermarket (it doesn't say it has any
sulphite preservative in it) and an empty one litre plastic milk bottle with
a screw lid.

How much of the apple juice to add to the milk carton and topped with water
to what level of the milk container please. Also how much additional
granulated sugar please?

We have to hand some bakers yeast ready for our first attempt, but what
would be a better brewing type yeast to buy please?

Since we dont have any proper plastic air locks yet, what might a 'make do'
air lock be that we could make other than screwing the lid down lightly on a
folded piece of paper towel.

Any other tips on how to improve on such a basic easily made brew much
appreciated. We all had to start somewhere.. right? Thanks.

"john bently" > wrote in message
...
> To help a novice to begin brewing at the most basic level, we have a one
> litre carton of apple juice from the supermarket (it doesn't say it has
> any sulphite preservative in it) and an empty one litre plastic milk
> bottle with a screw lid.
>
> How much of the apple juice to add to the milk carton and topped with
> water to what level of the milk container please. Also how much additional
> granulated sugar please?
>
> We have to hand some bakers yeast ready for our first attempt, but what
> would be a better brewing type yeast to buy please?
>
> Since we dont have any proper plastic air locks yet, what might a 'make
> do' air lock be that we could make other than screwing the lid down
> lightly on a folded piece of paper towel.
>
> Any other tips on how to improve on such a basic easily made brew much
> appreciated. We all had to start somewhere.. right? Thanks.
>
I somehow don't think you are serious. You can get more information on the
net in five minutes than you are pretending to have.
Maybe you're just a kid looking to make booze.
If I am wrong I apologize.

Tom

In article >,
"john bently" > wrote:

> To help a novice to begin brewing at the most basic level, we have a one
> litre carton of apple juice from the supermarket (it doesn't say it has any
> sulphite preservative in it) and an empty one litre plastic milk bottle with
> a screw lid.
>
> How much of the apple juice to add to the milk carton and topped with water
> to what level of the milk container please. Also how much additional
> granulated sugar please?
>
> We have to hand some bakers yeast ready for our first attempt, but what
> would be a better brewing type yeast to buy please?
>
> Since we dont have any proper plastic air locks yet, what might a 'make do'
> air lock be that we could make other than screwing the lid down lightly on a
> folded piece of paper towel.
>
> Any other tips on how to improve on such a basic easily made brew much
> appreciated. We all had to start somewhere.. right? Thanks.

You know that you really need hydrometers and such. Otherwise, look at
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ under apple juice. A cup
of apple juice is about 248 grams of which about 24 grams is sugar. You
can do just a straight fermentation of the apple juice to make cider,
which can be consumed as it is still fermenting, or you can add an
additional 24 to 36 grams of sugar/cup and try to make a cider that can
age.
--
³When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.²
-Archbishop Helder Camara

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...cle%2FShowFull
http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm

Wildbilly wrote:
>
> You know that you really need hydrometers and such.

You don't, really you don't. Not for basic wine making which is what the OP
is after. Hydrometers come later when you've got a little knowledge. If he's
trying to brew in a plastic bottle then I think hydrometers are a stage too
far at the moment.

--
Malc

Rusted and ropy.
Dog-eared old copy.
Vintage and classic,
or just plain Jurassic:
all words to describe me.

In article >,
"malc" > wrote:

> Wildbilly wrote:
> >
> > You know that you really need hydrometers and such.
>
> You don't, really you don't. Not for basic wine making which is what the OP
> is after. Hydrometers come later when you've got a little knowledge. If he's
> trying to brew in a plastic bottle then I think hydrometers are a stage too
> far at the moment.

True, they are only good at reflecting the amount of dissolved solids in
solution, i.e. sugar.
--
³When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.²
-Archbishop Helder Camara

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...cle%2FShowFull
http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm

john bently wrote:
> To help a novice to begin brewing at the most basic level, we have a
> one litre carton of apple juice from the supermarket (it doesn't say
> it has any sulphite preservative in it) and an empty one litre
> plastic milk bottle with a screw lid.
>
> How much of the apple juice to add to the milk carton and topped with
> water to what level of the milk container please. Also how much
> additional granulated sugar please?
>
> We have to hand some bakers yeast ready for our first attempt, but
> what would be a better brewing type yeast to buy please?
>
> Since we dont have any proper plastic air locks yet, what might a
> 'make do' air lock be that we could make other than screwing the lid
> down lightly on a folded piece of paper towel.
>
> Any other tips on how to improve on such a basic easily made brew much
> appreciated. We all had to start somewhere.. right? Thanks.


You don't water down the juice. Many people add various types of sugar to
increase the alcohol content.

If you have a homebrew shop nearby, buy some real brewers yeast. Dry yeast costs
less than $2. Any ale yeast works well, as do many wine and even champaign
yeasts.

Use a well rinsed 2 liter soda bottle. Add the cider, yeast, and sugar, and set
it somewhere out of the way, where the temp is maybe 60-70F. Leave the cap just
a little loose, or loosen the cap once in a while to release excess pressure.
When it has quit fermenting, if the lid was loose so there's not much
carbonation, add a tespoon or 2 of sugar, and close the lid tight to carbonate
it. In a week or two, it'll be ready.

Don't let the bottle get too hard. If it gets rock solid and continues, it will
burst. Let the pressure out as slowly as possible (just a little hiss) if this
happens. If you go too fast, it will foam up and make a mess.

"john bently" > wrote in
:

> Since we dont have any proper plastic air locks yet, what might a
> 'make do' air lock be that we could make other than screwing the lid
> down lightly on a folded piece of paper towel.

Poke a small hole in a Baggie, and then seal it around the
top of the bottle with a rubber band. That should keep
most of the nasties out and the inflation of the bag
lets you know how fermentation is coming along.

B.

"Bart Goddard" > wrote in message
> Poke a small hole in a Baggie, and then seal it around the
> top of the bottle with a rubber band. That should keep
> most of the nasties out and the inflation of the bag
> lets you know how fermentation is coming along.


I used a balloon with tiny holes pricked into it once when I needed
something quick. the balloon held itself on and let out the gas.
Lynn <----newbie as well

Lynn wrote:
> "Bart Goddard" > wrote in message
>> Poke a small hole in a Baggie, and then seal it around the
>> top of the bottle with a rubber band. That should keep
>> most of the nasties out and the inflation of the bag
>> lets you know how fermentation is coming along.
>
>
> I used a balloon with tiny holes pricked into it once when I needed
> something quick. the balloon held itself on and let out the gas.
> Lynn <----newbie as well

When I'm brewing beer I just cover the top of the brewing bin with clingfilm
held in place with string or wool tied round the bin. I've used clingfilm on
demijohns too. It's not as pretty as an airlock but works quite effectively.

--
Malc

Rusted and ropy.
Dog-eared old copy.
Vintage and classic,
or just plain Jurassic:
all words to describe me.

Sounds like you want to make balloon wine.

Enpty the apple juice equally into two 1 gallon milk jugs. Boil a
pint of water and turn off the heat as you mix in 2 cups of sugar
until clear. Do that twice and add each one to the gallon and allow
to cool. Each jug should be 3/4 full. Bread yeast will work to some
degree, but Champagne Yeast from a wine supply store would be much
better. If you have the thermometer the applie juice needs to below
100 Degrees Farenheit before adding the yeast. After adding the
yeast, attached a balloon to the top of the jug and wait a day. You
may want to slightly shake the jugs after one day..If it doesn't foam
right a way, place the jug next to a heat source, like a heat
register. The balloon will inflate from the carbon dioxide given off.
If the balloon comes off, put it back on. It basically keeps the bugs
out. Eventaully the balloon will deflate while on the jug after two
to three weeks. When this happens, your wine is ready to drink your
sparkling cider wine. The sediment at the bottom is known as brewers
yeast. It takes bad but is full of vitimins and will clean your drain
dish/sink pipes out very well. Yeast will eat the grease and decayed
food that can plug up the drain pipes in your house.

Tom

Strongarm wrote:
> Sounds like you want to make balloon wine.
>
> Enpty the apple juice equally into two 1 gallon milk jugs. Boil a
> pint of water and turn off the heat as you mix in 2 cups of sugar
> until clear. Do that twice and add each one to the gallon and allow
> to cool. Each jug should be 3/4 full. Bread yeast will work to some
> degree, but Champagne Yeast from a wine supply store would be much
> better. If you have the thermometer the applie juice needs to below
> 100 Degrees Farenheit before adding the yeast. After adding the
> yeast, attached a balloon to the top of the jug and wait a day. You
> may want to slightly shake the jugs after one day..If it doesn't foam
> right a way, place the jug next to a heat source, like a heat
> register. The balloon will inflate from the carbon dioxide given off.
> If the balloon comes off, put it back on. It basically keeps the bugs
> out. Eventaully the balloon will deflate while on the jug after two
> to three weeks. When this happens, your wine is ready to drink your
> sparkling cider wine. The sediment at the bottom is known as brewers
> yeast. It takes bad but is full of vitimins and will clean your drain
> dish/sink pipes out very well. Yeast will eat the grease and decayed
> food that can plug up the drain pipes in your house.

Brewers yeast (or Bread yeast) will eat grease? Have you got any documentation
of this? It certainly isn't what I'd expect.

Bob F wrote:
> Strongarm wrote:
>> Sounds like you want to make balloon wine.
>>
>> Enpty the apple juice equally into two 1 gallon milk jugs. Boil a
>> pint of water and turn off the heat as you mix in 2 cups of sugar
>> until clear. Do that twice and add each one to the gallon and allow
>> to cool. Each jug should be 3/4 full. Bread yeast will work to some
>> degree, but Champagne Yeast from a wine supply store would be much
>> better. If you have the thermometer the applie juice needs to below
>> 100 Degrees Farenheit before adding the yeast. After adding the
>> yeast, attached a balloon to the top of the jug and wait a day. You
>> may want to slightly shake the jugs after one day..If it doesn't foam
>> right a way, place the jug next to a heat source, like a heat
>> register. The balloon will inflate from the carbon dioxide given off.
>> If the balloon comes off, put it back on. It basically keeps the bugs
>> out. Eventaully the balloon will deflate while on the jug after two
>> to three weeks. When this happens, your wine is ready to drink your
>> sparkling cider wine. The sediment at the bottom is known as brewers
>> yeast. It takes bad but is full of vitimins and will clean your drain
>> dish/sink pipes out very well. Yeast will eat the grease and decayed
>> food that can plug up the drain pipes in your house.
>
> Brewers yeast (or Bread yeast) will eat grease? Have you got any documentation
> of this? It certainly isn't what I'd expect.
>
>
I too have heard of brewers yeast somehow being beneficial when poured
down the drain. Must say, I can't see why. Apart from maybe consuming
simple sugars that 'smelly' bugs might otherwise thrive on. I can't even
believe that it would be that beneficial for septic systems (a cited
reason).

rb

I saw a recipe for cider that calls for raw meat. Yuck. And I thought
Cock Ale was discusting

http://www.brewery.org/cm3/recs/11_13.html

ROger