Still Smarter

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qmpm_xXyUF8

Definitely Something..

Seen it mate...supermarket juice has been "a thing" way back in my brewing/wine days....my problem is the price of apple juice. Ok if you want to try say 5 litres, but what if you want 25 litres??? even the Lidl/Aldi brands cost say 80p.

Ice.

Yes Mash, I watch a lot of this guys vids and he is quite skilled
also love his sense of smell and taste, wish mine was like that.
After years of smoking abuse sadly it is not.
So the route to Apple Brandy or Calvados is using an essence.

Didn't watch all the way through, but as soon as he said "EC-1118" for the yeast, I knew that he may know lots about the mechanics of distilling but not so much about wines and mead producing.

I can't think of a more rubbish yeast to use on apple juice if the whole point is flavour etc. Don't get me wrong, EC-1118 is a good, robust fermenter but it blows so much of the esters and other VOC's straight out of the air lock to be of little practical value for the primary fermentation.

If he'd done his research, he'd know to have used 71B-1122 as that metabolises about 1/3rd of any malic acid present as well as munching the sugars to alcohol.

Happy to still watch his vids as they do provide a lot of that "prior knowledge" detail that many such peeps/videos forget.......

phantom wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:50 am I can't think of a more rubbish yeast to use on apple juice if the whole point is flavour etc. Don't get me wrong, EC-1118 is a good, robust fermenter but it blows so much of the esters and other VOC's straight out of the air lock to be of little practical value for the primary fermentation.

If he'd done his research, he'd know to have used 71B-1122 as that metabolises about 1/3rd of any malic acid present as well as munching the sugars to alcohol.

This is what I love about this hobby, the little hints & tips from folk who know what they are talking about,....I'm sending away for some 71b-1122 asap.


Ice.

Some time ago I decided to have a go at making apple brandy/calvados, and bought a 40 pint cider kit, fermented it out and distilled it....it was horrible! I've never drank proper calvados so had nothing to compare it with. Maybe it was ok and I just don't like calvados, who knows?

I lasted 20 seconds into the vid., before deciding the guy was a twat.

Nothing wrong with supermarket juice, Lidl grape juice continues to provide a decent table wine at 14% for 70p a bottle.

The recipe is posted here if you want it, just don't expect, a narcissistic video to accompany it!

Robert.

Icefever wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 11:02 am This is what I love about this hobby, the little hints & tips from folk who know what they are talking about,....I'm sending away for some 71b-1122 asap.

That comes from both personal experience, but also some consideration/contemplation of WHAT a yeast is actually used for.

EC-1118 is known as a strong/robust fermenter, fine. But how is it used?, because all of the actual fermentation of the base wine that becomes champoo, will have been fermented with the yeast that's sympathetic to the strain of grape used (and the strains as isolated, will be laid down in the AOC regulation). Then, once the base wine is actually made, only then is it time to carbonate it so it can be called (and sold etc) as champagne.

The various parts of the carbonation process are closed i.e. the shot of sugars and tiny bit of yeast added before crown capping. So the yeast can munch the sugar shot, producing mainly CO2 but as it can't vent any aromatics and VOC's are contained, and the EC-1118 used does it's job but without any loss of flavour (which was produced by the original yeast used according the the grape mix for the specific brand of champoo).

So yes, while the product isn't champagne until it's been fermented, cleared, carbonated, the yeast does what it said on the tin being tolerant of the alcohol in the base wine, still being able to munch the sugar shot added to create the CO2, but contained by capping/riddling/disgourging etc.

If you wanted just a higher strength wash/mash/base product, you will get better (taste/aromatic level etc) wine using K1-V1116 as that will also go to 18% ABV. If it (the wash/mash) is made from "red" or "black" fruit, I prefer BDX/BM 4X4/RC-212 because while any colour is lost during the distilling process, it's entirely feasible that the colour compounds also provide at least part of the flavour compounds as well so it's likely better to retain them until the process removes them.

I also find that I like the flavour profile that is produced by D21, but that's a bit harder to get as it's not generally available in home brew sized packs, but it also does good things with the flavour.

Oh, and yes, while I appreciate that we do seem to take less importance of the ferment stage, I'd suggest that it's just as important as any part of the distilling stages when it comes to flavoured products (as opposed to sugar wash, which EC-1118 is fine with) so that some of the flavour/aroma elements come over during the distilling and are there to do their magic as the product is aged etc.

Think you've highlighted another area for further reading Phantom

Yeast is under appreciated in this hobby.

In wine and beer, yeast and the "what else does it do other than alcohol" characteristics are a big deal as is the ferment.

In a neutral the yeast has simple job (don't do anything but alcohol) but in ferments that need to carry over flavour, the yeast selection will make a difference.

So does anyone have a favourite rum yeast?

You guys are bloody good. The depth and width of knowledge and experience within this thread is astounding.

It inspires me to find out more and more about the subject. Thought for a miili second about the Internet in general then realised probably a lot of wasted searching, just use our/your archive.

So very grateful you are all out there contributing.

WelshGin
There is always a better way.

I do love a phantom rant, they are few and far between.
And polite.
He spends intervening time fence sitting, and not espousing bollocks
2008 may have been the first I read.
This man has some knowledge, and I would not pick a yeast fight

I am heathen.
I use only two yeasts for beers, Nottingham and Mangrove Jack's M 47 Belgian.
For neutral, a mix of Saf-levure bakers and Anchor dry.
For whisky Anchor dry.
For wine Bio ferm Rouge or Blanc.
All of these yeasts perform as I wish, others may do the same or a better job.

Five are readily available, Anchor dry is a commercial whisky yeast.
I have about 7Kg of Anchor, as close to Cryonics storage as I can manage, - vac packed and -18°C.
I expect it to remain Viable for my life span.
Pension Pot

Robert.

Robert, how long have you been at this game?

Welsh.


I was going to add, Jesus, then Crist, then for God's sake, Robert how lo.......

Scrumped Apples and Ma's baking yeast aged 11, fermented in my wardrobe in a lidded bucket, ate and drnk the lot with a spoon!
Ten years later, first wine 42 years ago.
First beer from a kit 37 years ago.
Built my first still, without help or knowledge about then.
Bought an Airstill about 10 years ago.
Built my current silly and very silly air cooled stills soon after.
Started All grain beer about 3 years ago.


The internet makes all forms of making home alcohol so much easier than my life experience.

Robert.

Hi WelshGin
Roberts been at it nearly as long as me HA HA HA. Made my first wine 55 years ago, first beer 52 years ago, first still 10 years ago and yes youve guessed it I'm still learning everyday thanks mostly to the more experienced stillers on here. Thanks guys.
Regards
RM