[simpits-tech] First Helopit pictures

[Bubba]

Rob Hommel wrote:
>
> I learned a thing or two about making cider over the years. If you
> recall,
> alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water. Freeze your cider
> then
> punch a hole in the top of the ice, it has never frozen solid on me.
> Drain
> the cider liquid off then freeze it again. I have done this up to
> three
> freezes and raised the alcohol level up to 38% alcohol. For those of
> you who
> don't know that's  76 proof alcohol. Makes for some really excellent
> sipping
> stuff after it has had a chance to mellow in a cool dark place for a
> couple
> of months. The gals really love the stuff, it makes them do silly
> things as
> well.

Yup, I know about that trick. I, uh, haven't done it yet and, uh, won't.
Yeah, that's it. Since, uh, it's technically distilling and not legal in the
US.

Honest, haven't tried it (watching for black helicopters...)

;)

The first batch was somewhere around 16%-18% IIRC using Premier Cuvee
champagne yeast, double pitched. Started it off like normal, 5 gals. apple
juice, yeast, yeast food. When it stopped fermenting I added 5 pounds of
corn sugar and pitched more yeast and yeast food. When that stopped I added
another 3 pounds of sugar, let it go for a day or two (it was pretty slow at
that point), and bottled it in champagne bottles. That stuff would bounce
the cork off the ceiling if the bottle was on the floor. Got a good 20 foot
range without shaking it up. Tons and tons of carbonation and none of it was
forced :) We call it "Make the Bad Man Stop" for obvious reasons. Couldn't
taste any alcohol, which was the major problem since everyone kept chugging
the stuff. People were dropping like flies. Looked like the plague rolled
through camp.

I gotta make another batch :) Maybe I'll just double pitch this one and
stabilize in a month so I can put it in corked splits. The last batch was in
magnums which, no doubt, added to the problem since all the manly men
thought they could handle 1.5l themselves. Yeah, right ;)

And my brewing partner has 3/4 case of 9 month old mead in my dining room,
too.
--
Steve
mysticz28@swbell.net
The only difference in 40 and 140 is the sirens and flashing lights
behind you.