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After trying a friends moonshine at 160ish proof. I am making a hard cider. Very little work is needed and alcohol content can still get fairly high if you turn it into Applejack.

I also went big to start. 6 gallon carboy. 2.25 gallons of apple juice 8 lbs if pure sugar 2.25 gallons of water.

looks like a somebodies having a party!

Wow 8lbs of sugar, what sort of alcohol you hoping for 15 or 20%?

Form the guy that I told the recipe to at the home brew shop (He was doing calculations in his head for a good 30 seconds.) 14%-17%

Hi
Many years ago here in the UK you could buy yeasts that would be good up to the low 20%.
I am also told that water freezes at a lower temperature than alcohol.
Heat pads can speed fermentation.
Many people require distilled water for their work. I understand that you can buy machines on E bay.
In the Southern Hemisphere I understand that their laws are different. I am told they exchange information. One could always Google.

Be sure there aren't preservatives in the apple juice. That will slow down or stop the yeast.

Also, you may not be able to get to your max abv by adding all the sugar at once, even if your strain of yeast is good for high alcohol content.

You may be right on both. Apple Cider is out of season and the stuff that I got is not the best for this. its 100% juice but there is stuff in it also. I used a Cider Yeast and this is starting to foam a bit now and it is only close to 24 hours after pitching. I have read 48-36 Hours to start even seeing anything happen.


Yeast pitched 18.49 Sunday

Photo taken 02.11 Monday

For the apple juice the actual ingredients are - Filtered Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

There's a good chance you'll need to add yeast nutrients. Apple juice and sugar don't have all the stuff yeast need to live. If the airlock isn't bubbling vigorously in another day or two, drop by the home-brew shop. Usually rate of addition is about 1/4 teaspoon per gallon.

It's like its breathing https://www.dropbox.com/s/9bsxj16hdrukp ... 5.mp4?dl=0

Set up a time lapse with a IP camera.

Potassium sorbate and the like are what you want to avoid. Yours sounds fine.

I usually make mine from frozen juice concentrate and add yeast energizer (diammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, yeast hulls and vitamin B complex) and wine tannin (better simulates cider apples) and use an English cider yeast. Sometimes I add some food grade acid blend to give it more bite.

It was a Cider House Select yeast that was used in this. I'm getting a bubble in the airlock every 3-4 seconds 5 days after pitching the yeast. I'm not getting the surface bubbles like I was in the Dropbox link video.

Hi
You know yeasts are a bit like women. Keep them warm out of draughts and cuddle them.
This is a photo of a two demi-jon heating pad.
The cuddling one is busy. He is like a quilted jacket with an electric personality.
A quick google search revealed yeasts that will still function at 23%
One of those floaty things. Oh yes Specific gravity do da are handy too.
I always keep mine next to the pressure cooker in case I need it.

I got one of those floaty things coming to me from eBay. Want to see what the SG is if I do a secondary fermentation. I may add cherry or pineapple.

Room temps is around 20-23*c Yeast packet "Usage Directions": Sprinkle contents directly on up to 23 L (6 US Gal) of juice. Ferment at 18-24 degrees C (60-70 degrees F) for best results.

Lower temp is usually better from a taste standpoint, but will be just slightly slower. This depends greatly on the yeast, of course. I like my Belgian ale and Bavarian weizen yeasts a little on the warm side.

Conventional wisdom is that temp stability is actually more important than the absolute temp itself (within reason).

Hi Guys, is there any way for someone in the tropics to start dabbling into home brewing? This is of course with no help from a home brew shop. (there is none in my country) If there is a way, what can i start with and how?

Regards