Hi I just bought a bottle of apple cider vinegar which has the Mother in it. I know there was a large discussion on here a while ago about making your own vinegar but can anyone tell me in simple terms if I can use this bottle that I have with the Mother in it and be able to continue making the apple cider vinegar and if so how I go about it. I want to use the vinegar for a drink to help aid digestion as it is known to be able to do so will want to have a continual supply of it. Thanks so much for any help/suggestions/tips
Pretty easy - make apple cider - the first step obviously - then use your "mother" to make the vinegar out of the cider ...
In short: You need alcohol first - that will then be turned into vinegar.
uli,
Apr 14, 8:45am
And reading through cookies link above - that is a bit naive ... and cookie might never have made this anyway - however I do it every year!
It is important to have a good strong alcohol first - and of course that is based on lots of sugar - BUT it is also based on which yeast you use.
So if you use simply whatever yeast clings to your apples you might end up with a very weak cider - and so with a very weak cider vinegar.
So I would recommend to steal all the apples off your neighbours tree - and juice them - and go to a brewing shop and buy a proper cider yeast (and if you are really keen also buy a hydrometer to check how much sugar is in the juice and add more sugar accordingly) to make sure you have the strongest alcohol amount you can get before the yeast dies (usually between 12 and 17% of alcohol depending on the yeast strain).
This will take about 2 to 4 months depending on the temperature. Then use small amounts and introduce your "mother" and maybe some air to speed things up.
Good luck!
pickles7,
Apr 14, 11:39pm
I just bumped up one of my threads on vinegar for you....
cookessentials,
Apr 14, 11:48pm
Quote Ulli: "And reading through cookies link above - that is a bit naive ... and cookie might never have made this anyway - however I do it every year!"
cant ever seem to help yourself. Perhaps instead of being your usual rude self, how about just sharing your knowledge or is that too much for poster #1 to ask?
kay141,
Apr 15, 12:38am
Not only is it a nasty comment but she also recommends theft.
lindylambchops1,
Apr 15, 3:53am
Cider Time! I think I may have given this recipe out before because I always get it out at this time of year when apples are in season and we put away quite a few bottles. This weekend it is my husband's birthday so we are having a few friends around and trying out last year's vintage. Let's hope it doesn't taste like vinegar! This is so easy to do and we've never had it taste anything but gorgeous, but it can be a bit potent so be warned. Apple Cider 1.5 kilograms cooking apples (these must be sour old-fashioned apples which can only be used for cooking such as Ballarat or Granny Smith). Look around your neighbourhood for old trees) 7 litres water 1kg sugar 3 big lemons 1 thumb sized piece of ginger which you have squashed with a hammer. Freeze the apples for three days. Take them out of the freezer and let them defrost. Cut them up in your food processor including skin and core. Put in a large bucket and pour on the cold water. Leave for 7 days covered and stir twice a day. Strain through a piece of muslin, old tea towel or net curtain and mix the liquid with the sugar, grated lemon rind, piece of ginger and strained lemon juice. Leave for a further 24 hours. Strain and bottle. We use old plastic bottles which have a bit of give in them as this mixture does expand. Leave in a cool, dark place for as long as you can. It’s drinkable after a month or so, but much more alcoholic after a year.
lindylambchops1,
Apr 15, 3:54am
the above was sent to me in Wendyl's Green Goddess Weekly Newsletter14 April 2011.Hope it is of some use to someone.
buzzy110,
Apr 15, 4:10am
Excellent post uli, full of precise and informative instructions. I made cider this year and it has finally stopped bubbling after one racking. Do you think I could get away with racking it again after 6 six weeks. I sort of winged it. I tried it when I first racked it (after 1 month) and the alcohol level just about knocked us both out on a couple of mouthfuls. I didn't add yeast sadly, but next year, following your instructions here, I'll be better. Just wondering how to proceed with what I have done so far.
It is sitting in a demi-john with a one way valve. Any advice would be appreciated but not necessary as I can still just keep guessing.
motorbo,
Apr 15, 5:12am
they are a bunch of uptight old ladies huh
uli,
Apr 15, 5:40am
Aye? What else do you need? Read my post above - says it all really! If you cannot make according to my instructions then I would be very very worried about you cookie - you are so good with making domestic things otherwise! What else do you need to know? Just ask away - I might even reveal some of my secrets which took me years to figure out LOL :)
*waves to kay* - no need to answer your post really ...
uli,
Apr 15, 5:41am
You mean cookie and kay ? Could be motorbo - but honestly I have never met them.
uli,
Apr 15, 5:52am
You can leave it to sit for as long as you like - just make sure there is not too much of an airspace above, so use rather a few smaller full containers than a half filled large one.
I usually don't even rack mine - too much work for the amounts I make - but let it sit for about 10 months, by which time it is absolutely clear and easy to to take off the sediment. I could leave it longer of course, but by that time the next years harvest comes around and I need the clean containers :)
You need air to make the cider into vinegar (and of course the vinegar bacteria). Best bet is always to get a mother or at least an unpasteurized organic cider vinegar which hopefully has enough live bacteria in it still.
Traditionally one used wood chips which were piled into a barrel and soaked with the live vinegar bacteria. Then the cider was slowly dripped through - DRIPPED as in a drop at a time. So you can imagine a set-up with the cider barrel at the top and the vinegar soaked wood shavings in another barrel below and then a vessel for the vinegar at the bottom. A three tier arrangement.
There are lots of other ways of course to do this, just keep in mind that the cider needs air to turn into vinegar. You can design all sorts of happy arrangements with that in mind.
The main thing as I said before is to have maximum alcohol levels, as that will make sure that you end up with a strong vinegar. And of course very tasty apples so the vinegar tastes good.
You can make vinegar out of any alcohol and be it simply white sugar, yeast and water and it will taste nothing but a bland sour.
Good luck!
buzzy110,
Apr 15, 6:04am
Thanks so much uli. I now know my next step. The demi-john is fairly well filled so I'll buy a small jar of Braggs (I'm sure the one I have in the fridge is no longer live enough), transfer some into my 'apple alcohol' and cover with a clean muslin cloth. Hopefully it will be ready for bottling by December or earlier. Will invest in a meter.
raewyn64,
Apr 15, 6:58am
um ok thanks to those that have contributed to the original question, I appreciate your time and comemnts. Perhaps though we could tone down the critisism of each other and their comments and tips????
cookessentials,
Apr 15, 7:03am
not too bright obviously. All you need do is answer #1's question, nothing more.
cookessentials,
Aug 4, 11:45pm
LOL motorbo. Iv'e seen it...it aint pretty LOL
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