Brewing Vinegar

[NeilMacleod]

Started a new batch a few days ago, made apple cider Vinegar before that, very satisfying. Noticed theirs a thread on Vinegar as sanitation use so might as well do one on making it.

This is a Malt Vinegar, basically brew beer and then introduce a vinegar culture. I originally used the dregs from a bottle of Braggs ACV, it developed into a "Gell", like kombucha, so once this beer is done and cleared Il add the culture so it converts the alcohol to acetic acid.

Last time I just used natural Apple Juice from the store, simple.

Starter.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Interesting....I'm a long time brewer but never made vinegar. How do you know the acid level of the final product?
Do you filter or distill the final product?

 

[NeilMacleod]

Nope, just make wine/beer like normal, let it clear, then add culture and it turns to Vinegar in about a month, Acid/alcohol level should be indicated from the hydrometer. It smooths with age, 6 months is what I like to wait, can use when desired, let your nose decide on the strength when you want to use it if want to use it earlier.

 

[coloradoclyde]

As a brewer, I would have to make it off site. I'm not letting a "mother" anywhere near my equipment.

If using beer to make vinegar, do the Hops come through at all in the flavor of the final product or does it disappear?

 

[BillinOregon]

Clyde, I tried beer brewing in college and always ended up with vinegar. Just guess I had a talent for it.

:redface:

 

[NeilMacleod]

Its up to you what flavour you want, generally I would not use hops. I used a malt "kit" extract can, its not a bitter so their should be very little if anything of hops flavour, wont know till its finished. Fruit is what I generally use, will try raspberry this year and some others.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I have about two gallons of poor tasting fruit wine in a carboy that was given to me. It might make a decent wine vinegar. Will it eventually get there if left alone or do I need to add a vinegar yeast?

 

[NeilMacleod]

it needs the culture to give the proper one, the wild one would not be good. Buy a bottle of braggs ACV and look for one with lots of sediment on the bottom, pour off the clear and add the sediment to what you want to turn.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Does bad wine make good cider?

I would think the contrary.... :hmm:

Can you make vinegar from just a sugar wash?

 

[nhmoose]

I have made cider that was better used as vinegar the first time tasted. All natural bugs at first then learned to use a wine bug for the hard cider if that helps.

 

[NeilMacleod]

If it tastes bad then it probably will end up with the same taste. As long as theirs alcohol, then you can convert it.

 

[satx78247]

Imvho, plain white/cider/wine vinegar is too cheap to bother making, though high quality & flavored vinegars are quite a different thing.

yours, satx

 

[Ames]

Have not lost a batch of cider yet, but, if I ever do, I would end up with 22 gallons of vinegar. At one time. A bit much no matter how you love it. :barf:

 

[NeilMacleod]

Making your own creates live enzymes and its very health, great to add to water to drink to help arthritis and cleaning the blood. If your only going to use it for cleaning then buy the cheap crap. The point in making your own is that its healthy. If you put two side by side Heinz "Natural" Vinegar and Braggs you will see they are very different.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

do I need to add a vinegar yeast?

Jake,
You will need to add a vinegar bacteria. Just like yeast bread can get infected with a bacteria (and gives us then a sourdough if it's the right bacteria) a fermented liquid like wine or beer or hard cider can get infected with a bacteria, and give us vinegar (again if it's the right bacteria). :wink:

What dragonsfire is doing is getting a natural, unpasteurized vinegar, and not wasting the bacteria culture that it holds, but is harnessing it to make his own custom vinegar.

Which is pretty smart :thumbsup:

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

All natural bugs at first then learned to use a wine bug for the hard cider if that helps.

You're an adventurous person! The problem is that you got fungus (yeast) AND bugs (bacteria). I had the same problem with some friends who wanted to make hard cider by just grinding the apples in pomace and then pressing the juice, and letting nature take its course. :shocked2: They got some rotten-egg, hard cider. :barf:

Using wine yeast will give you a drier cider, and if your sugar is high enough, a higher alcohol content than ale yeast. IF you lager the cider with lager yeast, you will get a different flavor too.

LD

 

[Ames]

They should have added campden tablets to the cider for the first couple of days, then add the yeast strain they wanted. My preference is champagne yeast. You get a nice, bubbly cider that approaches wine in strength, 9 percent plus. :thumbsup:

 

[coloradoclyde]

I also prefer champagne yeast for ciders, meads and the like....Premier cuvee is my favorite...It has an extremely high alcohol tolerance, and ferments drier than the Sahara.

 

[Ames]

:thumbsup: Me too.You are freaking me out. Starting to sound too much like me.
Even my setter is named Clyde. Twilight zone ish.

 

[coloradoclyde]

:haha: ...A couple years ago I made a mead that topped out at 22.5% Final gravity was .992, I back sweetened with honey to 1.000 and got a lot of people drunk with it... :grin: