How do you make your own ACV?

[ORChick]

Thanks for all the great info!
Bettacreek..no extra freezer or woods laying around

I was hoping I could speed things along with whey. Anyone know?

Any types of apples better than another or just any organic apple?

Dace, I've never heard anything about using whey, but my guess is that it wouldn't help. Whey/yoghurt/kefir/etc. have lacto-bacteria, and vinegar has aceto-bacteria. As to apples, just as apple cider has a more complex, interesting flavor with an assortment of apples, I imagine that ACV would too. But both cider and ACV can be made from any one, or mixture. And, as one doesn't generally drink large quantities of ACV at a time, the nuances from using several kinds of apple might not be apparent .

 

[Dace]

Thanks ORChick...good to know!

 

[Bettacreek]

Thanks for all the great info!
Bettacreek..no extra freezer or woods laying around

I was hoping I could speed things along with whey. Anyone know?

Any types of apples better than another or just any organic apple?

Lol. If you're not in the woods, you don't need the freezer! I forgot to mention that the ACV was in jugs inside the freezer, the freezer just kept meddling critters (and us kids) out of it.

 

[Dace]

Thanks for all the great info!
Bettacreek..no extra freezer or woods laying around

I was hoping I could speed things along with whey. Anyone know?

Any types of apples better than another or just any organic apple?

Lol. If you're not in the woods, you don't need the freezer! I forgot to mention that the ACV was in jugs inside the freezer, the freezer just kept meddling critters (and us kids) out of it.

I kinda figured that

 

[Beekissed]

I have been "brewing" my own vinegar for about 2 months now and have made a couple of mistakes...or three, or four.

First, I placed it in the cellar, which was too cool at that time. Then I switched it to my bedroom next to the chimney...warm but I didn't cover it so it would be in the darkness~supposed to be ideal conditions.

Also, I hadn't stirred mine every day for a week or two in the beginning.

I have juice that smells like vinegar but tastes like jack....so now I'm doing it the old-fashioned way~I bought some UP/ACV from the health food store and am going to add some to each jug, cover them for darkness and see if this works.

The other places I've read about did this or purchased a beer or wine yeast from a brewery supply store to get a starter.

I have seen vinegar mothers and this vinegar I purchased does not have one but it should still have the cultures necessary to jump start my juice/jack.

The gal. I bought costs $18 ....you bet I'm going to keep making my own!!! And possibly sell some next year....I can get around $6-7 a gal. for cider sales vs. $15-17 for ACV. I'm definitely going to try it on for size.....also found some tiny jugs that are the cutest, for folks who wouldn't want to purchase a whole gal.

 

[ORChick]

I have been "brewing" my own vinegar for about 2 months now and have made a couple of mistakes...or three, or four.

First, I placed it in the cellar, which was too cool at that time. Then I switched it to my bedroom next to the chimney...warm but I didn't cover it so it would be in the darkness~supposed to be ideal conditions.

Also, I hadn't stirred mine every day for a week or two in the beginning.

I have juice that smells like vinegar but tastes like jack....so now I'm doing it the old-fashioned way~I bought some UP/ACV from the health food store and am going to add some to each jug, cover them for darkness and see if this works.

The other places I've read about did this or purchased a beer or wine yeast from a brewery supply store to get a starter.

I have seen vinegar mothers and this vinegar I purchased does not have one but it should still have the cultures necessary to jump start my juice/jack.

The gal. I bought costs $18 ....you bet I'm going to keep making my own!!! And possibly sell some next year....I can get around $6-7 a gal. for cider sales vs. $15-17 for ACV. I'm definitely going to try it on for size.....also found some tiny jugs that are the cutest, for folks who wouldn't want to purchase a whole gal.

Bee, from everything I have read, vinegar just "happens". Given even slightly correct circumstances the problem is not "making" vinegar, but "preventing" vinegar . Your cellar was probably too cool, as you thought, but I would guess that your vinegar/jack just hasn't had enough time (I think it took at least 3 months for my first batch). Darkness doesn't appear to be a factor (mine is on the kitchen counter), nor does stirring it everyday - though that can't hurt, the stuff does benefit from oxygen. The reason, IMO, that vinegar seems to have the mystique that it now does is that most everything nowadays is pasteurized (will mold before it turns to vinegar), or sulfited (wine, and it will just go bad rather than allow vinegar bacteria to work their magic.) As kitchen scraps will turn to lovely rich compost, given the chance, so will alcohol turn to vinegar ... given the chance

 

[Beekissed]

Yup....I'm just impatient! I want to taste my very own ACV...and then I want to give it to my animals. This was my whole purpose for making it in the first place....I want to start dosing all the livestock.

Can't wait........

 

[valmom]

I'm resurrecting this thread- I bought some really expensive unpasturized ACV from our local coop (for my MIL's GERD) and it is running out. I want to try to make more ACV using what's left of that bottle (about 1/2 cup with all the sediment in the bottom) to try to make some more, but all I can find this time of year is pasturized cider, not unpasturized. Will that work? Or do I have to go to apples and do the whole crushing/straining thing that I don't really have time to do right now?

 

[ORChick]

I'm resurrecting this thread- I bought some really expensive unpasturized ACV from our local coop (for my MIL's GERD) and it is running out. I want to try to make more ACV using what's left of that bottle (about 1/2 cup with all the sediment in the bottom) to try to make some more, but all I can find this time of year is pasturized cider, not unpasturized. Will that work? Or do I have to go to apples and do the whole crushing/straining thing that I don't really have time to do right now?

Valmom, that last 1/2 cup should be sufficient to kick start the process, even with pastuerized juice. Use it all, even the sediment; you can filter everything later if you want. The little acetobacter beasties will thrive on the new source of sugar (the new juice) and multiply, just as a spoonful of yeast will raise a whole batch of bread. Remember though, it will probably take a couple of months to become vinegar.

 

[old fashioned]

Is this homemade vinegar a stronger percentage acidity than store bought? If so, does anyone know by how much?

(Or is my brain not working again this am and this is a 'duh' kinda question? ...it's okay to say so)