I put a bit of bakers yeast in a half gallon bottle of apple juice (I didn't add any sugar) on Sunday and the foaming has ended now, (it smells good) and I'm wondering if there is some way I can clarify the cider without having to let it continue fermenting for months? I would like to drink it right away, but I'm not sure I want to drink the yeast. (I once read about someone who had a rare disease caused by yeast in his gut that caused him to be perpetually drunk)
Would filtering through a coffee filter work?
I've seen some information on the web about fractional crystalization (puttig it in the freezer and removing ice to increase alcohol content). Would chilling do anything?
What causes the fermented juice to eventually clarify? When the juice can no longer support yeast growth do they go dormant and sink? Is it the bubbling that creates turbulence that keeps the sediment suspended?
Your first problem was using bakers yeast. It will ferment but is not designed to ferment beverages. It is not very good about clearing. It would have been much better if you had used a beer or wine yeast. As far as yeast causing someone to be perpetually drunk, that really sounds like an urban myth. I am sure there is no truth to it or I guarantee all in this group would have it as we all sample our fermenting stock.
Actually, I made exactly what you have made many many years ago, before I knew better. It may not look very appetizing but it is not all that bad, even in it's milky form. Cover it with plastic wrap and a rubber band. Do not put a cork in it or it will blow up. Then put it in the refrigerator. The cold will slow the ferment down and most of the sediment will fall out. Fermentation will continue very slowly for a while. You can decant it carefully so as not to disturb the sediment and have nice carbonated cider for a few weeks. (If it last that long.)
As to freeze distilling (that is what you were describing) that is strictly illegal in the US so none of us would ever suggest you do it, assuming you live in the US. Anyway, you are not going to get more that 5 to 7% with your bakers yeast and freeze distilling will not get you much higher, maybe
9%. If you want to go higher, next time use wine yeast and you can get up to 15 to 20% legally so why bother with the illegal method.
I didn't expect to get carbonated cider from this but actually I would prefer it. Will the rubberband and plastic wrap keep more gas in than an air lock? I have an airlock but if I'll get better carbonation with the rubber band and plastic wrap I'd use that instead.
(Or is it that the continuing slow fermentation in the cold will create enough dissolved gas to bubble out when I pour it into a room temperature glass?)
Also, does the rubber band need to be loose enough to allow gas to escape or is it supposed to keep all the gas in? Won't the plastic wrap pop or slip out from under the band as the gas accumulates?
Actually, Ray, it is not an urban myth. The particular case is discussed in The Yeast Connection by William G. Crook, M.D., of a man in Japan who had the disorder, which was quite severe and did cause him to be drunk all the time. He didn't drink, either, and people thought he was either lying about not drinking or was mentally ill.
A milder (but by no means "mild") problem is systemic infection with Candida albicans, called Candidiasis. Basically, it's when normally occurring yeasts in the gut overgrow and are not kept in check by other healthy flora. If the yeast levels get too out of hand, the yeast morphs into a form that allows it to move out of the gut and into the rest of the system in search of food. Nasty symptoms, like depression, fatigue, severe migraines, etc., can result. I don't mean to get off on a side discussion of this, but I do want to bring it to everyone's attention here so they can investigate it on their own if so inclined.
There is a test for Candidiasis, called the Candisphere, that determines if one has C. albicans in the blood stream. This is considered pathological and means the yeast has gone systemic and is causing problems. I know this because I scored 180 on this test; a score of 120-130 is suspect and my score resulted in a definitive diagnosis of Chronic Candidiasis. Many doctors "don't believe" this condition exists because they know yeast is supposed to be part of the normal intestinal culture; they have not read the research. (You'll know who these non-believers are because their eyes start rolling involuntarily if they so much as hear the words "alternative medicine"; IOW, if it ain't pharmaceutical company-pushed drugs and studies, it must be voodoo. Seek a physician through NCCAM or ACAM. Dr. Ralph C. Lee in Atlanta is the one who evaluated/diagnosed me.)
When you have an overgrowth of yeast, you tend to crave sugar and fermented foods that feed the yeast. You tend to bloat and be gassy and gain a lot of weight, which I have...25 pounds in a few months! I didn't gain weight that quickly when I was pregnant! Until I started trying to get my intestinal flora back into balance, my stomach was bloating out hugely and was acting like a vigorous primary fermentation was going on in there. (I was making my first mead at the time, and when I used it as an analogy, Dr. Lee said he suspected that was exactly what was going on. The test confirmed it.)
We know about the care and feeding of yeasts. The only thing that would "settle my stomach" was another glass of wine. (Huh, wonder why?)
My sister, who is being treated for Candidiasis with antifungals and a very strict diet (and has dropped 30 pounds in about three months in the process!), kept telling me yeast was my problem, but I did not want to believe it. I love my wine and cheese and yogurt and for a while was consuming little else. I'm not making the good progress she is, because I'm still drinking wine every day, but I've cut out cheeses for a while and am taking over-the-counter supplements that are helping a little to get the yeast to stop acting so unilaterally aggressive.
Those of us who really love our wine and mead would be wise to take garlic and olive leaf extract (both potent OTC antifungals) and something with Lactobacillus cultures in it daily. Since I started doing this, I'm already feeling a whole lot better and my weight's starting to go down some, too. I'm looking into the fermented foods in the book Wild Fermentation, because they are heavy on the Lactobacillus. I probably won't "get well" on this approach--you really have to go cold turkey for three or so months and follow a careful diet and antifungal regimen to correct the problem--but at least I've settled the yeast down a little. I'm not waking up at night feeling like elephants are stampeding through my stomach, and my energy and mood are improving.
What I described to you is what was described to me back in the 70's when I did it. Using the plastic wrap and rubber band is in place of the airlock and is used for it's low profile in the refrigerator. (airlocks do not fit well in my refrigerator) It is not good long term but you will probably drink this stuff up in a couple of weeks anyway. It should not be tight enough to form a perfect seal. Pressure should leak out. Carbonation is in the drink mainly because of the continued fermentation, not because of pressure when you do it this way. As I recall the romantic description of the process "it is a shame to drink cider than has not been kissed by the yeast".
But you might read up on making real cider, there are better ways of doing it. This method is okay for a first try.
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