Vinegar Mother, Cider 8oz

USING MOTHER OF VINEGAR Directions: Mother of vinegar can be successfully used with wine or any other alcohol to produce vinegar. There are three main aspects you need to make sure of however:

1. Remove sulfites: Some commercial hard ciders contain sulfites which will prohibit the growth of the bacterias necessary to make vinegar. To remove sulfites there are two methods a. Stir the cider  for about 30 minutes - can work but is not always effective b. Add small amounts of hydrogen peroxide. Get the typical 3% hydrogen peroxide sold at most drug stores and add 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) to the wine. Stir in and this should remove most sulfites. The hydrogen peroxide will not be toxic or harm the taste of the vinegar. The general formula is 1 mL of 3% hydrogen peroxide removes 10 ppm of sulfites and red wine contains on average 20-40 ppm of sulfites.

2. Make sure the alcohol percentage of the mixture you want to turn to vinegar is less than 10% v/v, preferably between 6-8% abv. For cider that is ~%6, mix 3 parts hard cider to 1 part vinegar mother. For use in higher alcohol percentages you will have to dilute the cider. For example, to make vinegar from 12-14% alcohol cider, mix 2 parts cider with 1 part of water and 1 part mother of vinegar.

3. Make sure the vinegar can breathe: the bacteria making vinegar need access to oxygen so make sure there are holes or an open top the vinegar can breathe through. Cover these holes or top with cheesecloth or gauze however to prevent fruit flies from getting in. Finally, the optimal temperature for vinegar growth is 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. It will still grow fine at room temperature though. Good luck!