A small cider batch made with apples from the Rosenfelds' tree.
Pressed: 10/21/23
Bottled: 2/19/24
ABV: 8% (this is probably not accurate, see below)
10/21/23
The equipment is clean from having fairly recently brewed. I rinsed and sanitized all the equipment with Star San.
The cider pressed nicely and easily. One or two apples had gone brown, but the rest looked great. Measured to 8% alcohol potential which is the highest I have ever seen by a full percentage point. It filled a gallon jug to a little over halfway. I’ll leave it upstairs wrapped loosely in a down blanket since we’ll be away next week, likely with the heat turned down and maybe it will be a little warmer up there that way. I didn’t add anything (no yeast, nutrient, sulfites, priming sugar, etc.).
11/25/23
I transferred the cider to a keg. I sampled the sludge at the bottom. It’s amazingly sweet and delicious, which suggests that the low house temps (set to 65f) and natural yeasts didn’t yield much fermentation. Thankfully it doesn’t have any off-flavors whatsoever. In fact it just tastes amazing, that sweet spot between cider and hard cider. I can’t explain it, but in this state in mid-fermentation it tastes twice as sweet as regular cider.
2/19/24
The cider filled three fancy little bottles, and there was enough left over to taste. It still has that sweetness to it and no off flavors. Very interesting and tasty! Although because it’s sweet it’s probably not actually at 8% since that indicates all the sugar didn’t ferment. Cheers!
