Holiday Cider

Classification: cider, maple cider, spiced cider

Source: Nick Cuccia (cuccia@eris.berkeley.edu) Cider Digest #94, 12/17/91

Good sparkle, mildly yeasty (not careful enough with my secondary racking), complex flavor, some spice in the nose, too much alcohol (my calcs say that the alcohol content is about 15%, but it tastes much stronger). In general, I'm pretty pleased; almost everybody who's tried it has been pleased as well.

Ingredients:

5 gallons, Apple Juice (Gravenstein/Jonathan blend)
6 cups, Maple Syrup
7/3 tablespoon, Whole Cloves
1/2 Whole nutmeg, grated
10 4 inch cinnamon sticks
3 lemons (juice and zest)
2 inches, ginger root, peeled and grated
1 pack, Red Star Champagne Yeast

Procedure:

Simmer 3/4 gallon apple juice, spices and ginger (in spice bags), syrup, and lemon juice and zest for 45 mins. Add simmered mix to 4--1/4 gallon. Put cider in carboy. Pitch yeast and top off with more apple juice. Ferment for 34 days. Rack to secondary and top off with more apple juice. Prime with 3/4 cup corn sugar and bottle. Age for 30 days and consume.

Specifics:

O.G.: 1.100
F.G.: 0.998
Primary Ferment: 34 days
Secondary Ferment: 22 days