Hard Cider, Take 1

Classification: cider

Source: Diane Palme (dspalme@mke.ab.com), Cider Digest #293, 6/30/93

I thought I would share my first attempt at a cider with you. I picked up 4 gallons of unfiltered cider at my local Fruit Ranch (great place for fresh produce and the farmer's market was closed) and jumped in head first.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 Gallons unfiltered apple cider (contains .1% Sodium Benzoate)
1 1/2 Gallons water
1# Gold dry malt extract
2 cups dry maple sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 packet Whitbread Ale Yeast

Procedure:

Rehydrate ale yeast in 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons of DME. Boil water and malt mixture for 5 minutes, cool, pitch yeast and cover.

Boil water with DME, maple sugar and brown sugar for 30 minutes. Pour into carboy on top of apple cider. Cool and pitch yeast. Attach blow-off tube. O.G. was ~1.040 at 70 degrees.

At first, the yeast fell to the bottom of the carboy and the cider/water mixture was almost clear. We noticed that there were clumps of fluffy-looking things suspended in the liquid which seemed to either float or sink without any pattern. The blow-off tube was bubbling verrrrrry slowly and the solution remained clear for a day. By the end of the second day, a thick brown foam (not a kraeusen like I see on my homebrew) formed at the top and the mixture was starting to get cloudy. We popped the air lock on it and went away. The next day the cider was fermenting like all heck and there was an actual *kraeusen* on the top! I can actually hear the stuff fizzing if I sit next to the carboy! (I am immensely pleased, can't you tell? :) Anyway, the entire apartment smells like hard cider and the most wonderful smell is coming out of the air lock. Just like when I make apple butter in the fall.

Specifics:

O.G.: 1.040