Batch #1: Simple Cider

Today I began my journey into home cider making, spurred on by a birthday present from my wonderful wife and daughter: basic home cider making equipment. My first cider is as simple as it gets: 1 gallon of store bought cider (pasteurized, but free of chemicals and preservatives), honey, and champagne yeast.

The recipe is as follows:

• 1 gallon Murray's apple cider
• ~1/2 5 gram pack of Red Start champagne yeast
• ~1 1/4 cup of Sourwood Pure Honey (packed for Smoky Mountain Honey House)

I mixed ~2 cups of cider, honey, and yeast in a large 4 cup measuring cup until the honey was dissolved. I then added this to a separate 1 gallon jug and "topped off" with the remaining cider (probably too much in the jug, but we'll see). I then measured the original gravity (OG) at ~1.075 with a hydrometer and topped with a fermentation lock with sterilized water. The OG seemed a bit high (I was expecting it to be around 1.060 to 1.065), but what the heck, this is my first batch and I have no idea what I am doing.

Now all I have to do is wait! Thanks Amy and ZMPPR!