Batch #9: Bottled

I bottled batch #9 today. The cider had fermented completely dry. After racking off to a separate carboy, I added 30 oz of fresh apple juice. Bottling produced 58 12oz bottles and 6 22oz bottles.

I had a little left over and it tasted it. It tasted pretty good - a little raw, of course, but I'm hoping that it will age well. It also had a bit of a kick, so I guess the raisons that I added 1%+ ABV. I'm looking forward to having this ~3 cases on hand for a while.

Batch #9

For Christmas, I got a gift certificate for brewing supplies, so I bought a 6 gallon better bottle and a 6 gallon carboy. I decided to replicate batch #5 with a 6 gallon batch. I forget exactly when, but I started the 6 gallon batch in the better bottle right around mid-February. After a week or so, I racked the cider to the 6 gallon carboy and added 1/2 gallon of fresh apple juice. I also added ~1 1/2 cups of raisons.

As I write this, the secondary fermentation continues slowly. The plan is to let this ferment to dryness (another month, or so), at which point I will back sweeten with ~1 quart of juice.

Batch #8: Secondary and bottling

The cider fermented to rapidly for a few days at which point I added the raisons mentioned in the recipe. The cider continued to ferment for a few weeks to complete dryness. I racked the cider off to a secondary carboy and topped off with fresh Knudsen's apple juice. After adding the apple juice, the SG measured ~1.010. I let ferment for another week to let some of the sediment settle and some of the sugars ferment off. By the time I got back to the cider, it had fermented dry again. I racked off to another carboy, back sweetened with ~6oz Knudsen's apple juice and bottled (bottling date: 3/17).

Batch #8

Amy gave me some Lalvin yeast as stocking stuffers, so I started a 1 gallon batch using the Lalvin 71B-1122. Recipe #8:

1 gallon Murray's apple cider
1/3 5g Lalvin 71B-1122
1 oz of organic raisins

Batch #7: Bottled

Batch #7 was allowed to sit in secondary for a few more weeks to complete dryness, then back sweetened with a little apple juice for carbonation. We'll see how this differs for #6 in the final product.

Batch #6: Bottled; Batch #7: Still fermenting

The secondary fermentation for batches #6 and 7 has been really slow, taking ~1 month to reach between 1.005 and 1.010 SG (batch #7 is still not there yet). When bottling #6, I racked off the gallon into another gallon and bottled exactly 11 12oz bottles, so I didn't even get a taste to see what the starting point was. This will make it an even better exercise in patience.

Batches #1, 2, 3, 4, and 5: Tasting notes

Over the last few months, Amy and I have been tasting the first 5 batches. The results are as follows:

• Batch #1 mellowed nicely, but the overall alcohol level made it unenjoyable.
• Batches #2 and 3 never mellowed and, while not bad, were very dry and flavorless.
• Batches #4 and 5 mellowed nicely and were fun to drink. Not as dry as Amy and I would prefer and a little tart, but I personally would be happy to have a few cases around at all times.

Batches #6 and 7: Fermenting very slowly

2+ weeks after racking these batches to secondary, and they are still, every so slowly, bubbling away. I have measured the SG a few times; the last time it measure ~1.015. So there is still a bit more to go. I am hoping to bottle next Sunday.

Batches #6 and 7: Second fermentation

On Saturday, December 31, I racked off batch #6 to secondary, removing the raisons, and back filled to 1 gallon. The SG was ~1.040 at the time of moving it. On Sunday, January 1, I did the same for batch #7.

Batches #6 and 7

I started two new 1 gallon batches on Wednesday, December 28. With these new batches, I'm hoping to build on the success of the previous two batches, which have aged nicely and have turned out to be my (and Amy's) favorite batches to date: mellow and fruity; a little tart and not quite as dry as I would like, but with plenty of flavor. My plan for these two batches is to ferment them to a SG of ~1.005. At that point I will bottle and allow the remaining sugar to add a little, but not too much carbonation. My hope by taking this approach, as opposed to the approach to batches #4 and 5 where I added juice prior to bottling, is to get a slightly drier cider with as much fruit as possible. We'll see.


The recipes for both batches #6 and 7 are, more or less, the same as batch #5, with a little less raisons (per Amy's recommendation).

Recipe #6 and 7:


1 gallon Wholefoods 365 apple juice
1/3 11.5g pack of Safale s-04 Dry Ale Yeast
1 oz of organic raisins


Based on batches #4 and 5, I will allow these batches to age for 3 months before I crack the first bottle. Or On Zoe Mae's BDay in March, as Amy says I will never be able to wait that long. Patience is a virtue, I suppose.