Batch #31

In January, I created a cranberry batch using my base recipe, plus...cranberry juice:

• 4 1/2 gallons Kirkland's apple juice
• 1 pack Danstar Windsor (English Ale)
• 1 lemon
• 6 English Breakfast tea bag
• 1/2 gallon of pure, organic 365 brand cranberry juice

As with the previous batches, prior to adding juice and yeast to the carboy, I added to a pot:

• 1/2 gallon apple juice
• juice of 1 lemon  (~1/5 cup)
• 6 English Breakfast tea bag

I cooked the mixture on the stove for 30 minutes at a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

While this was "cooking", I added the yeast to ~8oz of 80F apple juice and covered. I then chilled the cooked mixture over ice to bring it to <80F, added this and remaining juice to the carboy, along with the prepared yeast. I then added 1/2 gallon of cranberry juice. I then tasted the cranberry juice and realized that it was super tart, which got me super worried about the acidity of the final cider, wishing I had added only 1 quart and no lemon juice).

The cider ended up being, as I expected, super tart. I decided to blend it 50/50 with batch #27, and it turned out super awesome: a tart finish but nicely balanced. So nice that I decided to enter it in the cider competition (for which it finished in 8th place).