Batch #38

Today, after a trip to the west coast where I tasted the Schilling & Company Grapefruit cider, I created an entirely new recipe for a grapefruit cider. The recipe:

• 5 gallons Kirkland's apple juice
• 1 pack Danstar Windsor (English Ale)
• 1 quart pink grapefruit juice 
• 6 bags of Celestial Seasonings' Morning Thunder
• 1 oz Cascade hops
• 1 oz fresh ginger

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

• 1/2 gallon apple juice
• 6 bags of Celestial Seasonings' Morning Thunder
• 1 oz Cascade hops (in a hop bag)
• 1 oz fresh ginger (in a hop 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, rough filtered it through a strainer, and added this and remaining juice to the carboy, along with the prepared yeast.

The grapefruit juice had a specific gravity of 1.045. I am hoping that the citrusy fruit of the cascade hops will complement the grapefruit, and the small amount of ginger will give some extra character and complexity to the cider. We'll see.