Fall 2005 Batch #1, Pine Hill Orchard blend, wild yeast

 

Blend Notes

Purchased on 11/05/2005 during Ciderday 2005 in Franklin County at Pine Hill Orchards.
Their "Zero Blend" was:

The juice was sweet with a little tang at the finish. We bought 11 gallons (they provided the jugs) for $30.25 to split between this batch and batch #2 with enough left over to top off.

Amount: 5 gallons
Specific Gravity: 1.050
% Sugar: 12.5
Potential Alcohol: 6.5
PH: unknown

Additives

11/6/05:
45 oz cane sugar purchased at Shaws in Groton, organic section
1 tsp Tannin Powder purchased at Modern Brewer in Cambridge

Notes

I'm trying a recipe in Paul Correnty's book based on a traditional New England cider recipe, hoping that wild yeast will do the trick. I'll be adding raisins after the first fermentation for authenticity, more sugar, and more yeasty goodness.

11/5/05: Purchased at Pine Hill Orchard, transported home in coolers.
11/6/05: Cleaned two 5 gal glass carboys by filling with warm water in upstairs bathtub, dumping in 1 Tbl(?) bleach, let sit for 30 minutes, then drained for 30 minutes. Funnel and turkey baster sat in a bleach bath for an equal time. Tested juice for specific gravity and taste tested. Funnelled in one gallon of juice, poured in sugar using plastic-flexi-mat, poured in tannin powder with mat, swirled, and poured in remaining juice. Covered top with cheesecloth, wrapped barmop around neck, and moved carboy down cellar in milk crate. Half a tab of capden was added to the extra gallon jug which went into the fridge for topping off.
11/12/05: The foam snake never really happened with this batch but I noticed this weekend that it's bubbling solidly like the other two. Perhaps not as vigorously, but it's going.

December: Installed air/water lock. Used vodka for a liquid seal.

Early spring: Realized much of the vodka had evaporated. Refilled. Need to keep a better eye on that next year.

5/29/06: Bottled batches 1 and 3 with help from many. Put one layer only of cheesecloth over the carboy-to-bucket tube to prevent raisins from entering. Use the longer of the bottling tubes...far faster than the short one. Putting the milk crate on the table under the carboy and bucket for added height.
I've no idea how much ended up being bottled. I should probably count at some point. Tastes pretty good.

8/09/06: Tried one of the still 12oz bottles. Excellent.

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