Cidermaking

Cidermaking Log

My notes follow, mainly for my benefit, but it seems like this is one of the first pages that crop up if you google for 'pine hill orchard cider' so I figured I'd put a blurb here. I'm pretty new at this and I'd certainly appreciate any help anyone might give. I'm also happy to talk about my trials and errors and if anyone's in the Central MA neighborhood and wants to swap cider I'm certainly game. Shoot me an email...

General Tasting Notes

Fall, 2016

Overall notes

Looks like this'll be a re-do on various yeast test, since Strange Brew didn't have any of the Wyeast 4766 on hand.

Fall, 2015

Notes are in my notebook.
Summary: 2 batches. 38% Baldwin, 24% No Spy, 18% Jonathan, 12% Rome, 8% Esopus Spitzenburg. One batch with sugar (8.1% abv) vs one batch with no sugar (6.6% abv). Tasted these in March '16 and neither were great. Tasted in Oct '16 and the "no sugar" was fine but really thin...too thin. "With sugar" still has an odd aftertaste.

Fall, 2014

Most of my notes are in my paper notebook.
Summary: 5 batches, same yeast (Wyeast 4766), playing with sugars. Redfield with 2:1 cane:corn, Russet with 2:1, Reine (#1) with 2:1, Reine (#2) with 2:1 light brown:cane, Reine (#3) with all cane. Reine #1 was kegged first in summer 2015. Reine #3 and Russet were kegged in April '16. Redfield was kegged 10/29/16. Reine #2 (light brown sugar) is still in a carboy as of 10/30/16.

Fall, 2013

Skipped year?

Fall, 2012

Overall notes - Attempt at yeast experiments, largely failed due to bad airlock management

Batch #1, Pine Hill Orchard 300 blend, Wyeast 4766 Cider yeast

Batch #2, Pine Hill Orchard 300 blend, Wyeast 4184 Sweet Mead yeast

Batch #3, Pine Hill Orchard 300 blend, White Labs WLP775 English Cider yeast

Batch #4, Pine Hill Orchard 300 blend, Nottingham Ale yeast

Batch #5, Pine Hill Orchard 300 blend, Lalvin EC-1118 yeast, single gallon

Fall, 2011

Overall notes

Batch #1, Pine Hill Orchard 800 blend, Lalvin EC-1118 yeast