Batch 26: 7 gallon home-pressed cider batch (Charles and Jim)

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
26	Cider	9/22/13	9/30/13	10/21/13	1/3/14, 12/31/15	12/6/16

Yeast Type: 
Lalvin 71B-1122 (pitched 9/23/13 6pm)

Ingredients:

7 gallons cider pressed killed 9/22/13 (mix of 4 different apples, 25% Hugh 50% Barbara's (McIntsosh) and 25% mix of Walter's and a pink apple Charles picked roadside)

heavy ¼ tsp KMS

7 tsp yeast nutrient

3.5 tsp yeast energizer

X tsp pectic enzyme added 1 hour prior to yeast

Comments: 
Pressed 9/22/13 after replacing the grinder (not the start we were looking for).  All apples were gathered by Charles or Jim and cut up the night before.  This was Charles' introduction to cider pressing.

Brewed in a 14 gallon plastic primary which is only 50% full.  7 gallons was an odd start size, but it is what we had after saving out some sweet cider for fresh drinking.  Must was aerated vigorously via pouring on 9/22.  Initial must sample was not pulled, we will assume similar to that for batch 23/24 as these were >75% same apples in a similar ratio.  I don't think the addition of Walter's and Charles' roadside apples will change it much.  Mostly I could not figure out an easy way to get a sample out of that beast of a primary fermenter when pitching yeast.

Yeast used is the same as that ultimately used in batch 25.  1 packet was added to a starter of 2 cups warm cider in a sanitized mason jar.  The yeast started bubbling slightly after rehydration and starter contents was added to the primary.This should allow for a relatively direct comparison between real cider fermentation and second run cider with honey added.

9/25/13 update:  At 36 hours there were no signs of fermentation.  No bubbling at airlock, no hissing at the not-so-great-fitting bung.  I opened the bung and inspected the surface for signs of rising CO2 and smells of yeast, negative for both.

9/30/13 update:  Pitched a new yeast starter 9/26.  Evidence of fermentation began by 9/28, but no bubbling of the airlock, I'm sure because the bung does not seal. Wanted to rack to get it into an integral vessel before there was a lack of positive pressure.  Curious that with fermentation evidence on 9/28 that the batch did not bubble vigorously upon transfer to secondary vessels.  This was racked from the Big Boy 14 gal primary to an ale pail (6 gal) and 1 gallon glass jug (which I overflowed onto the floor!).  Taste was a bit watery, acid, cloudy.  Not sure if I added pectic enzyme or not as evidenced in the X tsp (should have been 3) which could explain the cloudy.  Not much off flavors for all the unknowns, but it is still quite young having pitched only 4 days earlier.

10/21/13 update:  Racked from an ale pail to a 5 gal glass carboy, a 1/2 gallon glass jug, and a 3 quart plastic bottle.  Did not rack the 1 gallon glass jug from 9/30/13.

1/3/14 update:  Cloudy medium yellow appearance, cannot see through the carboy.  Tastes dry, slightly tart, flabby, low alcohol.  Needs a lot of help, but I went ahead and racked and stabilized with 2.5 tsp of potassium sorbate (5 gallon carboy portion only!  the 1.5 gallons in small containers I could not rack and did not stabilize) as the acid level is ok to begin adjustment and clarification. 

4/9/14:
Racked 3 unstabilized containers, did not stabilize.   All has been racked now, but not all stabilized, only 5 gallon.

12/31/15:  Racked the stabilized 5 gallon batch, which was clear and pale straw colored.  It was fine, but not special.  Not overly sweet or tart, could benefit from carbonation, which probably won't happen.  Maybe I'll adjust with extracts and bottle still.

8/30/16:  Adjusted to taste.  To 5 gallon stabilized batch I added 40 Tbsp raw can sugar, dissolved in a quart of boiled water.  Also added 10 tsp cinnamon extract, 8 tsp nutmeg extract, 1 pint fire water.  Going for a slightly sweet holiday cider.  Got a touch cloudy with extract addition.

12/6/16: Clear, so I bottled it still.  It is a nice semi-sweet holiday cider flavor.  Probably 7-8% ABV.  Will give some away for Christmas.

Batch Data (NOTE - used results from batch 23/24 to approximate PF results as this was pressed from the same sources of apples)

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	1.050	tbd	tbd	tbd
% Potential ABV (hyd)	6.1	tbd	tbd	tbd
%mas sacc (refrac)	9.0	tbd	tbd	tbd
° Oechsle (°Oe) (refrac):	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
KMW (refrac)	12	tbd	tbd	tbd
pH (pH meter)	3.0	tbd	tbd	tbd
% alcohol (vin)	N/A	tbd	tbd	tbd

Batch 25: Cyser with home pressed "second run" cider and sweet mead yeast

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
25	Cyser	9/14/13	9/30/13	10/21/13	1/3/14, 12/31/15, 1/29/18	11/20/18

Yeast Type:
White Labs Sweet Mead yeast WLP720 recovered from batch 20* (pitched 9/15/13)
Lalvin 71B-1122 (pitched from starter on 9/19/13)

Ingredients:
4 gallons “second run” cider**

1 gallon mead must***

~ 7 lbs Jimbo's 2012 fall honey, crystallized

¼ tsp KMS

5 tsp yeast nutrient

1.5 tsp yeast energizer

2.5 tsp pectic enzyme added 1 hour prior to yeast

Comments:

* This yeast was stored in a clear glass 375ml crown cap sealed bottle in the fridge.  I allowed it to come to room temp overnight on 9/14/13 and it foamed quite a bit upon uncapping on 9/15/13 prior to pitching.  I saved a small amount into the original White Labs container and placed in the fridge for future use.

** Second run cider = pressed cider pommace was rehydrated with a minimal amount of water to wet all pommace and allowed to stand for several hours, then re-pressed.  The resulting liquid had the characteristic acidity of cider, a slightly more pale color, and lacked overall sweetness.

*** This mead must was made on 9/11/13 from a bunch of jars with residual honey in them and I added about ¼ lb of crystallized maple sugar.  The total honey was probably 3 lbs, mostly Jimbo's 2012 fall honey crystallized but with some Jimbo's 2013 spring honey in there.  The mix was pasteurized on the stove and allowed to cool overnight, then stored on the fridge.  It was reheated on 9/14/13 to dissolve the additional 7 lbs of honey, then added to "second run" cider along with the KMS, nutrient, and energizer.

Brewed in a 5 gal glass carboy.  Must was aerated by vigorously swirling/shaking the carboy with airlock removed on 9/14, 9/15, and 9/17.  A sample of the must was frozen on 9/14/13 due to no available QC equipment.

9/17/13 Update:  Not yet vigorously bubbling, contrasted with batches 23 and 24 which are going crazy.

9/18/13: Made a starter with remaining White Labs sweet mead yeast at approx 75 degrees F, 1/2 cup of honey in 2 cups water (previously boiled) contained in a sanitized quart jar.  The starter did not take overnight, yeast was not viable. To the failed starter on 9/19/13 I added one packet of Lalvin B71-1122 yeast packet, which took off.  I added the starter to the batch about 3 hours after making the starter.  The batch was slowly bubbling the next morning, about 8 hours later.  That evening it was vigorous.  Aerated via carboy swirling twice, 9/20 and 9/21.  Bubbling near constant on 9/21 and 9/22.  Hoping the failed initial fermentation did not result in spoilage and off flavors.

9/25/13 Updates:  Fermentation slowing to 1 glug per minute at the airlock.  Batch has remained opaque throughout active fermentation.

9/30/13 Update:  Racked from glass carboy to brew bucket style secondary (all that was available at the Demko house).  This overall tasted like a very early mead with lots of aging needed.  I tried to detect and name any off flavors, especially given how the fermentation started.   Flavors included bitter, smokey and sharp with a pepto-bismol nose.  That sounds really bad, but it does have promise, it is just an early mead.

10/21/13 update:  Racked from brew bucket to glass carboy.  Tastes a young mead, clearing great.

1/3/14 update:  Clearing nicely and gaining an amber hue.   After racking the sediment was blue/black and looked awful.  Kerosene nose, or perhaps turpentine.  Young, harsh, dry, moderately tart.  Will need LOTS of time.

12/31/15:  slightly sulfur nose, straw gold color.  3/4" light brown sediment on the bottom, slightly cloudy surface.  Taste is tart, slightly uninteresting flavor with sulfur aftertaste.  Don't know if this will continue to improve with age, based on last description it got better.  Might be saved with sweetness or spices.

1/29/18 Update:  A little over 2 years since I updated, but I still have this. If it was racked in this time I don't have a record of it, though I'm sure I refilled the airlocks in this time.  Lots of fung on the bottom for such an aged mead, I was concerned it had become infected.  Surprisingly cloudy on the top 2" (protein?) in addition to sediment cake. Taste was good, lots of mouthfeel, not tart or bitter/astringent, has matured nicely and is a quality semi-sweet cyser. If it was clear, I'd bottle it now.

11/20/18 update:  It's cleared!  It tastes light, bright, mildly tart, and moderately astringent.  Pretty good, but thought it would be much better carbonated.  I chilled it overnight in the porch, then bottled half (25A) unaltered "still" in 22 oz crown caps, yield of 9 each.  I racked 2 gallons (25B) into a sanitized carboy on 2.5 oz (71g) of priming sugar.  This should be enough to carbonate it to 2.5 to 3 volumes of CO2, so quite bubbly.  I know higher ABV stuff is harder to carbonate and this is probably 11.0% as it is super dry.  I added a packet of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast (best by Feb 2018, so past it's prime but also enough for 5 gallons went into 2 gallons) to help with the bottle carbonation in case that old yeast is dead.  Yield on the bottle carbonated ones is 11.5 each.  I capped the half full bottle after decanting the last drop from the carboy into it.  This one will be used to test carbonation level in maybe 4 weeks.  The case of bottle carbonated ones is double bagged in case of bottle bombs and stored at 60F.  Ideal fermentation range is 57-64F.  I only have one memory on bottle conditioning cider and it was terrible, tons of sediment kicked up by the CO2 and still not enough fizz to enjoy it.  This is why I split the batch, only risked half of it with carbonating.

Batch Data

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	1.087	tbd	0.990	tbd
% Potential ABV (hyd)	11.0	tbd	tbd	tbd
%mas sacc (refrac)	23	tbd	tbd	tbd
° Oechsle (°Oe) (refrac):	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
KMW (refrac)	19	tbd	tbd	tbd
pH (pH meter)	3.4	tbd	tbd	tbd
% alcohol (vin)	N/A	tbd	11.0% (assumed)	tbd

Batch 24: Home pressed cider with Wheat Beer yeast

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
24	cider	9/14/13	9/30/13	1/3/14	N/A	N/A, dumped 12/31/15

Yeast Type: 
Fermentis Safbrew WB-06 wheat beer yeast (same type as used in batch 22@LMBC) (pitched 9/15/13)

Ingredients:

5 gallons cider pressed killed 9/14/13 (50/50 mix of Hugh and Barbara's apples)

¼ tsp KMS

5 tsp yeast nutrient

1.5 tsp yeast energizer

2.5 tsp pectic enzyme added 1 hour prior to yeast

Comments: 

Cider for batches 23 and 24 was poured back and forth between the two ale pails to acheive homogeneity.  The only difference in these batches is the yeast type.

Brewed in a 6.5 gallon ale pail.  Must was aerated vigorously with a sanitized spoon on 9/14, 9/15, and 9/17.  Initial must sample frozen on 9/14/13 due to no QC equipment available.

9/17/13 Update:  Vigorous bubbling observed at the airlock and foaming during aeration.

9/22/13:  Bubbling has slowed significantly, but still present at 1 week.
9/30/13 Update:   Racked from a brew bucket to a glass carboy.  Looks fairly clear (not as clear as 23, not as cloudy as 25) and a darker yellow amber color than 23, tastes watery, dry, tart/acid.

1/3/14 update:  Dark yellow color, super clear.  Tastes quite tart, did not sorbate in hopes that it would proceed with malo-lactic fermentation.  No discernable off-flavors, which is very encouraging.

12/31/15:  Turned cloudy, opaque dark yellow color.  Tasted too tart, undrinkable.  Did not taste spoiled, just terribly tart.  A failure, dumped it into the chicken waterer.  And they didn't drink any.

Batch Data

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	1.050	tbd	tbd	tbd
% Potential ABV (hyd)	6.1	tbd	tbd	tbd
%mas sacc (refrac)	9.0	tbd	tbd	tbd
° Oechsle (°Oe) (refrac):	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
KMW (refrac)	12	tbd	tbd	tbd
pH (pH meter)	3.0	tbd	tbd	tbd
% alcohol (vin)	N/A	tbd	tbd	tbd