Well, my backyard Winesaps apples are ready for my first from scratch home brew! I picked 115lbs of apples and we are grinding and pressing them this weekend! I plan on washing the apples in a soda ash rinse before grinding, and then using sodium metabisulfate/campden tablets for 24h in the pressed juice to kill any bacteria and wild yeast before adding yeast and fermenting. I have 4 lbs of corn sugar ready for priming, do you think that will be enough? Or too much? Going for off-dry, not too sweet, and fizzy! Anyone experienced with this? Thanks everyone for your help! 3 posts - 3 participant ..read more

Anyone make Perry? I have a bumper crop of Bartlet and Danjue pears this year. Usually blend them in with my apples but this year looks like i have plenty for a straight batch of both. Any hints? 34 posts - 4 participants Read full topic ..read more

This is my first time brewing! I’m using the starter kit and Mangrove Apple Cider kit. I followed all of the instructions to the letter. I’m curious and concerned about the smell of the cider, it’s a little bit funky, like sweet and sweaty socks? Is a slight funk normal? 9 posts - 4 participants Read full topic ..read more

Went up into the top of Michigan’s mitten for a wine and cider adventure this past weekend. I mentioned to one of the cider makers that the nose had what I described as a note of funk. I picked it up in a number of the ciders we tasted at other cideries too. The cider maker indicated that funk was not a good descriptor in the wine and cider world which I can understand. In my way of thinking it wasn’t a bad thing or off-putting in this case and in most of the ones at other cideries. There were a couple that had off-putting aromas and even carried into the flavor profile. I don’t think it was a ..read more

If I buy juice I don’t do anything just pitch the yeast. If I pick the apples off the trees I use Camden. This year I have a lot of drops mixed in and I’m nervous about you know other stuff on the ground. I’m thinking to heat it and was wondering what you all do 19 posts - 6 participants Read full topic ..read more

I’m having a good crop this year and starting to collect drops from my Macs. Last year the crop was pitiful so I pruned hard and fertilized, now ready to reap the benefits. Probably start pressing in a few weeks 16 posts - 4 participants Read full topic ..read more

I used Red Star Cuvee yeast in my 3 gallons of cider, and when I stir it, I can hear it fermenting. It smells just fine, too. But my concern is that the fermentation isn’t enough to activate my air lock. On the one hand, I’m fermenting in a five gallon bucket and all the yeast has to eat is the sugar from the apples, along with the brown sugar I added. On the other hand, it’s been 12 days. Is my fermentation stuck, and if it isn’t, how much longer should I ferment it? 4 posts - 2 participants Read full topic ..read more

OK, so I’m starting a 3 gallon batch of green apple cider in my 6 gallon fermentation bucket. I’ve cut up about 3 pounds of apples, added my sugar, added my water. But, too late, I realized I’m out of brewing yeast. I could attempt to do it with the natural yeast on the apples (these literally came straight off the tree and got a quick rinse before being cut up), but I don’t know if that’s going to be enough. Should I just try to find a brick and mortar spot that can sell me yeast so I don’t have to wait too long? Can I use baker’s instant yeast Do I need to add more water to my bucket to avoi ..read more

Hello all, as usual I hope you are safe and well during the pandemic. I am beginning my first cider batch this weekend, and I was wondering. I am using a kit(I know I know, let’s move past this part) that would normally yield approx. 6 gallons that would sit around 5.2% abv. Those are rookie numbers, let’s pump those numbers up. Here’s what I am thinking: I can cut the batch to about 4 or 4.5 gallons, and add an extra 1LB of corn sugar to my brew(recipe calls for 2LBs normally). My questions are as follows: Do I incite any extra risks by doing either of these things, or do I need to take any e ..read more

Made this Peary in October 2018. Stuff happened and it ended up like this. I kegged it today after tasting. It wasn’t rancid and actually had a very light taste. Any comments? Any risk of botulism? 40 posts - 6 participants Read full topic ..read more