Cider v2
Another year, another batch of cider. Building on what I learned last year, this year's batch should work out much better.
Again, I purchased five gallons of apple juice from Sweetland Orchard at our local farmer's market. On the advice of Mike (one of the owners of Sweetland) I did not add any additional sugar this time (which I'm sure led to the high level of alcohol (~9%) in last year's cider). He also recommended White Lab's English Cider yeast (WLP775). I drove out to Midwest Brewing to get said yeast and, while there, also bought myself a five gallon glass carboy and related accessories.
Later that evening (which was, in truth, yesterday) I decanted the five gallons of apple juice into the newly sanitized carboy, pitched the yeast and set the air-lock in place. Super easy! (specific gravity: 1.048 @ 70°F) This morning I found it gurgling away just as it ought to be. In a week or two I'll rack it into a secondary fermenter and then clean out the carboy so I can start on my first batch of mead.
//Serially