Experimental First Cider

Not only was this my first cider, it was also my first brewing experience. I started with 4 gallons of Indian Summer pasteurized apple cider and 1 smack pack of wyeast 4766. After pitching it fermented for 10 days until the bubbling in the airlock slowed to about once every 5 seconds. At that point I decided to rack it and I cold crashed it by placing the 5 gal bucket in a cooler full of water. I kept the water at 40 degrees F for the next 8 days by placing frozen water bottles in the cooler. I bottled 15 of them with pomegranate juice, 4 with brown sugar, and 7 bottles will remain uncarbed.

After the primary it tasted like cheap beer, extra heavy on the yeast. A few sips was enough. Tonight when I was bottling, sweetened with the unfermented pomegranate juice it was quite good and even had a little carbonation in it, but still not much of an apple taste.

I didn't buy a hydrometer until a week into the brewing so I never got an initial gravity reading. My final gravity was right around 1.000, although was I supposed to let the sample set for a while and go flat? I'm thinking the bubbles probably threw it off a little.

Today when I bought the pom I also picked up another gallon of the cider so I can get a gravity reading, and after I drink my sample and pour some of it out to make a starter, I'll be able to make a gallon of edwort's apfelwein.