Recent content by James Benoit

I've found that it's easier to control the taste if I take small, incremental steps. I added 5 cinnamon sticks for ~ 2 weeks once to a 5-gallon carboy of finished cider. The resulting taste was far too "woody." I suggest waiting until your cider has finished fermenting (when the SG will be at...

First of all, what kind of "cider" did you start with? Ideally it would be raw apple juice/must, fresh from the orchard, non-pasteurized and definitely without preservatives (like potassium sorbate, which largely inhibits fermentation). You can get by with pasteurized juice/must, but it is more...

I'm selling swing top bottles, if anyone's interested: For Sale - Swing tops

Grolsch & Swing Top Bottles For Sale ($75 for 157 bottles) I used to make homemade cider before our son was born, but now just don't have the time. I have 24 unused blue 500 ml EZ Cap bottles with swing top lids, plus 114 Grolsch bottles, 19 clear 750 ml bottles with swing top lids, and as many...

I hope this response doesn't run afoul of any forum rules I happen to have some bottles with swing top lids available (I used to make homemade cider before our son was born, but now just don't have the time). I have 24 unused blue 500 ml EZ Cap bottles with swing top lids, plus 114 Grolsch...

Personally, I like a strong cider, and 11.2% is an average strength for a wine (so maybe you should call it apfelwein). You could add juice to backsweeten, but the residual yeast (and there always is some) will ferment whatever sugar you add, and you'll be back to 1.000 (or even lower). You...