1st batch!

So my first batch is well under way.

Terrible weather lead to an apple shortage in the Midwest so my varieties of juice were limited, so I have some pretty sweet juice to start with. Mostly honey crisp and Jona Gold. I was lucky in the way that I know the farmer and he dropped off six gallons of beautiful, raw juice from apples that have been sweating since October.

I'm a huge fan of French farmhouse styles and basque sidra so I'm hoping to get something dry and acidic along those lines and maybe draw out some of the funk by letting them have an extended lees sit. I know my juice is a little sweet for basque but I may be able to get something frenchy.

So I started with a specific gravity of 1.055. Pitches activator in the carboy, and wrapped it in a horse blanket where it's steady 63 F. Plan is to rack into champagne bottles and Etienne DuPont half bottles When its dry and bottle condition for a little petulant action.

I'm open to the two cents of this fine forum. I'm a natural, low to no additives type guy and I want my cider the same. My hope is to start two barrels by the end of feb with lambic yeast, and I really want to scatter and press in my home next season and let the pomace do the work for a total wild ferment.


IM PSYCHED!!!!!!!

Welcome!

Probably not gonna taste much like French or Basque ciders since your base is Honeycrisp & Jonagold, but your choice of lambic yeast you should get some of that funk which makes those styles so delicious.

You sure are lucky to be able to get Dupont ciders in your area!

My favorites are DuPont, Fremont par nature, sarasola, and iZastegi. Next season ill be able to source some good tannic bitter varieties. I know I'm going to end up with a high abv sweet weird dude. I'm cool with it. I'm just happy to have it going!

And thanks for the warm welcome!!

Update. 9 days after I pitched, primary is complete. Still hazy, tart and dry flavor has potential for something delicious when it mellows. My next step is a week on the lees. Anyone have experience with this? I then want to prime with dex and bottle in champagne bottles. The I've got an empty carboy!! Better get another batch going...