So, I was wanting to make a hard cider about two weeks ago, so I picked up a gallon of apple juice, a can of apple juice concentrate, a bit of honey, some raisins, yeast nutrients and some Champagne yeast. Mixed it all up, hydrated and pitched the yeast, and... Nothing. I tried re-pitching, but still nothing happened, turns out the yeast was dead. Since I had no other yeast, and didn't particularly wish to pour all that juice down the drain, I went ahead and pitched some regular bread yeast, figuring in the worst case scenario, I could leave it open and have some apple cider vinegar. It went like mad for about a week, and then tapered off until after about a week and a half there was no activity and things were starting to settle.
I tossed it into the fridge to settle the rest of the way, and now about two weeks from the beginning of this little experiment it is settling very well. I took a little off the top, and I have got to say wow. It has a good flavor (although there is almost no apple flavor at all to it), it is quite dry and with a bit of a bite (Although there is a slight sulfur flavor in the aftertaste).
For how cheap it is, I am quite happy with the result, although I am sure it would turn out far better with more time and better yeast.
I tossed it into the fridge to settle the rest of the way, and now about two weeks from the beginning of this little experiment it is settling very well. I took a little off the top, and I have got to say wow. It has a good flavor (although there is almost no apple flavor at all to it), it is quite dry and with a bit of a bite (Although there is a slight sulfur flavor in the aftertaste).
For how cheap it is, I am quite happy with the result, although I am sure it would turn out far better with more time and better yeast.