Some advice on my frist batch....

Well, I got bit by the bug years and years ago, but apartment living in California just didn't seem to be that conducive to the brewing hobby.

A year ago, I moved to the Pittsburgh area, and in October I started my frist batch of Cider.

5 gallons Store Brand apple juice
1 package of Ale Yeast, (I can't remember the brand. dang it.)

After 2 weeks, I racked to a secondary, added about a pound of light brown sugar, and then let it sit until Febrary.

In February, I racked again, and added another half pound of brown sugar.

I bottled this weekend. I primed with a can of concentrate.

the cider at bottling has a rather severe alcohol burn to it.... and it's dry.

Dry I can handle, what I'm concerned about is the alcohol burn. IS this something that will mellow as I let it sit in the bottles?

In the meantime, I've started a second batch, it's in my fermenting bucket right now... 2 gallons of pasteurized cider, 3 gallons of juice. I'm getting a bubble every 2 seconds.

This time around, I won't be adding any extra sugar. I think that may have turned out to have been a mistake.

tl;dr version: My cider had too much sugar added, I think, and has a strong alcohol taste. Is this something that will fade with time?

Thanks for any and all advice!

It will mellow a bit with time, and the biggest thing a cider needs is time. I would wait 6 months from the time you started until the time you drink it.

Good move on no added sugar in your next batch. IMHO sugar is just a waste of a perfectly good drink. If ya want to get hammered off a few bottles then by all means add the sugar but you can do that much faster by just getting some Mad Dog or Boonsfarm.

I drink my cider still and am looking for the perfect yeast to leave it a bit sweeter yet (I use ale yeast as well) . . . My next 2 batches I'm gonna try something different . . .
Batch 1 will be fermented using Whitelabs or Wyeasts cider yeast if that doesnt turn out the way I want . . .
Batch 2 will have camden added to it after fermentaion is done and back sweetened with 1 or 2 cans of frozen apple juice concentrate

My second batch of cider was just apple juice (5 gallons), Splenda (3 cups at "brew" time and 2 cups at bottling) and dry english ale yeast.

Turned out great. 4 weeks to ferment and 2 weeks to carb. About 6.5% alcohol and nice and sweet.

I wanted a sparking apple wine cooler and the "gals" all love it.

Pumbaa said:

I drink my cider still and am looking for the perfect yeast to leave it a bit sweeter yet (I use ale yeast as well) . . . My next 2 batches I'm gonna try something different . . .
Batch 1 will be fermented using Whitelabs or Wyeasts cider yeast if that doesnt turn out the way I want . . .
Batch 2 will have camden added to it after fermentaion is done and back sweetened with 1 or 2 cans of frozen apple juice concentrate

Click to expand...

I may end up doign something similar with batch #3.

The new batch that I threw together this weekend is using Wyeast English Cider Yeast.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out how to balance it all out, so I can have to batches going at once.... with 2 carboys and 1 fermenting bucket. Hehehe...

Tristan said:

The new batch that I threw together this weekend is using Wyeast English Cider Yeast.

Click to expand...

Let me know how that yeast turns out, could save me a step

Pumbaa said:

Batch 2 will have camden added to it after fermentaion is done and back sweetened with 1 or 2 cans of frozen apple juice concentrate

Click to expand...

I'm a rookie....and thats what I did. Added to can of concentrate after I killed it. Brought the flavor up a bit and sweetend it a bit to drinkable status. I drink it still and it goes down waaaay smooth after being in the bottle for a month

You can also use potassium sorbate to inhibit yeast. Might also try some cinnamon and nutmeg