Cider newbies head is spinning

Hey Gang,
I've been lurking on this forum for several months. Originally, I searched for a cider forum, and this was the first one that popped up, and I haven't looked further. I went to my local HBS and was talked into purchasing a "Country Wine Making" kit for $130. Now that I know bit more, I realize that over half the crap in the kit is not needed for cider (or at least how I'm going about it). I mentioned to the HBS, that I was reading a lot about cider making on this forum, and you should have seen them race to denegrate an online forum. But could they refer me to anyone in my area that is a cider enthusiast, that would be willing to share some experience? No.

I have 2, 5-gallon batches of unpasteurized, fresh pressed local cider in the primary fermenters. I used Lalvin 1116 on one, and a Lalvin Champagne yeast on the other. The SG was 1.046. I didn't use any campden or add anything to the cider. I started off fermenting in the laundry room. The temp of the fermenters was reading around 76F. One of the fermenters smellled pretty nasty, like rotten eggs, so I took both fermenters down to the basement. Within a day the smell was back to a yeasty apple smell, so I think that the temp was just a little high.

Everytime I check in on the forum, I find myself double guessing what I should do next. There's so much info out there. And it seems that there is not any one way that will produce good results. I hope to do 4-5 more 5-gallon batches before the end of the season. Cheers.

Something you'll see quite a bit on this forum is RDWHAHB. This is an acronym made famous by Charlie Papazian, the guy who wrote The Complete Joy of Homebrewing; it means: "Relax, Don't Worry, Have A Home Brew." This really is good advice to all, n00b & master brewer alike. So far it sounds like you're doing OK. You were able to recognize a potential problem & deal with it effectively. This really is an interesting, educational & rewarding hobby, we all learn as we go & help others along the way. Regards, GF.

Hang in there, ciderboy!! Don't let the LHBS spoil your fun. Ive just bottled my second cider and can't wait to start another with some fresh juice from the Carolina's in the fall. There is a lot of info on here, but you will soon recognize the handful who offer positive, knowledgable info and are always ready to help!!