I have been brewing cider for somewhat over a year, and I haven't found anything that I've made that doesn't suck (nekkidness and straws not withstanding), and I was feeling pretty dismal about the whole thing. Until I came across one that had been overlooked in my disgust. I figured I'd better drink it, or at least sample it, to complete my degradation. It was surprisingly good. Really, really good. My faith in humanity was restored, and more importantly, my self-respect. So WHAT if the first batches tasted like sump water? So WHAT if small animals passed out from the smell? So WHAT if I could successfully use it as a rodenticide? Eventually, even *I* could make something ... remotely drinkable.
So I haven't given up. My patience hasn't gotten a LOT better, but now I can see what they were talking about when they kept saying to LEAVE IT ALONE.
If your results are like mine, you'll be pretty blah about the out-of-the-vessle results, and at 3 months, not much better. Bottle them. Hide them. Lock them up. Forget about them. Start another batch, on blind faith if you have to. Then start another. Set a timer or mark your calendar, or even do a Google reminder. Open one of the original puppies up and give it a sample. Compare it to the batch you're getting ready to bottle. It'll make it easier to salt them away for another day.
