My first batch just hit the 4 week mark, so I decided to take a hydrometer reading. I got 1.002 at 68 degrees. It's still bubbling slightly in the bottle (small bubbles rising from the yeast on the bottom,) and although it looks dark from a distance, if I shine a flashlight through it, I can see that it's still a bit cloudy. I'm assuming that it needs another week or two to finish? Should it be perfectly clear with no bubbling in the carboy/better bottle? Or do you just wait until the hydrometer shows under 1.00, and bottle?
The sample tasted just as I expected- dry, tart, and much like a white wine. I couldn't detect much of an apple flavor, if at all. It did have an apple aroma though. I let my wife taste it, and although I described it to her when I was making it, she still said it wasn't as sweet as she expected. I think she was hoping more for a Woodchuck styled cider. I'm looking at two options here- one, backsweetening with some splenda at bottling, or two, bottling it as is, and then mixing it in the glass with a little apple juice before drinking. I think choice two is going to create more of the flavor she was wanting- slightly sweet and apply. Either way, I'll try both methods when I get ready to bottle, and see which one tastes better.
I think I'm going to try an ale yeast (I'm thinking hefe yeast) on the next batch, to see if I can produce a somewhat fruitier, sweeter beverage. The Montrachet made a hell of an apple wine though!
Oh yeah, and I could already tell from the sample that going for the "3 glass rule" is probably going to result in
...heh.
