My first batch is described here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/1st-batch-150988/
Since then things have kind of gotten out of hand. I built a press and grinder over the spring and summer : https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/homemade-grinder-press-193453/
I sourced 12 bushels of apples from a farmer in Michigan (Peter Klein from Seedlings - can't say enough great things about him). The apples were beautiful - 4 types: Northern Spy, Golden Russet, Grimes Golden and Ida Red.
We had a pressing party on Saturday with nearly 70 people 30 of them kids. It was so much fun to watch the expression on the faces of the kids and the adults as they tasted juice fresh from the apple.
After all the drinking and some took some home - I had only about 26 gallons of juice. Since this is my first time with fresh squeezed juice I sulfited the juice, let it rest overnight and pitched my yeast yesterday. I'm going to ferment 5 gallons dry and then backsweeten one/carb/stovetop pasteurize for SWMBO. I think 2 gallons will be dry sparkling cider. Last year's was so delicious I wanted to make 2 batches this year. I'm going to pitch 9 lb frozen sour cherries into the fourth batch. Those four are 1/2 Safale US05 and 1/2 Nottingham just to do a head to head. My last batch will be a raspberry cyser. I added 9 lb honey and energizer and nutrient and pitched a Wyeast sweet mead smackpack. In a week or 10 days I'll add a flat of frozen raspberries we got this summer.
Oh, temp corrected O.G. juice was 1.043. Temp corrected O.G. cyser was 1.114.
Since then things have kind of gotten out of hand. I built a press and grinder over the spring and summer : https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/homemade-grinder-press-193453/
I sourced 12 bushels of apples from a farmer in Michigan (Peter Klein from Seedlings - can't say enough great things about him). The apples were beautiful - 4 types: Northern Spy, Golden Russet, Grimes Golden and Ida Red.
We had a pressing party on Saturday with nearly 70 people 30 of them kids. It was so much fun to watch the expression on the faces of the kids and the adults as they tasted juice fresh from the apple.
After all the drinking and some took some home - I had only about 26 gallons of juice. Since this is my first time with fresh squeezed juice I sulfited the juice, let it rest overnight and pitched my yeast yesterday. I'm going to ferment 5 gallons dry and then backsweeten one/carb/stovetop pasteurize for SWMBO. I think 2 gallons will be dry sparkling cider. Last year's was so delicious I wanted to make 2 batches this year. I'm going to pitch 9 lb frozen sour cherries into the fourth batch. Those four are 1/2 Safale US05 and 1/2 Nottingham just to do a head to head. My last batch will be a raspberry cyser. I added 9 lb honey and energizer and nutrient and pitched a Wyeast sweet mead smackpack. In a week or 10 days I'll add a flat of frozen raspberries we got this summer.
Oh, temp corrected O.G. juice was 1.043. Temp corrected O.G. cyser was 1.114.