Cider DIDN'T get better with age! Why??

[CV_Apple_Gal]

My first batch of cider last year didn't age well IMO. It started out dry, a little drier than I would have liked but I was okay with it, but then as it aged the alcoholic bite became stronger, it went down harsher and less smooth, and was slightly bitter. Just overall an unpleasant beverage.

I used a variety of apples that I have growing on my property, a cider yeast and primed it for carbonation.

Any thoughts as to what might have gone wrong? Next batch I plan to wash my apples more thoroughly and sanitize everything that comes into contact with my cider, although I was pretty careful about that the first time.

 

[madscientist451]

Washing the apples won't change the cider. Did you use anything besides apple juice and yeast? Perhaps let it sit longer? I'm drinking cider this fall that is 5 years old.
I make several batches of cider every year using culinary apples and most need to be blended with some kind of sweeter beverage. The exception is when I get some real cider apple juice from a local cidery.

 

[FLYPacNW]

One year sometimes isn't enough. I have some cider that is 3+ years old and it wasn't very good at the beginning and now it's really quite good.

 

[Chalkyt]

Ditto... some of my cider that was "just O.K." a couple of years ago is now excellent. I wish I had more.

 

[nekrowizard]

How you taste something will vary day by day, and I find that my general alcohol palette is inconsistent. Give your yeast more time to clean up the weird/harsh stuff in there. Time is a free ingredient! Don't throw away a batch based on a slightly off taste from one bottle, unless you know for sure that a whole batch is infected and unsalvageable.

Blending with dedicated cider vareities or wild apples could be a good way to go for next time. what yeast did you use?

 

[Kees]

Leave it for another year, it may get better.

 

[Bobby_M]

Rather than trying to wash the apples, it would be better to add metabilsuphite to the pressed juice to knock out any yeast or organisms 24 hours before pitching yeast. Make sure you use some yeast nutrient and keep the ferment in the low 60s.