Kirkland + Nottingham = yum

[cowboycider]

First post and first serious cider make for me. I don't count the one gallon failures with yeasts that I shouldn't have used. Thanks CvilleKevin for your tests and sharing!

Just racked into the second and its got a good semi-dry snap. I'm thinking three months in the second will smooth it more and then into the bottles. I think it was best I added the corn sugar as these desert apples were high on flavor but not enough SG to kick up the ac a bit.

Recipe:

6g Kirkland (US Sourced fresh pressed & filtered)
pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient as directed for a bit over an hour
1 lb corn sugar - stirred well, not shaken
Nottingham re-hydrated for about and hour
1.060 OG, 3.53ph

Sat it in a 65degF room for just over a month. Gnarly krausen for several days and slowed to a soft boil - use a blow off tube. Still bubbling a bit when I racked but mostly from the bed of dead. Second at 1.000 SG, 3.61ph. Will sit in about 60degF for about three months then bottle it up. Everything I've read to date in books and online recommend the slow and lower temp fermentation.

I've got two more carboys running - one with Whole Foods 365 fresh pressed unfiltered and one with Sprouts fresh pressed unfiltered.

Looking forward to this fall. I've already found a few orchards that press their own. Maybe there is or I could start a buy club around here to get bulk (just thinking out loud).

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

I'd start tasting them in about a month (instead of 3) I use Kirkland juice and Nottingham (but brown sugar) and mine are usually from "Costco to glass" in around 2 months. 7-14 days in primary, 1 month in secondary and carb for about 3 weeks. It's not overly complex juice so it works (for me) as a fairly young cider with low initial gravity.