Northeast- great year for apples!

[wreckinball9]

For anyone who is in Northern New England, it's a great time to buy cider in bulk. I picked up 60 gallons yesterday from Apple Acres in Hiram Maine. $2.25 a gallon, and its super dark and sweet right now. (and unpasteurized as always)

'round here, in the earlier part of the seasan the cider is mostly macs, mcouns etc; good but tart. Now it is a sweeter more balanced blend including golden delicous, corts and more.

I'm stoked. i was prepared to pay almost double that price if I had to!

 

[david_42]

Bite me!

Lousy year in the PNW. Had rain in May and the crop was about 15%, so I'm lucky to find juice under $6/gallon.

 

[wreckinball9]

yikes, that sucks bro. still, you Pacific Northwesterners don't have too much to complain about in the beer and wine departments

 

[northernlad]

Bite me!

Lousy year in the PNW. Had rain in May and the crop was about 15%, so I'm lucky to find juice under $6/gallon.

Thats odd you should say that. Everyone I have spoken to has been begging to have someone take their tree fruit there is so much of it.

 

[xumbi]

I just got my carboy filled with 5 gallons right off the press on Saturday for $15! That would be $3/gallon, not quite the deal you got... This was from a place in southern Maine, I don't know where exactly since a friend picked it up for me.

I'm letting it ferment completely on its own, there is a lot of activity already.

 

[Bad Influence]

As I said in another post, running 11 gallons right now.

My brew friend and I "sampled" the unpasteurized elixir before pitching the yeast. IT TASTED FANTASTIC!!!!

We had a few farms in CT that wanted rediculous amounts (CT taxes the hell out of everyone). First farm wanted $7.99. Hit a few more, found one that would sell to us in bulk (11 gallons) for 4 bucks a gallon.

We're going to make one more return trip before it's to late to run another 11 or so gallons.

'tis the season indeed!!!

Jonathan

 

[CvilleKevin]

Great season in Central VA also. First time I've seen Northern Spys here available as cider apples, but they disappeared pretty quick. Staymans are strong.

If you get another 11 gal, check out the S04 and 3068 yeasts - much easier to control for final sweetness

 

[tatooedsn]

I made a batch with VA apples last year and working on my 1st batch with ME apples this year. I don't know if it was because the cider in VA was pasteurized, but the cider down there seemed less acidic and the flavor was not as strong as it is here... made for some good hard cider. It should be interesting to see there will be a difference in flavor with the hard cider in ME. I bought mine at the grocery store, so we'll see if my yeast can overcome the preservatives. Happy brewing all!

 

[Teromous]

I made a batch with VA apples last year and working on my 1st batch with ME apples this year. I don't know if it was because the cider in VA was pasteurized, but the cider down there seemed less acidic and the flavor was not as strong as it is here... made for some good hard cider. It should be interesting to see there will be a difference in flavor with the hard cider in ME. I bought mine at the grocery store, so we'll see if my yeast can overcome the preservatives. Happy brewing all!

Blasphemy! I wish I was home to enjoy the harvest.

 

[Bad Influence]

If you get another 11 gal, check out the S04 and 3068 yeasts - much easier to control for final sweetness

When should I start "testing" the product? After about 2 weeks I usually go for my first "sample". Is it about the same "time wise" as my 1116 or 1118? Those I'm used to.

That's the problem with this stuff...... once you start sampling two weeks in.......... You keep "sampling"!

Jonathan

 

[CvilleKevin]

When to start sampling is mostly a matter of personal taste. I start sampling ales when they hit 1.015 and usually crash between 1.008 and 1.012. For wild and wheat yeast, start sampling at 1.030 and crash between 1.015 and 1.025. How long this takes depends on temps, but the ale and wheat yeasts usually take longer than champagne and wine yeasts. Two to three weeks is about right at 60F, one week at 70F