Decades ago my grandfather began making hard cider. I remember when I was younger (younger than I would like to admit) I would "steal" a shot of the cider from an almost black milk jug above the downstairs freezer. I remember how grimmy the jug was and the stuff that rested on the bottom. My grandfather had long since passed meaning that cider was at least 10-15 years old. Obviously it didn't stop me from trying some! On the last 4th of July at my grandma's prior to her selling the farm, the last bit of cider was pulled out from the cellar. After a few heart felt speeches, the elder cousins and others took one last drink. I will always remember that moment as strange as that sounds....
In my ignorance, I thought that I could recreate that delicious hard cider. I began asking around the family for his famous ingredients and learned a few interesting facts. I won't divulge the ingredients as of now (maybe never). My great uncle Jerry described how him and the rest of the cousins would pick apples from all around the farm. My grandpa sent them to be pressed. From there, he had a 55 gallon wooden keg with a spigot at the bottom and hole drilled in the top. My understanding is that he threw in the freshly pressed apple juice with sugar and two other ingredients. The wild yeasts present in the juice would have "eaten" the sugar and created our magical hard cider.
I would like to believe that I know more about the chemical reactions that create this delicious cider than I am sure my grandpa cared to know but my questions are still plentiful. The "stuff" on the bottom of the jugs is simply the left over yeast by products that I am sure he never cleaned out. I doubt the cider ever made it to a secondary fermenter to create a clear product. Also, I doubt he EVER cleaned out the bottom of that keg and bottle the cider right out of the spigot.
I realized there was no way to ever recreate the taste of that wooden keg, wild yeasts, bottom of the barrel by products, and whatever quantity of the two ingredients he used. I decided to create my own batch of cider the best I could.
I first used unpreserved (a must as preservatives will kill the yeast) cider from the local Mason Farms. As described in detail below, I heated it up, cooled it down, pitched the yeast, and after 4 days it is fermenting like crazy. I plan on waiting 2 weeks (Oct 7th) before moving it to a secondary fermenter to condition for 2 months. My goal is to unveil it on christmas eve for my family to enjoy :)
Mason Farms Apple Cider
UV treated, unpasteurized
September 23, 2012
Procedure:
1. Sanitization
a. Filled fermenter half with hot tub water
b. Added one cup of Clorox regular bleach
c. Added lid, fermenter lock, and stirring spoon
d. Filled up completely with hot tub water
e. Let set for one hour
f. Wiped inside of brew kettle with sanitizing solution and paper towel
2. Brewing
a. Poured 4 gallons of cider into brew kettle
b. Started Heating @ 2:00 pm from cold
c. Added 1 ¼ cup brown sugar @ 2:15
i. Top began to foam slightly
d. Simmered over medium heat for 45 minutes; stirring every 5 min
3. Fermenting
a. Stirred Cool for 45 minutes
b. Pitched Nottingham Yeast @ 3:45 (.388 oz, 1 packet)
i. Stirred vigorously for 2 minutes
c. Added 4 lbs of xxxxxxx
d. Added .75 lb of xxxxxxx
e. Moved to basement to ferment (3:50)
f. Consistent (2-4 seconds) bubbling after 24 hrs
4. Clean up
a. Rinsed stirrer for 30 seconds over hot water (10 min after last stir)
b. Rinsed and bleached kettle and siphoning equipment
5. Bottling
6. Tasting
