2012 Notes

written 11/18/12

Went to Pine Hill on 11/3/12 (Ciderday this year). Arrived about 10am and no trouble getting juice. I borrowed Rocco and Cindy's vehicle, as I was getting extra this year for Todd and Sarah. I picked up 31 gallons (5 5-gal carboys and 1 6-gal carboy), 10 for Todd. $5 per gallon if you buy 10-50 gallons. More expensive this year than any other.

This year's strategy is to do one blend with different yeasts. I've got four 5-gallons and a single 1-gallon using the Lalvin EC-1118 that I've used in years past. Sugar is 1050 this year and the acid is right on, about 6 g/l Malic. For sugar, I'm using enough to raise SG to 1060, 2/3 cane sugar to 1/3 corn sugar, as recommended by http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/results-juice-yeast-sugar-experiments-83060/ for all but the Nottingham Ale yeast, as the guys at Strange Brew said that cane (or brown sugar) can give a sour taste to cider when using an ale yeast.

I wanted to use the base 50ppm SO2 this year but the Campden Tablets I got at Strange Brew don't tell me what they offer. The guess is 50, so I put in one tablet per gallon.

I'm using blow-tubes this year for all 5-gallon carboys this year instead of just wrapping towels around the neck like I've done in past years.

11/11/13: I dumped (or will dump) three of these batches because of neglected air locks: sweet mead, english cider, and nottingham. The latter sucks the most as that one wasn't bad.

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