Well, it’s now fall - officially. And for me, that means it’s time to get back into my brewing!

Debbie and I went out to an awesome, small, family farm orchard and picked up 5 gallons of fresh, unpasteurized cider. I threw that into a 6.5 gallon carboy, along with 1/4th teaspoon of sodium metabisulfite - to kill off the natural yeasties. Let that sit for 24 hours, for it to do it’s work.

We then headed out to Adventures In Homebrewing in Taylor, MI to get the rest of the needed supplies. I snagged a White Labs English Cider Yeast, another 6.5 gallon carboy (so that I can start working on my Maple Smoked Ale), some sanitizer, and 2 pounds of buckwheat honey.

Next day, I siphoned out a gallon of cider, and dissolved 2 cups of the buckwheat honey and a cup of 100% pure maple syrup. Mix mix mix! Added it back in, and aerated the shinola out of it by shaking like crazy. Then, you shake up the English Cider Yeast - it comes in something thats like a cross between a test tube and a soda bottle with a twist top. Shook the crap out of the carboy again, dumped in the yeast, and prayed to the gods of fermentation that all would come out well.

Voila! Within 8 hours, the airlock was starting to blubble-blubble-blubble. The day after pitching the yeast, it was going like gangbusters. However - something that I have learned about making cider is that the gases that come out smell pretty rank for a few days. Kind of like farts, or eggs! That’s pretty much subsided, and it will sit and churn away for about 2 weeks.

After two weeks, I’ll siphon it into a 5-gallon carboy, then add in the tastiness. Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, orange peel, and a whole smashed nutmeg. Then, give it another two weeks - or until the cider is done fermenting. The vapor lock will tell when that is.

After that, you need to bottle it up. Basically you wait until all of the yeast has pretty much tuckered out. Then, you add some corn sugar/priming sugar - and with cider [if desired] - some lactose, to re-sweeten it. Wait about a month, and see how it all goes!

The past two batches [one spiced, one not] have both turned out well - but I think Debbie and I both like the spiced one best.