Apple Cider Experiment Oct 2018 - Not so Good

I was talking with the owner of Blue Mountain Wine Supplies who mentioned that you can purchase unpasteurized apple cider. So I decided that I would give it a try. I bought 5 gallons of cider from Cronise market and did a little research.  The natural yeasts that hang around orchards are supposed to give cider a more natural flavor but they are unfortunately weak. Using just the natural yeasts you run the risk of other bad guys getting in.  So I split the batch and am making half au-natural and the other half using special cider yeast.

I started on Oct 12.  It was chilly so I wanted to warm things up a little. I put the natural batch in the jug and simply covered it up.  The enhanced batch I used the recommended amount of yeast nutrient, 1 tbsp per gallon.  I put the cider in a warm bath until the temp got to 65. I proofed the yeast in 90 degree water. It didn't get as bubbly as the wine yeast so I hope that it is ok.  I covered the natural batch with plastic to be sure no more yeasts get in. The enhanced batch I did the usual, stirring it vigorously and covering with a cloth. I'll stir it occasionally once it gets going. I'm not sure if I'll stir the natural batch for fear of introducing bad stuff. As always, time will tell. I do love this stuff though ☺

10/16/2018 - I was surprised to see that after only two days both the natural and enhanced were bubbling like crazy.  After a day or so of the bubbling the enhanced version seems to have slowed.  the natural version slowed too but maybe not as much.

10/22/2018 - Both batches are bubbling slowly.  The natural batch looks "dirty". There is a lot of sediment sticking to the side of the jug.  The color looks similar to how it started.  The yeast version color is very pa;e and the bubbling seems slower than the other version.  I have plastic on top of both and I'm not opening it or tasting anything.  Should be an interesting experiment.  Can't wait to taste.

12/26/2018 - So this has been sitting under my table all of this time while I decided what to do with it.  Both batches are very pale.  They both taste a little like vinegar but I read that it's only vinegar if it smells like vinegar.  I did an experiment today and mixed about 50/50 hard and regular cider.  The result was very tasty.  I thought it was weak but after a glass I could feel it so that's actually a plus; it doesn't taste too hard but has a little punch to it.  I will mix some to find the best taste and then I'll bottle a batch in plastic in case the yeast re-activates.  I'll probably drink it all this winter though.  this might be fun to try again next year.

Decided it wasn't worth drinking.  Bland, low alcohol, no taste, possibly even became vinegar.  I may try again next year with a smaller batch and mixing with cider and drinking while still bubbly.