I’ve brewed many batches of beer since I got into the hobby in the mid 2000’s. A month ago I decided to do something different and started up a batch of cider. This was the first time I had attempted something like this, and based on what I put into a keg tonight it seems like it turned out pretty darn good.

I decided to do a cider because I wanted something to go into my 3 gallon keg, thatdidn’t require a full brew day. Cider is perfect for this because you only use as much cider as you want to ferment. So I started with 2.5 gallons of cider that had no additives or preservatives, threw in some WYeast 1056 and let it go for four weeks. 

The juice started at around 1.047, when it finished it was down to 4.2 Brix. That put it at 5.5% ABV which is right where I wanted it to be. So tonight I decided it was time to rack it into the keg and kill the fermentation. Because I wasn’t sure I could fit my carboy into my chest kegerator (for cold crashing), I decided to rack the cider and then pitch the campden tablets. I’m slightly concerned that I’ll end up with a bit of residue, but I think it will be alright.

The next step is to back-sweeten. My wife and I sampled the current product and it had a very strong taste, so we wanted to soften it down a bit. I didn’t want to sweeten with straight juice so I’m currently heating up about a quarter gallon of juice with some cinnamon sticks simmering in it. Once they’ve opened up and it’s tasting good I’ll stick it in the fridge to cool. Tomorrow night I’ll add it to the keg and then start force carbonating. 

I’m hopeful for how this turns out, and I think this might be a regular use of my small carboy and keg. It’s simple and creates something that is unique and different from the other kegs filled with wonderful beer.