I’m getting close to having my cider recipe down pat. In fact, I think I’ve finally settled on a name — “Cidre Épicerie.” Simply translated to “Grocery Store Cider,” as all the ingredients (except, perhaps, the yeast) can be purchased at your local grocery store.

For about the first month of bottle conditioning, I was concerned that I might have ruined the batch, as I detected some off-flavor in early sampling. However, since first tasting this batch, the off-flavors have mellowed and the results are have been pretty enjoyable!

Cidre Épicerie

Brew date: 11/02/2013
Bottle date: 02/02/2014
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 0.998
ABV: 6.83%

Fermentables:

~4.5gal store brand apple juice (no preservatives)
(3) 12oz. container of Old Orchard brand frozen apple juice concentrate (again, no preservatives)
500g dark brown sugar, added before bottling to back-sweeten and carbonate

Yeast:

Lavin EC-1118 from starter

Taste Notes

This cider has a strong apple aroma accentuated by its effervescence. The flavor brings an instant sweetness, followed by a notes of apple, carmel, and butterscotch.

Next time I will ensure the fermentation is temperature controlled to minimize the butterscotch esters from the Lavin yeast. I believe the focus on the cider should be on the apple and carmel flavors.