Davis Square Apple Cider fair?

[jmaynardg.livejournal.com]

Hey,

I recently heard that Davis Square hosts a yearly Apple Cider fair in the autumn. Does anyone know when / if this will take place this year? I'd like to buy cider in bulk for brewing. Thanks!

Comments

[davelew.livejournal.com]

Beer & Wine hobby in Woburn (www.beer-wine.com) is getting some juice November 1st and 2nd. You have to reserve it ahead of time and pick it up during those two days, though.

Now for some general notes on brewing with cider. I have no idea how experienced you are, so I apologize in advance if I insult your intelligence or your brewing experience. Any apple juice without preservatives (like benzoates and sorbates) will ferment, the problem is that most of them end up bone-dry and with nothing to balance the acidity. Getting a mix optimized for hard cider will result in a sweeter and more balanced final product. However, if you can't get the right mix, you still have a few options:

1) keep track of the specific gravity, and when you hit 80% to 90% apparent attenuation (sugars converted to alcohol), add sulfites to inhibit the yeast, then chill to make sure the yeast stay inhibited. Don't bottle this cider, warm temperatures might re-awaken the yeast and create bottle-bombs.

2) Ferment it completely and add nutrasweet or another artificial, unfermentabe sweetener

3) (my favorite) make a cyser. Add honey to the apple juice, and let it ferment until the yeast get too drunk to ferment any more, about 15% alcohol-by-volume, then add a tiny bit more honey to add sweetness. You can add other things to cysers as well. The recipe at http://www.applebuttercyser.com/ is highly regarded.