First batch ever

[Calimus]

Hello all. So I'm in the middle of my first ever batch of homebrew and it's a BD Forbidden Fruit cider. It's been going for a week now and I can see that fermentation is slowing, I plan to leave it in there for 2 weeks though to finish and clear up. However, I figured I'd give it a little taste test tonight and while it does taste good, it's certainly weak/watery.

So I'm wondering if there's anything I can do at this point to punch it up a bit? I don't have a hydrometer yet so I'm kinda screwed on measuring that out till I can pick one up. However, I'm willing to experiment with this batch since it's my first and it was just the kit.

[John Sand]

I have not brewed any ciders. But when I was making "all in one can" beer kits, I found them all to be a bit weak. One solution for beer is to add more extract. Some might advocate adding sugar, but it causes cidery flavor in beer, and won't add to the body in any case. I might try adding some apple juice to the next batch. I understand that cider wants some aging. I can't often judge a beer by unfinished samples. It is hard to resist the temptation to experiment on early batches, but I think it is better to establish a baseline first. I know that my earliest experiments were ill advised. Keep us posted.

[Calimus]

Thank John. I'll let it age and see how it goes.

[DaYooper]

Yes, it will be a bit on the weak and dry side - no Woodchuck by any means. If you want a sweeter flavor you will need to backsweeten. Probably the easiest way to kick it up a bit is to add some frozen juice with no preservatives (they are not good for the yeasties) on your next batch but without back sweetening it will still be on the dry side. Is that bad? Depends what you like. Cider is now an evolving market and much like wines people will need to be educated that there are more varieties than just a "red" and "white" or "dry" and "sweet."

[Calimus]

Yooper - Thanks for the reply.

I've continued to let it age and this coming saturday will be 3 weeks of fermentation. It's really slowed down, but I know thats to be expected. I'm going to see about bottling over the weekend and then let those sit for 3-4 weeks to age & clear. I think from there I need to cold crash them and then I can enjoy them. I need to take another taste sample. I took a taste at almost 2 weeks and it was a bit better.
I fully understand that the "kit" won't be that great. I can also see why this is a dangerous hobby. Due to the wait time, I now understand why folks have 2-3 batches going in a rotating order. The waiting game sucks

[John Sand]

It's true, Cam! I picked up a second fermenter pretty quickly when I started, so I could brew every other week. I made 25 batches me first year, had fun, and learned a lot. I had plenty of setbacks, maybe more than average. But I also made plenty of good beer, the kind that made people ask for more. That's a pretty good feeling.

[Calimus]

So I'm at 3 weeks and it tastes a lot better. Might bottle tonight or tomorrow. Already planning my next batch.

[gwcr]

Good patience waiting 3 weeks on your first batch! Now the even harder part waiting 4 more weeks or so after you bottle. No harm in "testing" along the way to see how it changes over time. great way to learn and appreciate the good things that time can do. Better get another one brewing!

[LouieMacGoo]

So I'm at 3 weeks and it tastes a lot better. Might bottle tonight or tomorrow. Already planning my next batch.

In brewing, time has a way of fixing things. Once you get that first batch under your belt you can really start to live the RDWHAHB lifestyle!

[Calimus]

So I rolled the dice and gave it four weeks. Seems to have upped the flavor and gave it the dryness I really like. So I just finished bottling and time to give it a bit more time to rest. Though I did consume the last bottle since it wasn't quite full. I think I'm going to enjoy this hobby.

[gwcr]

I think I'm going to enjoy this hobby.

Oh, you are sooooo assimilated right now...

[John Sand]

I'm glad it's working out for you.

[Calimus]

So I let that batch ferment for 4-6 weeks and then I bottled and let sit till last week to cure. End result is that it has enough alcohol content that you can sorta taste it, but the overall taste is crap. I figure maybe it was an old kit, or I screwed something up in the process. Either way, I haven't been discouraged. I started off on a test gallon this past weekend, will post a new thread for that.

[LouieMacGoo]

So I let that batch ferment for 4-6 weeks and then I bottled and let sit till last week to cure. End result is that it has enough alcohol content that you can sorta taste it, but the overall taste is crap. I figure maybe it was an old kit, or I screwed something up in the process. Either way, I haven't been discouraged. I started off on a test gallon this past weekend, will post a new thread for that.

What kind of flavors did it have? Is there any certain characteristics that you noticed when tasting it? The answers might give clues as to what the problem is.

[Calimus]

Just very week or watered down. The fermentation never had much activity at any point which is why I let it go for so long.