Mmm, cider

Bottled my first cider just now, and I'm surprised at how easy the entire process was. From start to finish took two weeks, and the hardest part was sanitizing the buckets and bottles. Star san makes it easier to sanitize bottles, though, compared to one step.

When I first cracked open the fermenter, I didn't expect the cider to taste the way it did. I was expecting something much drier, and the taste was entirely drinkable and delicious. I still added 6.8 oz of lactose, though, to backsweeten the two gallons. It's .4 oz too much, but whatever. The sugar cut through the dryness with a light touch. The cider wasn't that much sweeter, but the dryness was considerably diminished and it became slightly easier to drink.

I like to use the test of something's tastiness by giving a small sample to my gf. She'll taste it, then if she goes for a second taste and won't give me back the glass I know I've succeeded in making something tasty.

Next time making cider I'm not only going to use much more, but I may try to referment some in the bottle to make sparkling cider or play around with different blends or types of yeast. Milburn's Cider and Nottingham Yeast make a tasty drink, though.