I am four days into my first batch of hard cider. The cider I got from a local orchard the day they pressed it. Let it warm over night and added to the fermenter with 2 lbs of brown sugar. UV light pasteurized. OG of the cider was 1.054 I forgot to take one after adding the brown sugar but beer smith suggest it would add 1.018 making it 1.072. Two days in it read about 6.8% and tasted wonderfully crisp and of apples still. Today it read about 9%…the refractometer is a little blurry I am guessing because of the high ABV? I noticed it on a big beer also. The apple aroma is there slightly but most of the flavor is gone. Has anyone used gelatin to clear ciders? I would like to try this. The yeast wont floc that well because of low calcium levels correct? I plan to keg it on some cinnamon sticks and let it sit till it taste right. Contemplating potassium sorbate and back sweetening with some more cider. Would like to hear some success/failure stories. Lessons learned ect. I used WLP720 sweet mead yeast.
