John Wulff

I started with two 1.5L jugs of apple cider. I poured half of each jug into a saucepan with 2 cups of white sugar and 2 cups of brown sugar. I simmered the mixture until the sugar completely dissolved. Then I let the sugar cider mixture cool to 105 degrees fahrenheit (the yeast I used operates best between 101 and 109). I added 1 packet of champagne yeast to the sugar cider mixture and gave the yeast fifteen minutes to “bloom”.

Then I poured the remaining cider out of jugs into an empty pitcher. I poured half the sugar, cider, and yeast mixture into each jug. Then I topped off each jug with the cider in the pitcher. (I had about two cups cider left over. Courtney mixed it with some cinnamon tea, it didn’t go well.)

Finally, I topped each jug with a balloon and pricked each balloon with a needle. (The balloons act as a poor man’s airlock to keep bacteria out while allowing gases to escape.)

I’ve read it can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 9 months for optimal fermentation. I’ll test one jug in three weeks. Depending on how it tastes the other jug will either be opened in 3 weeks and one day or in 9 months.