Baise’s Pear/Blueberry cider
1 Gallon G.V. Apple Juice
64 oz G.V. Pear Juice
2 cups blueberry crumble tea
12 oz Brown Sugar
1 tsp acid blend
2 tsp Diammonium Phosphate
1/2 pack Lalvin 71B yeast (it was a little old so I don’t know about this one)
O.G. = 1.054
10/11/23
F.G. = 1.000 7.1% ABV
I kegged this today. Back sweetened with a little honey just to make it pop a little and added some tannin to it. Full gallon in the keg.
9/8/23. Amazon First Read. I just finished The Housemaid. Like just now, so this book better keep my attention. Just kidding. I’m going to read it.
9/17/23. I finished. Great book. Characters were very well defined and memorable. Craig, a writer is having trouble finishing his book because he has to take care of his daughter Alice over the summer. Levi, a strange rich kid wants to play with Alice. This gives Craig time in the morning to work on his book. Levi “never gets in trouble”. He’s a bad (very bad) kid. After a few mishaps Craig starts to see a trend with Levi and it’s not a good one.
Chapters were short and I feel like I plowed through this book. I didn’t want to put it down. Giving a 9/10 rating. 10 Days.
This is a TikTok recommended book. I started on 9/1/23. I left another book because it was boring and started this one. 2 pages in and I’m already “hooked”. 9/7/23. 6 Days. 6…..Days…..OMG this is a masterpiece. It had me hooked from the first page and it never let up. Millie, a parolee needs a job and to stay out of prison. The perfect job became available being a housemaid for a very wealthy family. Nina, the wife is bat shit crazy. Or is she? Andy, the husband is a handsome and loving man. Or is he? Crazy stuff goes on in the first part of the book. In the second part we find out why and in the thirds part. Holy S Balls!!! I couldn’t put it down. This book is getting a 10/10. Chapters were short, characters were very well defined and the plot and twists were perfectly written.
I started this book on 8/27/23. TikTok recommended author. I read “The Roommate” earlier. It was short and very well written. Let’s see how this book goes. I couldn’t finish this book. I didn’t like it at all. I was 40% done and there was really nothing going on. It was boring. I’m giving this book a 2/10. A 2 because I made it 40% of the way without quitting.
7/29/2023
I got some new honey at the GE farmers market. It tastes amazing. I’ve been reading recipes again and you know what that means. Got to get another batch going. (I now have 2 fermenting. This one makes 3) Here we go:
1/2 oz Paraoh’s Paradise (Loose leaf tea from teajutsu.com)
32 oz Just Tart Cherry from Knudsen (Kroger)
32 oz Just Black Cherry from Knudsen (Kroger)
12 oz frozen Raspberries (Kroger)
12 oz frozen Sweet Cherries (Kroger)
1 tsp fermaid O
Lalvin EC-1118 yeast
2 lbs honey. (Name goes here)
Spring Water (Dollar Tree)
I started by steeping the loose leaf tea in about 1/2 gallon of spring water and reconstituting the Lalvin yeast with the fermaid O in a small amount of spring water. While the berries were thawing, I added the 64 oz of juice to the carboy and the 2 lbs of honey. I shook the bejesus out of it. The mixture wasn’t going to fit in the gallon glass carboy so I had to switch to using a Kilwins bucket. I let the tea steep for 20 minutes. I added the mostly thawed fruit and tea to the bucket. I took a temperature reading and it was 72. I pitched the yeast and covered the bucket.
S.G. = 1.106 (if dry it’s going to be 14.2%)
8/18/23 (21 days)
S.G. = 1.006. 13.3% ABV. I racked off the fruit today. It’s dry and HOT. Cherry taste comes through nicely. Not much hibiscus though.
8/29/23 (33 days)
Stabilization DAY!!!
1/2 tsp potassium sorbate
1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite
1/2 tsp Wine Tannin
9/1/23 (35 days)
Bottling Day!!! I back sweetened with honey ONLY to 1.030 and bottled.
7/9/23 (day 1)
4.2 lbs honey (some clover, some orange blossom)
2 gallons purified water
Mangrove Jacks M05 yeast
S.G. = 1.078 (if dry it will be ~ 10.88%)
Secondary:
3 lbs bananas (Frozen and thawed)
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
24 Graham Crackers
7/10/23
2 grams Wine Tannin
4 grams Fermaid – O
I added the suppliments today.
7/18/23
S.G. = 1.040 It’s very “buttery” and smooth. It’s only done 40 points in 10 days. Mouthfeel is very nice.
7/20/23
Another 2 grams Fermaid – O. No SG today.
7/26/23 (18 days)
S.G. = 1.022. It’s still fermenting and I don’t know why it’s taken so long.
8/4/23 (27 days)
S.G. = 1.000
I racked into clean bucket over 1 tsp Potassium Metabisulphite and 1 tsp Potassium Sorbate. I will add the thawed bananas either later today or first thing in the morning before leaving for IrishFest. Tastes like mead though. Smell needs more honey character. I’m hoping that once the bananas start to flavor for a couple of weeks then the Graham Crakers it sweetens up a little. It’s not clear at all. Still very cloudy.
8/18/23 (41 days)
No SG today but I added 18 Graham crackers to the bag with the bananas still in it. I’m not getting a banana flavor right now. So next week I can rack all that off, back sweeten and bottle. Yay!!
8/25/23
It’s got some weird floaties in it. Doesn’t taste much like banana or graham crackers. Gonna give it another week and back sweeten and bottle.
9/1/23 (55 days)
I racked off into a clean sanitized bucket. I added: 3/4 lb brown sugar, 3/4 lb honey and 3 tsp of vanilla. OMG this is going to be amazing! Bottled and labeled today too. F.G. = 1.028. It’s sweet but tastes amazing!