Its been about a week and half now I got the cider brewing, a plan for another cider in the works while its still in season, and then maybe turn back to brewing a beer. But I wanted to touch base because I had gotten some questions about the difference between a beer and a cider. The main difference between the cider making process/beer making process are the ingredients used to make them.
In cider your primary base is apples (apple juice, apple cider, juiced apples, etc). You can make a wort and use water, but to get the real deep flavor you want to use apple juice, or preferably apple cider that has been unpasteurized, it is ideal for the brewing process and will give you a great product.
In beer your making a wort from the ingredients of barley, hops, grains, and then you can change aspects by adding flavors or subtracting things you don't like. I'm not a fan of beer, the hoppy beers or the wheat flavored beers upset me but that's a personal issue nothing that should keep you from a cool crisp refreshing brew!
After you get past the wort Beer and Cider are basically the same thing, you ferment them both the same way, they both need sugars, and yeast to ferment, some beers can subtract sugar depending on what your making, but overall these two products are the same and different, but both can be cool, crisp and refresh!
I'll keep you update on what happens from here but for now let me know if you have any questions or anything!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
2 Cousins 2 brews 1 winner...but all in good fun
So this is my first "official" blog posting ever! Exciting I know, but bare with me as I am new to this whole blog concept. Now that I've gotten more settled into my life here back in St. Louis I have extended out a challenge to my cousin from Chicago (Kyle Smith) for a friendly challenge from 2 home brewers. I've recently began to make a Fall Cider that I'm hoping to have completed by the time Kyle comes to St. Louis for Thanks Giving, more to come on that later in the post. But for now let me give you some insight into what I am doing and where I am in my life now that I have finally gotten everything together more!Right now I have gotten myself into a great position, I'm loving life and trying to get a great job and start setting myself for a successful future, cross your fingers and lets hope it all works out. I took a temporary position at Washington University and have been working for the Department of Internal Medicine for the Medical School, need-less to say I owe Steve Reynolds a lot of thank yous for all the help he has given me in my process thus far so Steve if your reading this blog THANK YOU SO MUCH! I've interviewed for a job as a Research Patient Coordinator for Medical Oncology on Monday Oct 3rd 2011, hoping to hear back later this week, I'll keep everyone posted on what happens.
So back to the reason I'm starting my blog here, not only do I want to keep people updated about what I'm doing with my life but I also want to share the wealth and let you see into things I am doing. So I've started the long process of a home brewed cider. I went to the local Tower Grove Farmers market on Saturday to get the fresh un-pasteurized cider (its the perfect time for a seasonal cider). I had been emailing my cousin back and forth talking about brewing something and I finally got the chance to brew so I am taking advantage of it now! So I got everything else I needed (I already had a kit, but I lost a few things I needed to get). 
This Sunday me and my friend Derrick began to make the cider. We heated up the wort added some mulling spice, cinnamon sticks, and the fresh apple cider and brought it up to a 150 degree boil and then proceeded to put it in the primary fermenter to began the great brewing process. In roughly a month me and my cousin as well as other family members will be enjoying a tasty home brew for thanks giving! As you can see the from the pictures to the left these are all the products I used to get my brewing going! The wort was heated up 150 degrees with all the ingredients and let it sit for a bit to get the flavors incorporated into the hard-cider. It's a "tea-bag" approach, where you put the mulling spice and cinnamon sticks into the wort bring it to 150 degrees let it sit for a bit and then take out the mulling spices and for this one I left the cinnamon sticks in for the primary fermentation stage. I will in 1-2 weeks transfer the cider from the primary fermenter (the large white bucket) to the secondary fermenter (the glass carboy), this will allow for my cider to get the flavors incorporated into a tasty product and let the brewing begin. The secondary fermenter will allow for the flavors to continue to get deeper and richer flavors, sounds to good to be true already!
So back to the reason I'm starting my blog here, not only do I want to keep people updated about what I'm doing with my life but I also want to share the wealth and let you see into things I am doing. So I've started the long process of a home brewed cider. I went to the local Tower Grove Farmers market on Saturday to get the fresh un-pasteurized cider (its the perfect time for a seasonal cider). I had been emailing my cousin back and forth talking about brewing something and I finally got the chance to brew so I am taking advantage of it now! So I got everything else I needed (I already had a kit, but I lost a few things I needed to get). 
This Sunday me and my friend Derrick began to make the cider. We heated up the wort added some mulling spice, cinnamon sticks, and the fresh apple cider and brought it up to a 150 degree boil and then proceeded to put it in the primary fermenter to began the great brewing process. In roughly a month me and my cousin as well as other family members will be enjoying a tasty home brew for thanks giving! As you can see the from the pictures to the left these are all the products I used to get my brewing going! The wort was heated up 150 degrees with all the ingredients and let it sit for a bit to get the flavors incorporated into the hard-cider. It's a "tea-bag" approach, where you put the mulling spice and cinnamon sticks into the wort bring it to 150 degrees let it sit for a bit and then take out the mulling spices and for this one I left the cinnamon sticks in for the primary fermentation stage. I will in 1-2 weeks transfer the cider from the primary fermenter (the large white bucket) to the secondary fermenter (the glass carboy), this will allow for my cider to get the flavors incorporated into a tasty product and let the brewing begin. The secondary fermenter will allow for the flavors to continue to get deeper and richer flavors, sounds to good to be true already!
This picture is the only good picture I could find of me and my cousin Kyle, it was at our Grandma's 90th birthday party, obviously Kyle and I are the 2 guys circled in red. Both pretty awesome people if I do say so myself.
The friendly competition has begun and I'm excited to say I think it will end in a fun night and with good company! I don't think my cousin has posted anything about this yet but I want to include his blog so that people can check in from time to time. Kyle is a big home-brewer and really knows his stuff, I think you might find enjoyment in reading his blog and hearing what he has to say! The link to Kyle's blog is linked to his name, click his name and go check it out and enjoy! For now keep checking in and I'll put up more pictures and keep everyone posted and informed on what happens! Happy brewing and I'll keep you informed on everything that is me!
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