Stupid Simple, A Cider Tale

Here in Florida, unless you want a HUGE electric bill or own a brewing cooler, cider making stops in early May This year spring was cool and I was able to brew until almost Memorial Day. It is also cooler up here in Citrus county than last year so, Brewing Season has started.

A friend of mine who has taken a “shine” to my cider, and although he enjoys the explosion of commercial ciders now available wanted to make his own and asked for my help. I explained to him how easy it was and pointed him to the first entry of this blog. He kept hinting that he wanted help getting started, saying things like, “We need to do a brewing party at my house” and other subtle remarks like, “Why don’t you come over and help me get the first batch going.” I got the idea, he wanted help with the first go round. So I went over and we started the first batch of “Stupid Simple Swampy Cider”, It’s called that because his name is Swampy and like I keep tellin’ people,” makin’ cider is easy.”

So I hope on the motorcycle and ride down to the Swamp. Contrary to common belief the Swamp is not a football stadium in Gainesville but a nice ranch house in Pasco county with a new large deck out back. I bring the expensive stuff, a bubbler and rubber carboy stopper and a Package of US05 Ale yeast ($5 total). Swampy drives over to Publix gets the other necessities a 5-gallon blue plastic carboy of water,4#’s of Sugar 5 gallons of Publix all Natural apple juice and head back to the swamp.

So there was lot’s of talk about yeast pee and yeast farts and the need for fortification of the apple juice with sugar to provide an adequate yeast feast. Explaining that “Stupid Simple Swampy Cider” won’t be commercial 5%C2H5OH stuff, it will be the hardier 12-14% Alcohol brew. We get back, dump the water out of the carboy, dump into the carboy the 4#’s of Sugar and a couple gallons of apple juice, shake to dissolve the sugar, add the rest of the juice, pitch the yeast (dump the yeast packet into the carboy), put the topper and bubbler. Cover with a paper bag to protect the fragile and delicate yeast. Swampy notes the hard part was cutting the hole in the paper bag and asks "That's It?"

"Yep, Makin' Cider is Stupid Simple" Thus is conceived “Stupid Simple Swampy Cider”.

John Adams, in 1796, wrote in his diary about the virtues of cider, reporting that drinking a tankard of cider each morning put his stomach at ease and alleviated gas. Hence, "An apple a day ..."
Good thing this stuff is a healthy alternative to tea totaling.

Cider Season has started, and yes I’ve begun again, but due to pressures from the wife, I now have 3 glass carboys and can brew up to 16 gallons at once. Don’t ask why we need a regular supply of 16 gallons of cider. But we did run out of our home brew about 2 weeks ago.