I got my batch of cider bottled last night, 7 quarts of the stuff with a gravity of 1.012 (down from 1.044 at the start and consistent for a couple of days). From the sample, I tried, it is hard to say where it is going. The sharpness could mellow out with the residual sweetness creating something quite special or I may end up with even more vinegar than I produced last year.

The latter outcome won’t be a disaster; we found plenty to do with last year’s cider vinegar. However it isn’t quite what I was aiming for and, if that is the result, maybe I’ll take a slightly more controlled approach next year.