This recipe uses a very cold-tolerant wine yeast - Red Star Premier Cuvee.  This yeast will ferment at temperatures down to 40F. Cold fermentation was recommended by some commercial cidermakers in Canada. The slow fermentation rate helps retain volitile apple flavors and aromas which are normally driven off by the high yeast activity of room temperature fermentations.

I have fermented this in my unheated garage beginning in mid-December for two years. Temperatures in the garage get down to ~40 (its attached to my house and gets some heat from it). The temperature of the cider is several degrees warmer from fermentation heat.

The honey is added to raise ABV above 6%, which I do for stability more than flavor. The finished cider has no honey character so it fits the common cider category best.

60 Gal: Fresh-pressed, local apple cider (Milburn Orchards, Elkton, MD)

5 lbs: Honey

No nutrient additions.  I am attempting to slow fermentation to retain apple flavors and nutrients would have the opposite effect.

Juice was flash pasteurized by orchard, so no sulfites were needed before fermentation.

No acid added. Juice titrated to 0.6 TA.

Pectic enzyme added 1 hr prior to adding yeast to aid clarity.

Some cider was sweetened post fermentation. This cider was dosed with 3g sulfite and 2.5 tsp potassium sorbate per 5 gal, then sweetened to taste, kegged, and force carbonated.

Fermented in a 60 gallon plastic barrel obtained from a winery.  Fermentation lasted ~3 weeks with additional 3 weeks for clearing.