Shrewsbury Sagardoa 2025Shrewsbury Sagardoa 2025

• 10 L juice — Golden Delicious
• 5 L juice — John Downie (crab apple)
• 3.25 L juice — Lord Lambourne
• Yeast: Lalvin 71B‑1122
• Nutrient: Fermaid O — total 7 g (3.5 g at pitch, 3.5 g at ~1.030)
• Priming: Two carbonation drops (dextrose) per 330 ml bottle

• Tue 7 Oct 2025 — Press & pitch: OG 1.062. Added 3.5 g Fermaid O, pitched 71B. ~18 °C.
• Fri 10 Oct — Early sulphur noted: Very active ferment; brief but strong sulphur aroma from gas release. Added second 3.5 g Fermaid O; daily degas/swirl. Smell reduced over next days.
• Tue 21 Oct — Dry: FG 0.990. Fermentation complete.
• Tue 21 Oct — Bottled (no secondary): Direct from primary as an experiment; two dextrose drops per 330 ml. Filled 26 × 330 ml as cider; remaining cider went to vinegar vessels with last year’s mother.

• Carbonation phase: 2–3 weeks at 18–20 °C (check a PET tester for firmness if used).
• Conditioning phase: Move cool (10–14 °C) for 4–6 weeks.
• First tasting window: Early December 2025; improves into spring 2026.

• Drinks well young (3 months) with bright acidity and a little yeast roundness.
• Smooths noticeably by 6–9 months; holds structure beyond a year thanks to ABV and acidity.

We’re home makers, not a sagardotegi. The choices below reflect our skills and the gear we actually have — a hand press, buckets and demijohns, no wooden kupelas, a simple bottling wand. We leaned on a dependable wine yeast, a small nutrient schedule, and easy priming drops for repeatable results without specialist equipment.

• Yeast: We used a cultured wine yeast (Lalvin 71B‑1122) rather than a wild/native ferment. Many Basque ciders are spontaneous or use house cultures.
• Nutrients: We fed the ferment with Fermaid O. Classic sagardoa is more hands‑off with no added nutrients.
• Carbonation method: We primed with dextrose drops at bottling instead of trapping residual sugar by bottling mid‑ferment (pet‑nat) or through keeving.
• Strength: Our cider finished around 9.5% ABV, whereas Basque sidra is typically ~5–6%. Expect a firmer palate and longer aging curve.
• Apples: An English garden blend (Golden Delicious, Lord Lambourne, John Downie crab) rather than traditional Basque bittersweet/bittersharp cultivars.
• Aging vessel: We skipped long bulk aging in large wooden kupelas (chestnut/oak). We bottled young from primary for freshness.
• Format: 330 ml crown‑capped bottles rather than the classic 700–750 ml green Basque bottles that are corked or crown‑capped.
• Bottling straight from primary keeps a touch of lees character — more texture, natural sparkle, and that "alive" sidra feel.
• Expect a compact sediment layer in each bottle; pour gently if you want it clearer or swirl the last splash for fullness. A short Basque‑style pour helps blow off any lingering sulphur.

These choices keep the spirit — lively, tart, and served with a short aerating pour — while making a Shrewsbury‑grown, home‑scale version that suits our apples and kit.