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I decided to try to make a cider from supermarket el cheapo concentrate just for the fun of it, 2/3 pear and 1/3 cranberry/raspberry.

It’s gone from 48 Oe to 0 Oe in ten days, so I guess so far it is technically a success. I’ve been degassing it vigorously and it’s going to rest now for a week before I rack it. I had a taste and I can taste the alcohol and some faint flavors from the concentrate, but oh boy it is so bland it makes my tap water seem flamboyant.

On a whim I sliced up a thumb of ginger and dropped in, hoping it would give some flavor. It’s what I had at home. Any other suggestions of how to add some taste? I’ve got xylitol, citric acid and tannin at home. I don’t want to add more sugary fruits because it already tastes a little bit too boozy for the lack of body. There will be a bit sugar before bottling for carbonation though.

UPDATE: Racking and having a taste a week later and it’s a world of difference. Thanks for the advice @[email protected]! The ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon brought some body that it was desperately lacking. I think I may have had a little much ginger, two large thumbs in the end, because it’s a bit heavy on the ginger basement in the flavour. We’ll see how it matures. Surprisingly it was still gassy, despite vigorous shaking until flat a week earlier. Maybe the sugars in the ginger were enough to give it another go. I brought alon g the nutmeg and the cinnamon because why not. Now it’s going to rest for another week and then it be another racking, sugaring it up for carbonation and bottling. Considering the low aspirations, I hope it will be ready for some early bottles by Christmas.