I started my latest brew today; my first cider. This pack is from Finland (a place that seems more amazing every time I learn something new about it). I'm not a fan of that stuff that they sell in Ikea (which I KNOW is Swedish and not Finnish), so I hope it doesn't end up tasting like that.

I've gone for the minimum amount of water, with a medium amount of sugar - meaning it should be about 5% when ready. It needs less sugar than I expected would be needed for cider; I used about 500 grams, and it says the maximum that is needed is 800 grams.

The beer is coming along very well too - quick wee taste earlier was very promising. I'm a little closer to sourcing the heather honey for my mead (I THINK I know where I'll order it from), but still not ordered yet. I have received the yeast enhancer that I am going to use for the mead as well (arrived with the cider).

I've started brewing my latest batch of homebrew, Firkin's Bruces Best Bitter. I've used this pack once before, and it was really nice. However, I'm pretty certain I used far too little water (litres instead of pints? I dunno), because it was VERY strong (one bottle of the stuff had me staggering!). This time I've used the right amount of water. Hopefully I won't be disappointed....

I'm also currently researching my latest project - making mead. I'd initially planned on just doing a small quantity test run, because honey isn't too cheap. However, it appears that it isn't really drinkable within a year, and doesn't taste it's best until 3 years. Therefore, I think I'll take my time and do some proper research before starting. I've ordered champagne yeast, and am currently trying to source some good quality honey (of what type I've not decided yet... heather honey is a definite possibility).