This is part of an ongoing story about making hard cider. Last month, we bought five gallons of fresh apple cider from an orchard, then started it fermenting with some sugar, adding yeast and yeast nutrients to help the process along. This month, we sample our cider and begin a comparison of some commercial brands available at local stores.

I wait a month before visiting a batch of hard cider I've started with the help of Ed McDowell at The Hop Shop in Gray.

That's because it takes about a month, as McDowell has explained to me, for the yeast and sugar we've added to the cider to fully interact.

It happens this way: The yeast, bolstered by a yeast nutrient, gorges itself on the sugar. As it feeds, it gives off a combination of carbon dioxide and alcohol. The carbon dioxide escapes through the airlock valve at the top of the cider jug. The alcohol sticks around.

During this process, my cider has undergone a transformation from the dark, murky brown color of freshly pressed sweet cider to a lighter caramel shade.

And as the yeast has expended itself, yeast cells and other sediment have fallen, creating a layer of silt on the bottom of the container. Because of this, we need to "rack" the cider, which is what we set out to do the day I check in. This involves removing the cider from the silted container and transferring it to a new one.

As always, sanitization is important here, so McDowell helps me clean everything we'll be using with a solution of bleach and water. After rinsing, he shows me how to take the simple siphon from my wine-making kit and use it to draw the cider from its first jug to the next. (Most wine-making kits will have a carboy bucket to use for this process. When racked, the cider can be moved into the bucket and then back to the clear container after it is cleaned and sanitized.)

While transferring the cider, we test it to see how the flavor is developing. It's changed quite a bit, the liquid becoming clearer and the alcohol starting to create a dryness. In fact, it's a little too dry, so we decide to add an extra 5-pound bag of white sugar. This will do two things: sweeten the cider up and boost the alcohol content. We're now expecting an alcohol content of about 18 percent, which is in the range of a strong wine.

Once we've transferred the cider and mixed in the new sugar, we set everything aside for another month.

Next month: The difference between hard cider, applejack and apple juice, and a few words to the wise about federal regulations and home brewing.

To check our progress and see how our cider is shaping up against commercial brews, we've created our own little tasting panel. Using wine-judging criteria and judging sheets, this month we sampled our cider against Woodchuck Draft Cider. Here are the results:

It's the sugar in cider, both natural and added, that is converted into alcohol during the fermentation process. The more sugar, the higher the alcohol content. There is, however, a tipping point. Different strains of yeast have different sugar and alcohol tolerances. Add sweetener gradually during the brewing process to make things easier on your yeast.

The yeast I've used for this cider has a high tolerance for alcohol, but we may be pushing its limit after adding a second 5-pound bag of sugar to the mix this month.

A hydrometer measures the sugars in liquid to give an indication of the eventual alcohol content. My cider had a specific gravity 1.090 when I first mixed it with sugar, which translated to an estimated 12 percent potential alcohol. I'm now expecting an alcohol content of about 18 percent with the additional sugar. Commercially available ciders generally fall in the 5 percent range.

Typical alcohol content levels:

Domestic beer: 4-5 percent

Wine: 12-20 percent

Hard liquor: 30-50 percent

While sugar turns to alcohol, it also adds flavor to whatever you're concocting. Want cider that's straightforward and dry? Add a minimal amount of white sugar and see what happens. Want richer flavor? Try using brown sugar, honey or molasses.

Some people add raisins for both sweetness and flavor. Another cider trick is to add beet juice for color.

Kelly Morgan, your trusty reporter

Ed McDowell, brew master extraordinaire

Amber Waterman, photographer with a soft spot for things of this nature

Appearance:

3 - Excellent: Brilliant with outstanding characteristic color.

2 - Good: Clear with characteristic color.

1 - Poor: Slight haze and/or slight off color.

0 - Objectionable: Cloudy and/or off color.

Aroma and bouquet

6 - Extraordinary: Unmistakable characteristic aroma of fruit variety.

5 - Excellent: Characteristic aroma. Complex bouquet. Well balanced.

4 - Good: Characteristic aroma. Distinguishable bouquet.

3 - Pleasant: Slight aroma and bouquet.

2 - Acceptable:- No perceptible aroma or bouquet, or with slight off odors.

1 - Poor: Off odors. May be drinkable.

0 - Objectionable: Objectionable and offensive odors.



Taste

6 - Extraordinary: Unmistakable characteristic flavor of fruit variety or wine type. Extraordinary balance. Smooth, full bodied and overwhelming.

5 - Excellent: All of the above, but a little less.

4 - Good: Characteristic fruit variety or wine type flavor. Good balance. Smooth. May have minor imperfections.

3 - Pleasant: Undistinguished wine, but pleasant.

2 - Acceptable: Undistinguished wine, with more pronounced faults than above.

1 - Disagreeable flavors. May be drinkable with strong foods.

0 - Undrinkable. Offensive flavors.

Aftertaste

3 - Lingering, outstanding aftertaste

2 - Pleasant

1 - Little or no distinguishable aftertaste

0 - Unpleasant

Overall impression

3 - Excellent

2 - Good

1 - Poor

0 - Objectionable

Total scores

18-20: Extraordinary

15-17: Excellent

12-14: Good

9-11: Pleasant

6-8: Acceptable

0-5: Poor and objectionable

Kelly

Sweet cider: 0, 5, 5, 2, 2

Total: 14 Comments: Good, flavorful cider.

Control batch (a jug of cider left to ferment naturally, with no added yeast or sweetener): 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

Total: 0 Comments: Eew. Strong yeast odor and flavor.

Our cider, month 1: 0, 2, 0, 0, 0

Total: 2 Comments: Good potential, with strong flavors that need some mellowing.

Woodchuck: 3, 2, 3, 2, 1

Total: 11 Comments: Mild and sweet, leaning toward tasteless.

Ed

Sweet cider: 0, 6, 6, 3, 2

Total: 17.

Control batch (a jug of cider left to ferment naturally, with no added yeast or sweetener): 0, 2, 1, 0, 0

Total: 3

Our cider, month 1: 0, 4, 1, 0, 0

Total: 5

Woodchuck: 3, 2, 3, 1, 1

Total: 10

Amber

Sweet cider: 0, 6, 5, 3, 2

Total: 16 Comments: Yummy! Would be great with a shot of "Hot Damn."

Control batch (a jug of cider left to ferment naturally, with no added yeast or sweetener): 0, 0, 1, 0, 0

Total: 1 Comments: I think it will be vinegar soon.

Our cider, month 1: 0, 4, 3, 0, 1

Total: 8 Comments: Tastes like Jolly Rancher green apple. But not done yet.

Woodchuck: 3, 3, 2, 2, 1

Total: 11 Comments: Not bad if you want a sweet alcoholic beverage, but there is no body.