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| | From:  sportstarr10 (Original Message) | Sent: 10/27/2008 6:04 PM |
At the risk of sounding self-promoting, I wrote an article on making hard cider for the October '07 issue of Mother Earth News. You may find some pointers in there. Basically, get the soft cider into a clean, sanitized, food-grade plastic bucket that has a lid (raid your local hippie grocery store -- they routinely have them laying around and will part with them for free), add a packet or two of wine yeast (per five gallons of soft cider), punch a hole in the lid and affix an airlock, affix the lid and let it sit a few weeks in a cool place. The lid and airlock will allow the fermenting cider to off-gas will keeping ambient air out, and the wine yeast will most likely outcompete the wild yeast and leave you with a more consistent- if not better-tasting beverage. Lalvin 71B-1122 is pretty good for cider, because it can process some of the malic acid in the cider into softer-tasting lactic acid. Once it's done fermenting, siphon it into another bucket -- if you want it to clarify -- or clean, sanitized jugs/bottles. Siphon it between vessels with as little splashing as possible to prevent aeration, which will lead to oxidation and possible acetobacter infection. Also, consider contacting a local homebrewing club. Even if you're not a member, they're typically eager -- to a fault, almost -- to share their expertise. (I really dig your fruitslinger blog, by the way.)
posted by cog_nate at 11:43 AM on October 3 electroboy, yeah. That article was one of the first things to spring to my mind when I saw this question. Keep in mind that the author of that article preserved his finished hard cider with sodium benzoate and goes on to say, "A word of caution, wild yeasts are notorious for variability. One year the cider may be award-winning but could equally be putrid."
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Make Your Own Hard Cider Make delicious, intoxicating hard cider at home with this simple process. October/November 2007 By Nathan Poell Some of the best hard cider comes from apples chosen specifically for their cider-making qualities. Brewing hard cider from nonalcoholic, or “sweet�?cider is a simple process, and the inebriating end product is as delicious as it is discombobulating. Here are the steps you’ll follow to make hard cider of your own. RELATED ARTICLES If you happen to be driving out in the country on a beautiful fall day, and you pass a roadside sig... If you want to try really delicious apple cider, look for fresh local cider in the fall. You can fi... Juice Of The Apple December/January 1994 SEASONS 'S CHEER Don't settle for thin, ho... GET READY FOR CINDER PRESSIN'! September/October 1976 Forty gallons of apple cider for 17¢ per gall... Find the Ingredients Choose Your Juice. The best hard cider is made from sweet apple cider fresh from the cider press �?whether your own, or a local cider mill’s. If you’re buying sweet cider, start by checking the label to be sure the cider doesn’t contain chemical preservatives, because these will kill your yeast and your cider will not ferment. (The cider is chemically preserved if sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate are listed on the label.) Your best bet for preservative-free cider is to buy it in season from a local orchard. In a pinch, you can also make hard cider with grocery store apple juice, as long as it doesn’t have preservatives. Also, be aware that most commercial cidermakers are required to pasteurize their cider, and the process they use will affect the flavor. Preferably, your sweet cider should be “cold pasteurized,�?which kills microorganisms with ultraviolet light. The usual method of pasteurization kills microorganisms with heat, which affects the flavor of the juice. If you’re not sure which method a local cider mill uses, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Choose Your Yeast. A variety of dry and liquid brewing yeasts will do the trick, and you can find them online or from homebrew stores. Although you can buy specialized liquid yeast packs for fermenting cider, dry wine yeasts do an excellent job and are much cheaper. (You can get a pack for less than a dollar.) Make a Starter. The day before you brew your cider, make a starter. This step is optional, but it ensures that your yeast is proofed (i.e., alive) and will start fermenting your cider right away. To make a starter, open the bottle of preservative-free apple juice and pour out a few ounces. Pour the contents of one yeast packet into the bottle, reseal it and shake for a few seconds. Within five or six hours, you should see a bit of bubbling within the bottle. Once you do, release the pressure within the bottle, reseal it and put it in the refrigerator. Get it out a couple of hours before you brew. Start Brewing On brewing day, pour your cider into the brewpot and simmer it over medium heat for about 45 minutes. This will kill most of the wild yeasts and bacteria in the cider. Bolder cidermakers will forgo this step by pouring the sweet cider directly into a plastic bucket and then pitching in the yeast. If you follow this strategy, wild strains of yeast will still be in the sweet cider when it begins fermenting. This will alter the flavor of the cider. (It may or may not improve it.) If you do heat the cider, don’t let it boil! Boiling causes pectins to set, which creates a permanently hazy beverage. While simmering the cider, you can add the optional 2 pounds of brown sugar or honey. This will boost the fermentable sugar content in your cider and up the alcohol content.
Brewing hard cider from nonalcoholic, or “sweet�?cider is a simple process, and the inebriating end product is as delicious as it is discombobulating. Here are the steps you’ll follow to make hard cider of your own. RELATED ARTICLES If you happen to be driving out in the country on a beautiful fall day, and you pass a roadside sig... If you want to try really delicious apple cider, look for fresh local cider in the fall. You can fi... Juice Of The Apple December/January 1994 SEASONS 'S CHEER Don't settle for thin, ho... GET READY FOR CINDER PRESSIN'! September/October 1976 Forty gallons of apple cider for 17¢ per gall... Find the Ingredients Choose Your Juice. The best hard cider is made from sweet apple cider fresh from the cider press �?whether your own, or a local cider mill’s. If you’re buying sweet cider, start by checking the label to be sure the cider doesn’t contain chemical preservatives, because these will kill your yeast and your cider will not ferment. (The cider is chemically preserved if sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate are listed on the label.) Your best bet for preservative-free cider is to buy it in season from a local orchard. In a pinch, you can also make hard cider with grocery store apple juice, as long as it doesn’t have preservatives. Also, be aware that most commercial cidermakers are required to pasteurize their cider, and the process they use will affect the flavor. Preferably, your sweet cider should be “cold pasteurized,�?which kills microorganisms with ultraviolet light. The usual method of pasteurization kills microorganisms with heat, which affects the flavor of the juice. If you’re not sure which method a local cider mill uses, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Choose Your Yeast. A variety of dry and liquid brewing yeasts will do the trick, and you can find them online or from homebrew stores. Although you can buy specialized liquid yeast packs for fermenting cider, dry wine yeasts do an excellent job and are much cheaper. (You can get a pack for less than a dollar.) Make a Starter. The day before you brew your cider, make a starter. This step is optional, but it ensures that your yeast is proofed (i.e., alive) and will start fermenting your cider right away. To make a starter, open the bottle of preservative-free apple juice and pour out a few ounces. Pour the contents of one yeast packet into the bottle, reseal it and shake for a few seconds. Within five or six hours, you should see a bit of bubbling within the bottle. Once you do, release the pressure within the bottle, reseal it and put it in the refrigerator. Get it out a couple of hours before you brew. Start Brewing On brewing day, pour your cider into the brewpot and simmer it over medium heat for about 45 minutes. This will kill most of the wild yeasts and bacteria in the cider. Bolder cidermakers will forgo this step by pouring the sweet cider directly into a plastic bucket and then pitching in the yeast. If you follow this strategy, wild strains of yeast will still be in the sweet cider when it begins fermenting. This will alter the flavor of the cider. (It may or may not improve it.) If you do heat the cider, don’t let it boil! Boiling causes pectins to set, which creates a permanently hazy beverage. While simmering the cider, you can add the optional 2 pounds of brown sugar or honey. This will boost the fermentable sugar content in your cider and up the alcohol content.
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Next, pour the cider into a sanitized fermentation bucket �?an unsanitized bucket may spoil the cider. To sanitize, pour a capful of bleach into your bucket, fill it with water, let it sit for a half an hour, then dump out and rinse with cold water. (You can also buy non-bleach, no-rinse sanitizers at homebrew stores.) Let the cider cool to nearly room temperature, then add your yeast �?or starter, if you chose to make one. Stir the mixture for a minute or two with a clean stainless steel or plastic spoon to aerate, then seal the lid and affix the airlock. Place the bucket in a room or closet where the temperature is 60 to 75 degrees �?the closer to 60 degrees, the better. Stay within this range if you can: At lower temperatures the cider won’t ferment, while higher temperatures will speed up fermentation, but may also change the flavor. RELATED ARTICLES If you happen to be driving out in the country on a beautiful fall day, and you pass a roadside sig... If you want to try really delicious apple cider, look for fresh local cider in the fall. You can fi... Juice Of The Apple December/January 1994 SEASONS 'S CHEER Don't settle for thin, ho... GET READY FOR CINDER PRESSIN'! September/October 1976 Forty gallons of apple cider for 17¢ per gall... Let it Ferment. Within a day or two you should see the airlock start to bubble. The gas it’s releasing is carbon dioxide, a byproduct of the fermentation process. Congratulations, your soft cider is on its way to becoming a delicious, inebriating elixir of the gods! This bubbling should subside within two weeks, signifying an end to the primary fermentation. After that, let the cider sit another week to allow the yeast to settle out. Options For Bottling There are a couple of different ways you can go at this point: Option 1: Bottle the Cider Now. If you want to bottle the cider immediately, affix the rinsed food-grade tubing to the spigot on your fermentation bucket and pour the cider off into sanitized jugs or bottles. (Be gentle when moving the bucket full of cider. Sloshing can disturb the yeast sediment at the bottom of the bucket and cloud up your cider.) Seal the jugs or bottles. Let the bottled hard cider sit for another two weeks and then it will be ready to drink. Your cider will probably be “still�?(i.e., not fizzy) unless you let it age for several months. Hard cider is more like wine than beer, and the flavor will improve as it ages. Option 2: Let it Clarify. If you only use one fermenter, your cider will taste fine, but may not be perfectly clear because it will probably still have some suspended yeast. To reduce cloudiness, siphon your cider into a secondary fermenter (another food-grade bucket). Sanitize this bucket before filling it with cider. Once you’ve siphoned your cider into the secondary fermenter, put a sanitized lid and airlock on it and place it back in a dark and, preferably, cool location. A month should be ample time for the cider to clarify. After it’s aged for as long as you can stand, bottle it as above. This cider will most definitely be “still,�?with no bubbles. Option 3: Make Sparkling Cider. Regardless of whether you decide to bottle immediately or let it clarify in a secondary fermenter, if you want “sparkling�?cider, you’ll have to add a couple steps at bottling time. First, boil 1 cup water with three-fourths cup honey or brown sugar. Pour this mixture into a sanitized bottling bucket (i.e., another fermentation bucket with a spigot at the bottom). Then, siphon your cider over from your fermentation bucket to the bottling bucket. The honey or brown sugar syrup and cider should mix together naturally, but stir slowly with a sanitized spoon if you feel it is necessary. Then, bottle as you would normally. You’ll have to let this sit a bit longer than the still cider, so the residual yeast will have time to ferment the sugar you added and carbonate the cider inside the bottle. |
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Drink the Cider! At this point, it’s time to start drinking your cider and thinking about brewing your next batch. With time and experience, your skills will grow and your recipes will become more complex. Soon, you’ll be making cider that delights your friends and terrifies your enemies. RELATED ARTICLES If you happen to be driving out in the country on a beautiful fall day, and you pass a roadside sig... If you want to try really delicious apple cider, look for fresh local cider in the fall. You can fi... Juice Of The Apple December/January 1994 SEASONS 'S CHEER Don't settle for thin, ho... GET READY FOR CINDER PRESSIN'! September/October 1976 Forty gallons of apple cider for 17¢ per gall...
Brewing Equipment One 5-gallon food-grade plastic bucket with spigot, lid and airlock 3 to 6 feet of 5/16-inch food-grade plastic tubing Stainless steel or plastic spoon Enough half-gallon glass “growler�?jugs or other bottles (including caps or corks) to store the finished cider Optional: Stainless steel or enameled pot Optional: a second 5-gallon food-grade plastic bucket with spigot, or a glass carboy
Hard Cider Ingredients 5 gallons of preservative-free, sweet apple cider, preferably unpasteurized Two packets of wine yeast (Lalvin 71B or Red Star Cote des Blancs are good choices) Optional for higher alcohol content: 2 pounds of brown sugar or honey Optional for creating a starter: one 16-ounce bottle of preservative-free, pasteurized apple juice Optional for sparkling cider: 3/4 cup honey or brown sugar
All About Hard Cider Related Books Cider, Hard and Sweet, by Ben Watson Cider: Making, Using and Enjoying Sweet and Hard Cider, by Annie Proulx and Lew Nichols The American Cider Book, by Vrest Orton Web Resources Wittenham Hill Cider Portal Northern Brewer Homebrew Forum Brews & Views Bulletin Board Service |
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Paul 10/25/2008 10:57:27 PM I've been homebrewing hard cider for quite a few years. I've tried many tricks with cysers(hard cider made with honey) and other straight hard ciders. I have followed recipes as they are written but of course the fun part is playing with different things on your own. I have added cinnamon sticks, nutmeg (in small spice bags), oak chips, raisins, dates, etc. and in all combination. My favorite combo is honey and brown sugar. I have made a very sweet cyser/cider with 5lbs of honey and 2lbs of brown sugar to 6 gallons of cider. Initially the alcohol was out of balance with a strong burning(hot feel). So today with all the talk about cider and my children and I actually going to participate in a cider pressing today, I had to break out my now two yr old cyser. It is really sweet, dessert wine status, and the alcohol burn has really diminished. Time is a huge factor!
Two things I have learned is that maple sugar does not work well and to rack off the lees as soon as possible! You would think the combination of cider and maple would be good but the maple sugar does not ferment well at all! I had to dump 6 gallons of cider. Also leaving the cider on the lees after the primary fermentation quickly imparts some off tastes.
Another trick I have done is to sweeten back the cider with an organic concentrated apple juice to give some extra body and nice apple flavor. Use organic and make sure there are no strange additives if you use a standard apple juice concentrate. I have not used it to carbonate, not sure how it would work.
The main ingredient in the recipes is to have fun! Paul 10/25/2008 9:59:43 PM I've been homebrewing hard cider for quite a few years. I've tried many tricks with cysers(hard cider made with honey) and other straight hard ciders. I have followed recipes as they are written but of course the fun part is playing with different things on your own. I have added cinnamon sticks, nutmeg (in small spice bags), oak chips, raisins, dates, etc. and in all combination. My favorite combo is honey and brown sugar. I have made a very sweet cyser/cider with 5lbs of honey and 2lbs of brown sugar to 6 gallons of cider. Initially the alcohol was out of balance with a strong burning(hot feel). So today with all the talk about cider and my children and I actually going to participate in a cider pressing today, I had to break out my now two yr old cyser. It is really sweet, dessert wine status, and the alcohol burn has really diminished. Time is a huge factor!
Two things I have learned is that maple sugar does not work well and to rack off the lees as soon as possible! You would think the combination of cider and maple would be good but the maple sugar does not ferment well at all! I had to dump 6 gallons of cider. Also leaving the cider on the lees after the primary fermentation quickly imparts some off tastes.
Another trick I have done is to sweeten back the cider with an organic concentrated apple juice to give some extra body and nice apple flavor. Use organic and make sure there are no strange additives if you use a standard apple juice concentrate. I have not used it to carbonate, not sure how it would work.
The main ingredient in the recipes is to have fun! Granny Sue 10/21/2008 7:29:07 PM We made hard cider but it was a lot different process than what you describe. Here's what we did:
We made the cider with our press. Strained it into a plastic gallon water jug. Left the lid loose and let the jug sit on the kitchen counter for 3 or 4 days. Put it in the fridge. Took it out a week or so later and tasted it. It was...interesting, but not hard. Left it out at room temp for another day. Put it back in the fridge and waited another week; tasted it again. Awesome! Fizzy, light, a little kick (but not much, I'll admit--just good).
I know it won't work every time--we will end up with vinegar sometimes too. But we've got gallons and gallons of cider and this was so easy and so good, I'm willing to gamble and not fuss over airlocks, etc. I doubt early farmers did either. (Course, they all died younger...) cog_nate 10/10/2008 1:40:00 PM Hello, amanda. Typically, the packets say that one packet is sufficient to make five gallons of yeast. But dry wine yeast is fairly cheap (typically less than $1/packet) and using two packets has a few advantages: 1) if one of the packets is no good, the other packet should be able to get the job done; 2) two packets will provide, typically, twice the number of viable yeast cells, enabling the yeast to more easily dominate any other microbes in the cider and 3) ferment the cider much more quickly. So, while you can use one packet, I recommend using two per five gallons of cider. amanda 10/9/2008 8:18:31 AM I noticed that the recipe calls for two packets of yeast. Each package is enough for 5 gallons. Is this correct?
Two packets for 5 gallons?
Thanks
Amanda Flipflopirate 9/25/2008 11:19:16 AM I would caution your readers and future cider makers to add a good deal more sugar/honey than recommended in your article. I have been brewing cider for about 5 years now and always underestimate the power of brewing yeast. At least 5 lbs of sugar/honey should be added to a 5 gallon batch and preferably a mixture of both. Don't hesitate to go a little crazy with the ingredients; try adding raisins, honey, nutmeg, molasses, brown, white, or raw cane sugar, each will give you a kaleidoscope of flavors and ultimately give your brew a personal touch. That being said, I would almost always recommend killing off the native yeasts as specific brewing yeasts will leave you with a much more crisp, clean tasting cider in the long run. Have fun, and keep brewing. gena 2/9/2008 1:09:56 PM Tried my first batch, a little..... dry. Heidi Hunt 1/22/2008 2:38:30 PM It was a pleasure to read your article on home fermentation as this
has been one of my favorite hobbies for a couple of decades. I
started home brewing while living in northeast Texas where there
are many berry growers and orchards. I would like to add a couple
of suggestions. I was glad to see that you emphasize clarification,
but when I teach beginners I like to place more emphasis on very
careful siphoning to leave the yeast in the bottom. I have come to
recognize the taste of yeast and it’s one of the most common
mistakes made by beginners who are eager to start drinking their
new wine, cider or mead. You have to sacrifice a little to get a
better beverage. I must object to your recommendation to use a
plastic bucket. I have learned that some plastics will “out-gas�?BR>chemicals that are toxic. You’ll need a degree in Chemistry to know
exactly which poly-vinyl-blah-blah-blah is safe, so it’s best to
stay away from all of them. But I only learned that recently. Early
on I learned that the fermentation process of transforming fructose
into ethanol includes chemical reactions that actually loosen
plastic molecules from inside of the container. It may be the
ethanol itself, so it’s best to use glass whenever possible. It’s
also easier to sterilize and sanitize glass, as plastic doesn’t�?BR>really stand up to extremely hot water and bleach. It’s also
common, when tasting a beginner’s first wine to taste disagreeable
“flavor�?of plastic contamination. Once it’s in there, no amount of
settling and clarifying will ever remove it. The other advantage of
using glass is that it’s easier to see the bottom of your siphon
hose and know that you’re not transferring the yeast from your
fermenter into your storage bottles. This makes the clarification
process go more quickly. I recommend to beginners that they start
by buying fruit juice in a one gallon glass bottle. Your local
wine-maker’s supplier will have a fermentation lock stopper that
fits this bot Andrew 12/1/2007 1:52:52 PM This is 3rd effort at begetting a cider I knew when in Glastonbury
England.It was sweet and heavy, at festivals we never needed a tent
just a load of jugs of cider around a large fire we would pass the
jugs and then ultimately pass out with little or no hangovers .
This latest effort is 6 galls unpastuerised Connecticut cider after
racking is now 5 galls. OG was 1.045 now at FG is 1,000 [ way too
dry ] and as hazy as a Montreal morning on a cold winters day.I
will boil some Irish Moss with some of the mother brew to clear But
how do I sweeten the batch ? Splendor ?? Honey Yumm corn sugar /
brown sugar --how much when? Sorry to whimp out on this but this
effort needs some help Cheers from a scouse Brit Dec 1st 07 Andrew matt 10/23/2007 10:48:02 PM hey thanks for all the great info. i just got my cider and yeast
and its been bubbling away for about a week now, i'm estatic to see
what i can make! cog_nate 10/11/2007 1:26:34 PM Marc- Author of the article here. Thanks for your feedback.
Regarding priming with cider, I've done it before and it works OK.
Using a quart to prime five gallons, however, is really too much.
Eight fluid ounces (twelve, tops) of heat-treated juice or cider
should be plenty to get the batch sparkling. Regarding using
unheated cider to prime and the spoilage conditions in fermented
cider, I have to disagree. Acetobacter, if given an opportunity,
will definitely establish itself in finished cider. In fact,
acetobacter prefer that environment because they ferment the
alcohol into acetic acid -- vinegar. Acetobacter also require some
oxygen to live, but even the little bit of oxygen in the headspace
of bottles is enough to get a bacterial infection going if you've
inoculated the finished cider with unsanitary priming solution. To
me, it's not worth the risk. bmathews02 10/9/2007 8:48:03 PM thank you for sharing the apple cider info. We usually have a good
apple crop in arkansas so I am going to be on the lookout for the
next roadside Cider stand so I can get started. bmathews02 10/9/2007 8:47:57 PM thank you for sharing the apple cider info. We usually have a good
apple crop in arkansas so I am going to be on the lookout for the
next roadside Cider stand so I can get started. Marc 10/2/2007 10:07:01 AM rather than carbonate with sugar, why not just use a quart of fresh
cider (ideally filtered through cheesecloth). The sugars will be
fermented the same and you'll get more "fresh apple" flavor. You
could treat that cider with the same "heat but don't boil"
approach, but after fermentation the conditions in the cider are
not really suitable for spoilage bacteria. Wild yeasts could still
be an issue. |
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| | |  | |  Homemade Hard Cider
Recipes | | The secret to making sweet or hard cider is the blending of apples at pressing time. A balanced blend of sweet and tart apples is needed. Hard or sweet, it's another great activity to enjoy at home. Unfortunately for the home cider and apple wine maker, the addition of stabilizers to fresh pressed apple cider is becoming common. This is being done to extend the products shelf life. Cider which has been treated in this way will spoil before it ferments. |  | <INPUT class=BuyButton onclick="f1('035901 Apple Crusher','219.95','51')" type=button value=BUY ;>APPLE CRUSHER $219.95
Made with heavy-duty, cast iron construction our new Vintners Best Apple Crusher includes a wooden mounting base that can be mounted horizontally on a table or vertically on a corner wall. The wood drum has stainless steel crushing blades and stainless steel chute. | <INPUT class=BuyButton onclick="f1('035900 Apple Crusher and Press with Bag','499.95','100')" type=button value=BUY ;>APPLE CRUSHER & FRUIT PRESS $499.95
This deal brings you a total package. The No. 25 Fruit Press is just the right size for pressing out 5 and 10 gallon batches of cider as well as any other fruit including grapes. Includes re-usable pressing bag. Basket is 10" x 14". |
A Note About Yeast: The type of yeast you select makes a great difference in the flavor of your cider. In the old days the cider was left to ferment on it's own. That was done out of ignorance of the true nature of bacterial fermentation. Wine yeast will produce a clean, dry flavored cider with little or no aftertaste. For a dry cider use champagne yeast or for semi sweet cider try Cote De Blanc. Cider with a more rounded flavor can be made by using brewer's yeast. |  <INPUT class=BuyButton onclick="f1('018799 WLP775 English Cider','6.95','0.75')" type=button value=BUY ;>CIDER YEAST $6.95
Classic cider yeast for 3 to 10 gallons of hard cider. Ferments dry, but retains flavor from apples. Sulfur produced during fermentation, will disappear in two weeks of aging. Attenuation: 80; Flocculation: Medium; Temperature: 68-75°F |
<INPUT class=BuyButton onclick="f1('010001 UBS Beer Bottle Refill Pack','6.95','3');" type=button value=BUY>BEER & CIDER BOTTLING PACK $6.95
UBS refill pack for bottling beer and hard cider. The package contains standard crown bottle caps and pre measured priming sugar tablets for sixty 12 oz. or thirty 22 oz. beer bottles. A bottle capper is required.
<INPUT class=BuyButton onclick="f1('010002 UBS Wine Making Refill Pack','11.95','3');" type=button value=BUY>HARD CIDER PACK $11.95
Individual bottles of acid blend, grape tannin, potassium sorbate, pectic enzyme, yeast energizer, campden tablets, and 1 each of Cote des Blanc, Montrachet, Cuvee and Champagne wine yeast. | | | | <FORM id=searchbox_008545137549939313071:cd3hqaepgpc action=http://leeners.com/SearchResults.html><INPUT class=NavButton onclick="location.href='index.html';" type=button value="HOME PAGE"> | <INPUT class=NavButton onclick="location.href='whatsnew.html';" type=button value="WHAT'S NEW"> | <INPUT class=NavButton onclick="location.href='info-aboutus.html';" type=button value="ABOUT US"> | <INPUT class=NavButton onclick="location.href='policystatement.html';" type=button value="WEB POLiCY"> | <INPUT class=NavButton onclick="location.href='feedback.html';" type=button value="CONTACT US"> | <INPUT class=NavButton onclick="location.href='shoppingcart.html';" type=button value="CHECK OUT"> | <INPUT type=hidden value=008545137549939313071:cd3hqaepgpc name=cx><INPUT type=hidden value=FORID:11 name=cof><INPUT style="BORDER-RIGHT: #7e9db9 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 2px; BORDER-TOP: #7e9db9 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 2px; BACKGROUND: url(http://www.google.com/coop/intl/en/images/google_custom_search_watermark.gif) #ffffff no-repeat left 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #7e9db9 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 2px; BORDER-BOTTOM: #7e9db9 1px solid" size=13 name=q><INPUT style="WIDTH: 14px; CURSOR: hand; COLOR: white; HEIGHT: 14px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: red" type=submit value="Submit Query" name=sa> src="http://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=searchbox_008545137549939313071%3Acd3hqaepgpc&lang=en" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT> | | | Making Hard Apple Cider
The secret to making sweet or hard cider is the blending of apples at pressing time. A balanced blend of sweet and tart apples is needed. Hard or sweet, making cider is another great activity to enjoy at home. | | Unfortunately for the home cider and apple wine maker, the addition of stabilizers to fresh pressed apple cider is becoming common. This is being done to extend the products shelf life. Cider which has been treated in this way will spoil before it ferments. | | Apple cider mills usually guard their secret recipes for blending very well. Basically you want a blend of at least two apple varieties mixed by weight at a ratio of 2:1. For sweet cider combine 2 parts sweet variety and one part tart. Reversing the mixture will make a drier cider. While the ratio remains the same, you can add more complexity and character by using more varieties of apples. Our local supplier uses 6 varieties and that's all he's saying. | | Making hard cider is very much like making wine. When fresh pressed apple cider is fermented without the addition of any sugars it will produce a dry cider with about 4.5% - 5% abv. The key to success is using fresh pressed cider that has not been treated in any way. | Cider purchased at the supermarket will almost always contain preservatives and will rot before it will ferment. State and local laws require producers to treat apples with anti-bacterial sprays prior to pressing and many require that stabilizers be added prior to sale. You must ask your supplier for wine making grade juice.
An exception to this rule is specially prepared wine base concentrates such as Vintner's Harvest Apple Wine Base. A very tasty batch of cider can be made at any time of the year using this product. The process is the same as for fresh pressed. | |
Hard Cider Equipment Kits
 <INPUT class=BuyButton onclick="f1('035910 Better Bottle Hard Cider Kit','129.95','20')" type=button value=BUY ;>5 GAL. HARD CIDER EQUIPMENT KIT $129.95
Complete equipment package for making 5 gallons of your favorite hard cider from any concentrate or fresh fruit. Primary fermenter with lid, 5 gallon Better Bottle, airlock and #10 stopper, hydrometer, siphon hose, bottling bucket with spigot, bottle filling wand, bottle cleaning brush, sanitizer, carbination drops, bottle caps and capper. You also receive our Cider, Beer and Mead Additive Pack which contains all the additives listed in our recipe including the yeast.
 <INPUT class=BuyButton onclick="f1('010005 UBS Universal Brewing System','89.95','12');" type=button value=BUY>UBS 3 GAL. CIDER EQUIPMENT KIT $89.95
This system can make it all! The Universal Brewing System can produce a variety of fermented beverages by combining the common equipment needed along with the unique items specific to each recipe. The 3 Gallon UBS uses techniques and recipes developed over hundreds of years to produce 5 six-packs of homemade cider, beer, mead, or wine. An extensive instruction booklet is included providing recipes utilizing fresh ingredients available at any farmer's market and most supermarkets. Instructions and recipes for the large variety of beer and wine making ingredients available from Leeners.com are also included. You will find the convenience of these quality products, combined with their year-round availability, will make your new hobby enjoyable and rewarding. | 4¼ gal. Pail with Lid 3 Gallon Better Bottle Econo Lock Air Lock #10 Drilled Stopper Curved Racking Cane 4 ft. Siphon Hose Jumbo Straining Bag Bucket Clip Shut Off Clamp | Bottle Filling Wand 8 oz. Sanitizer Plunger Corker 1st Quality Corks Bottle Capper 60 Carbonation Drops 60 Crown Bottle Caps 2 oz. Acid Blend 1 oz. Grape Tannin | 1 oz. Potassium Sorbate 1 oz. Pectic Enzyme 1 oz. Yeast Energizer 1 oz. Campden Tablets 1 pk. Cote des Blanc Yeast 1 pk. Montrachet Yeast 1 pk. Cuvee Wine Yeast 1 pk. Champagne Yeast Recipes and Instructions | |
<INPUT class=BuyButton onclick="f1('023201 Vintners Harvest Apple 96 oz.','39.95','15')" type=button value=BUY ;>VINTNER'S HARVEST APPLE WINE BASE 96 oz. $39.95
Unfortunately for the hard cider and apple winemaker, the addition of stabilizers to fresh pressed apple cider is becoming common. Vintner's Harvest Apple Wine Base, made from choice Northwest apple varieties, maximizes flavor, aroma and tartness. Used in conjunction with the UBS 3 GALLON EQUIPMENT KIT, hard cider is as easy to make as it is to drink! Recipes for 3 or 5 gallon apple wine are also included. | | The Hard Cider Making Process
3 Gallon Hard Cider Must 3 gallons Fresh Apple Cider
or one 96 oz. Apple Wine Base 3 Campden Tablets 1 teaspoon Pectic Enzyme 1 teaspoon Yeast Nutrient 1 teaspoon Acid Blend 1 packet Yeast* | 5 Gallon Hard Cider Must 5 gallons Fresh Apple Cider
or two 96 oz. Apple Wine Base 5 Campden Tablets 1½ teaspoon Pectic Enzyme 1½ teaspoon Yeast Nutrient 1½ teaspoon Acid Blend 1 packet Yeast*
| *Champagne yeast for dry cider, Cote de Blanc or beer yeast for semi-dry
You may also consider White Labs English Cider Yeast in the at left | | Crush Campden tablets (to suppress bacteria or wild yeast), and dissolve them in 1 cup of cool water. Stir in pectic enzyme to prevent haze in the finished cider, yeast nutrient to provide for complete fermentation and acid blend for balance. Add the solution to the primary fermenting pail. | | Now pour in fresh pressed apple cider or Vintner's Harvest Apple Wine Base and enough water to make 3 or 5 gallons. Stir thoroughly, cover the pail with the lid and let the juice rest overnight at room temperature. | Primary Fermentation
Open the primary fermenter and sprinkle in one packet of wine or brewer's yeast. Place the lid securely on the pail and attach the air lock. Fermentation will start in about 12 hours. You will notice that the air lock will bubble vigorously at first. This will subside as time passes. Allow the beer to ferment in the pail for seven to ten days. A rule of thumb is that when there is less than one bubble per minute the primary fermentation is complete. You should still wait at least 7 days before racking. | Secondary Fermentation
Place the primary fermenter on a counter or tabletop 24 hours prior to the next step. This will allow the sediment to settle to the bottom of the pail.
Clean and sanitize a Better Bottle or glass carboy along with your siphon equipment. Siphon the cider into the secondary fermenter. Attach the air lock and allow the cider to rest for 14 days at around 70°F. | Taking a Taste Test
After 14 days you can taste your cider and adjust it if needed. If it tastes a little bland you can add ¼ teaspoon of acid blend to taste. If it is lacking in apple flavor but the tartness is correct, add our apple flavor enhancer. If it is too tart, add frozen apple juice concentrate (preservative free) to taste. To make an addition you must first clean and sanitize your primary fermenter and siphon the cider into it. As the cider is transferring, gently stir in your adjusting ingredient. When the racking is complete, clean and sanitize the Better Bottle, then rack the cider back into it. Seal it up with the stopper and air lock and let it rest for another 7 to 14 days. | Bottling Hard Cider
Hard cider is best bottled in standard beer bottles using regular crown caps. You can make the cider still or sparkling by adding carbonation drops the same way as is done with beer. Bottles and caps must be cleaned and sanitized just prior to filling. | |
copyright 2007 J.R.Leverentz |
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