DIY Hard Cider

Cider Batch #4 and #5

 

 These are my fourth and fifth attempts at homemade hard cider, after which I think I have the process pretty firmly planted in my noggin. The idea that these batches may produce sweet, tart, clear apple-flavored elixir excites me. That and the fact that they are made from my parents own organic apple trees, fresh pressed mere days before I started these batches fermenting in single-gallon jugs.

 

Here's the process:

1. Pasteurize the Cider 

Pour the cider into a stockpot and heat to 180 F. Keep at this temperature for about 15 minutes. Do not let it come to a boil, as boiling may prevent sediment from sinking, resulting in permanently cloudy cider. Remove cider from the heat and allow to cool to 105 F. Cooling time took about 30 minutes for me.

 

2. Sterilize the equipment.

You'll need a 1-gallon jug (I used an old wine jug), a rubber stopper, airlock, and a funnel. Sterilize the smaller items in boiling water.

 

It may be easiest to sterilize the gallon jug in the oven: place in cold oven, turn oven to 220 F, when preheated allow to cook for 10 minutes, then shut off the heat and leave jug in the oven until needed.  

 



 

3. Start the yeast

Pictured is the wine yeast I'm using for these batches. I bought a bunch of packets from an online brewing supply store for about 75c each. For a gallon batch, you only need 1/2 a packet.

 

In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine your 1/2 packet of yeast with some warm water (I did about 1/4 cup) and some sugar (I did about 1 T.)

Note on yeast: yeast will not thrive if the water is too cold and it will be killed if the water is too hot. If you have a tendency to kill yeast, start by putting water in your bowl and using a thermometer to gauge the temperature before proceeding. Aim for about 105 F.

4. Combine All the Things

Place a sterilized funnel on the mouth of the sterilized jug. Pour the yeast starter in first. Then pour the sterilized and cooled cider (about 105 F ideally) in next. The pouring action mixes the yeast in pretty well. Pour cider to within an inch or two of the jug's mouth. If you don't have enough cider to get that close, add some water.

Then put on the rubber stopper, place the airlock in the stopper, and pour vodka into the airlock to keep anything from contaminating the cider.

 

 

5. Wait
Place the whole thing in a dark, warm place (average room temperature - 75 F - is ideal). Let those yeasts nom on that sugar for about 2 weeks. If you check on it during this time, you may notice tiny champagne-size-bubbles rising in the cider. You'll see the gas build up (yeast farts) escaping the airlock in occasional bubbles, too. =)

6. Rack the CiderAfter two weeks, you're ready to "rack" the cider, which means removing the layer of sediment that forms at the bottom of the jug (the dregs). This makes for a clearer cider. You can choose to rack just once, or several times. The more you rack the cider, the clearer product you will have.

The siphon: the best way to remove the cider from the sediment without disturbing the sediment is a siphon with a tube. I got a small hand-pump siphon from an online brewer supply site for about $10 and a tube of the same diameter for about $2. It's cheap and works great.
 

photo of siphon from grapestoglass.com

To rack: Place your siphon in the cider, leaving a few inches between it and the bottom of the jug so you don't disturb the sediment. Siphon the cider into another container - a sterilized mixing bowl or stock pot works well.

 

Stop siphoning when there is about 1-2 inches of cider left in the jug. This remaining cider and dregs get dumped. Rinse the jug well to remove any sediment that is stuck.

Then siphon the cider from your bowl or pot back into the jug. Add room temperature water until the cider level is about 1-2 inches from the jug's mouth. Then put the stopper and airlock back in place.

 

This is a good time to clean the airlock - dump out the old vodka (and any fruit flies that drowned trying to access the cider), rinse it out, and replace the vodka.

7. Wait (again)Now that you've racked your cider, it's time to wait some more. This lets any remaining active yeast continue working, dying, and becoming sediment. Wait about one week before racking again, and repeat as much as you want - depending on your level of patience and how clear you want that cider to be.

8. Bottle (or drink)I've bottled cider in glass beer bottles before, which involves purchasing caps and a capper tool. You can save all those bottles from store-bought beer and cider to use for this.

The last time I made cider, I just sterilized some big old wine bottles, siphoned the cider into them (leaving the dregs behind), and crammed some old wine corks into the mouth. Store in a cool, dark place.

 

Or...instead of bottling, have some friends over to sample your home batch of cider.