Hard cider

[Mad Trapper]

I started a batch Wednesday. Pictures aren't great, used my dumb phone.

Hard Cider 2021

Equipment/Ingredients

5-gal glass carboy w/wooden holder

Detachable handle for carboy (they are heavy when full)

Air lock

before cleaning:


Brush to scrub inside of carboy, brush is ~ 3 feet long

Siphon fixture and food grade tubing (to siphon of finished brew without disturbing lees)



Large pan and ladle to mix cider/sugar/ yeast energizer and nutrient in. Smaller pan to transfer mix to carboy, Tsp/Tbls to measure with

Large funnel (to fill carboy)

Canning jar with cap (to get yeast started in)

Airtight containers to store the finished cider in. Resealable alcoholic beverage bottles (ceramic bail cap w/rubber gasket, or ½ gal glass “beer growlers) work well. It can also be bottled like beer.

Detergent and bleach

4-gal fresh cider w/o preservatives

Yeast energizer (yeast extract, B vitamins, urea, diammonium phosphate)

Yeast nutrient (urea, diammonium phosphate)



Champagne/alcohol tolerant brewers yeast (Red Star Champagne, Levitan EC-1118).



8 lbs of sugar 2lbs/gal . Brown sugar adds flavor.

Spices (optional): mulling spice, cinnamon sticks, allspice, cloves,……...

Procedure

Clean everything with warm soapy bleach, twice if dirty, and rinse well with clean water, drain.

The bulk of the cider can be allowed to warm to room temperature overnight, otherwise fermentation will be slow to start.

In a small pan warm a portion of the cider to ~ 100 oF. Transfer to a canning jar. Add small amounts of yeast nutrient/booster/sugar and a packet of yeast (or ½ packet just takes longer to start), stir in. Put the lid on and store in a warm place. Within several hours/overnight fermentation should start as evidenced by bubbles and pressure in jar, release the cap to relieve pressure.

Once the yeast has started prepare the cider. 1-gal at a time, dissolve in 2-lb sugar, ½ tsp yeast nutrient and 1 tsp yeast energizer, then add ~1/4 portion of the started yeast mixture; mix well. Using a funnel and small pan transfer the mixture to the carboy. I added a crushed cinnamon stick, a few allspice, and a few whole cloves for flavor. Do the transfer in the sink as spills of sugary cider makes a mess. This mix should turn out 18-20% alcohol content cider.

When all of the cider has been transferred wipe down/rinse the exterior of the carboy and the wipe mouth at the top. Install the sterilized airlock filled to the proper level with boiled water. Place in a warm dark place (60-75 oF is ideal). Noticeable fermentaion should start within 1 day by evolution of CO2 bubbles and bubbling through the air lock. When bubbling has stopped (1-3 weeks), either the sugar in the mixture has been consumed, or the yeast is drunk. Allow cloudy mixture to settle/clear. This may take weeks to months to obtain very clear cider. Cloudy cider can be bottled/drank, but the sediment will then settle in the bottles, which can then be allowed to settle.

Yeasty cider can also give you the scutters if your system isn't used to it.

Will get some pictures of the batch working, then pick this thread back up in a few weeks. I hope it's ready for Thanksgiving!

I'll be starting batch #2 soon. If I have my Nikon I'll add some pictures

[BucketBack]

Well Water, this is an informational post.

[Mad Trapper]

I'm getting ~ 2 bubbles/second from air lock. It's working good!!!

[hawgrider]

Bubbling crude... soon to be very yummy!

[Sasquatch]

I buy my cider from Dickens.

[bigwheel]

Looking good. I recently moved a batch of apple Cowboy Wine (Chalk to some) over to secondary ferment in plastic 1.75 liter vodka bottles week or so ago. Tasting purty good. I make it like this.

5 lbs or so pulverized in the food processor apples and a box of raisins stuffed into a ladies stocking.
Place in 10 gallon bucket and add 10 lbs sugar, 8 gallons water and half a pack of champagne yeast.
Mix it up good and squeeze stocking each day for two weeks. Then give if final squeeze and throw it away. Put the lid on the bucket and tape up the seam with duct tape. Let it settle for two weeks..then siphon into whatever your going to use for the secondary ferment. I use the vodka bottles because the lady across the street drinks a lot and get her empties from the recycle bin. A person can use any kind fruit on this if they dont like apples. I been sipping on it. Highly carbonated and getting less sweet. I burp the bottles at least once a day to relieve the pressure. Works well with ho made Ginger Champaign as a mixer. Should hit close to 20% when it exhausts all the sugar or the ABV kills the yeast..whichever comes first. lol. Pretty sure thats what happened on the last batch. It was not sweet at all. Due to fast hot weather ferment I think and the yeast could not be revived with added sugar and or fresh yeast. I likes it a little bubbly.

[MountainGirl]

Bump -
(thanks MT!)

[1skrewsloose]

How the hell did I miss this thread??!!