GET READY TO GO HARD CORE WITH A DRINK THAT’S
AS BAD-ASS AND REVOLUTIONARY AS YOU ARE
START
HERE
HERE’S HOW TO GET STARTED.
CHECK OUT YOUR EQUIPMENT.
There are many pieces of equipment included in this
kit; some you’ll use all the time and others you’ll use
occasionally. Take a look at this sheet for your kit inventory
and make sure you received everything listed.
REVIEW INSTRUCTIONS.
SOME USEFUL TIPS ON CIDERMAKING:
CLEAN & SANITIZE EVERYTHING!
Be sure to clean and sanitize everything thoroughly to ensure
your equipment, and thus cider, is free from any wild bacteria,
yeast or other organisms that can infect your cider.
KEEP TEMPERATURE STABLE
Review the recipe and starter kit instructions. Keep them
handy for a reference on cidermaking day.
Keep you cider in a temperature-stable area throughout
the fermentation process. Fluctuating temperatures can be
stressful to the fermenting cider.
PLAN YOUR CIDERMAKING DAY.
EASY DOES IT
For your first batch of cider, set aside about one hour.
Make sure you’ve taken care of any necessary equipment
assembly before you begin. Follow the instructions on the
back side of this sheet for assembling your equipment.
Be gentle when siphoning and bottling—exposure to oxygen
can stale the cider.
ONCE YOU’VE CRAFTED YOUR FIRST BATCH AND FALL IN LOVE WITH CIDERMAKING,
you’ll want to add some equipment to save time and produce better and better cider. Test for
critical fermentation statistics and master the process with the Hard Core Pomologist upgrade kit.
We want your first cidermaking experience to go as smoothly as possible. If you have any questions
along the way, please give us a call at: 1.800.681.BREW, 9AM-6PM CST, ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.
CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR NEW RECIPES!
Popularized by the true patriots who built our nation. Prized by those
who still live free, fierce and true. Taste the true branch-to-bottle
experience of historic, handcrafted hard cider in every sip.
Go on...seize your cider.
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YOUR STARTER KIT CONTAINS
FERMENTING EQUIPMENT
SIPHONING EQUIPMENT
1. Crooked Apple™ Cider Recipe Kit
2. Little Big Mouth Bubbler® (Primary
Fermentor)
3. Drilled Rubber Stopper
4. One Gallon Glass Jug (Secondary
Fermentor)
5. Drilled Screw Cap
6. Airlocks (x2)
7. Fermometer Adhesive Temperature Strips
(x2) (Not Shown)
8. Plastic Mash Paddle
9. Mini Auto Siphon
10.3/8” Siphon Tubing
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BOTTLING EQUIPMENT
11. Bottle Filler
12.Bottle Capper
13.Gold Crown Caps
CLEANING & SANITIZING EQUIPMENT
14.Oxygen Wash Cleaner
15.Sodium Metabisulfite Sanitizer
IN ADDITION TO THE KIT, YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
EMPTY BEER BOTTLES
One dozen pry-off beer bottles. You won’t need these until Bottling Day, a couple weeks after
Cidermaking Day. A few things to note about the bottles: you can reuse commercial pry-off bottles, but
twist-offs won’t work. They need to be clean—no cigarette butts, peeled labels, mold, or other nasty
floaties in your cider!
ASSEMBLY
MARK YOUR PRIMARY FERMENTOR
We recommend marking your primary fermentor with a one gallon line
before starting your cider.
• Fill the secondary fermentor (one gallon glass jug) to the one
gallon mark with water and pour into the Little Big Mouth Bubbler®
primary fermentor.
• Draw a line with a permanent marker or use a thin strip of
electrical tape to indicate the fill line for one gallon of liquid in
your Big Mouth Bubbler®.
FERMOMETER TEMPERATURE STRIP
Attach one Fermometer (Adhesive Temperature Strip) to each fermentor
to monitor temperature. Placing it horizontally, well below the one gallon
line, will give the most consistent temperature reading.
AUTO-SIPHON ASSEMBLY
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Slide one end of the 3/8” siphon tubing over the hooked end of the
Auto-Siphon’s inner tube.
Make sure the smaller, inner tube is inserted into the outer tube of
the Auto-Siphon.
BOTTLE FILLER ASSEMBLY (ON BOTTLING DAY)
The Auto Siphon and 3/8” tubing will need to be connected for siphoning
and bottling. Bottling will be done with the Auto-Siphon assembly and
the included bottle filler
• Slide the bottle filler into the free end of the 3/8” tubing to join the
Auto-Siphon assembly to the bottle filler
HARD APPLE CIDER KIT
~GRIMHILDE~
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Pick your poison with this sparkling, smooth classic cider. A tempting refreshment, Grimhilde™ delivers iconic
apple character with the divine allure of a boozy twist. Crisp, fruity, and dangerously easy to make!
Before You Begin
PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE STARTING.
Cleaning & Sanitizing are the most important steps in cidermaking. If your equipment is not
completely clean, your fermentation can be infected by wild yeast or bacteria, adding unwanted
off-flavors to your cider.
CLEAN
• Dissolve one tablespoon of Oxygen Wash
powder in one gallon of cool water.
• Dip or spray your equipment with the
cleanser and gently rub with a soft cloth
until all visible dirt and residue has been
removed.
• Rinse equipment thoroughly with hot
water and set on a clean surface.
SANITIZE
• Dissolve 3 tablespoons of metabisulphite
powder in one gallon of cool water.
• Dip or spray your equipment with this
solution and rinse thoroughly.
• Leftover solution can be stored in a tightly
sealed container for up to two months.
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1.
EQUIPMENT: LITTLE BIG MOUTH BUBBLER®, LID, BUNG, AIRLOCK AND SPOON.
1. Add two cups of very hot tap water to the Little Big Mouth Bubbler.
2. Stir the hot water and slowly sprinkle the contents of the Bentonite package into it.
Stir thoroughly to dissolve.
3. Carefully pour the contents of the juice bag into the primary fermentor.
4. Add two cups of warm water to the juice bag. Rinse the remaining juice out of the bag and
add it to the fermentor.
5. Top up the fermentor to the one gallon mark with lukewarm water and stir vigorously
for 30 seconds.
6. Check the temperature of the juice. It must be between 72°F and 77°F. If it’s not in this range,
cover the fermentor and move it into a suitable environment for one to two hours until it is.
7. Open your package of yeast and sprinkle contents onto the surface of the juice.
Do not stir it in.
8. Place lid on fermentor. Seal fermentor with airlock & bung and move to a dark, quiet area
with a temperature of 72°-77°F for 7-14 days. Remember to fill the airlock halfway with water.
9. Fermentation ends. After one to two weeks fermentation will end—the exact timing
depends a lot on temperature and biochemistry that we won’t worry about right now.
Don’t be alarmed if it takes a few less or a few more days—making cider is an art as
well as a science, and your cider will be fine.
Apple Juice Concentrate
1 Packet Dry Yeast
Bentonite (add on day one)
Liquigel Fining Agent
Siligel Fining Agent
Sweetener Pack
Fizz Drops
YOU PROVIDE:
Crooked Apple™ Hard Cider Starter Kit
One Dozen Standard 12-oz Beer Bottles
(You will not need these until bottling day)
TIPS & TRICKS
Primary Fermentation
DATE:
YOUR CIDER RECIPE KIT INCLUDES:
Use good quality drinking water to make your
cider. If you’re unsure of your water quality,
use bottled.
2. The starting temperature of the cider is critical.
If the yeast is added to a kit that is too cold, it
will not ferment or clear on schedule. Doublecheck to ensure the juice temperature is
between 72°F and 77°F before adding the yeast.
3. To get the best quality cider, don’t splash or
aerate cider when racking/transferring, and don’t
transfer any sediment at the bottling stage.
4. Since we are using a wine yeast, fermenting
at a warmer temperature will encourage fuller
flavors and rapid fermentation.
Secondary Fermentation
When the supply of fermentable sugars is depleted, the yeast cells begin to go
dormant and sink to the bottom of the fermentor. Bubbles come through the
airlock very infrequently or stop entirely, and the cap of foam starts to subside
or disappears.
DATE:
EQUIPMENT: MINI AUTO-SIPHON & TUBING, ONE GALLON
JUG, SCREW TOP AND AIRLOCK.
1. Carefully remove the bung, airlock and lid from the primary fermentor.
2. Place your secondary fermentor directly below the primary and siphon
the cider into it. Leave the thickest sediment behind, but be sure to
transfer all of the liquid.
3. Hold Liquigel packet pointing up and carefully cut open the tip. Add
contents to the fermentor. Stir gently but thoroughly to mix it in.
4. Hold Siligel packet pointing up and carefully cut open the tip. Add contents to the fermentor. Stir gently but thoroughly to mix it in.
5. Seal fermentor with screw top and airlock, and put in fermentation area for
12 days to finish clearing. Remember to fill the airlock halfway with water.
Bottling
There’s a lot going on during bottling day—a second set of hands is a big
help … and can usually be paid in cider!
3. Add one fizz drop to each 12 oz. bottle for sparkling cider. If you
prefer still (uncarbonated) cider, do not add fizz drops at this stage.
DATE:
EQUIPMENT: SPOON, LITTLE BIG MOUTH BUBBLER®, MINI
AUTO-SIPHON & HOSE, BOTTLE FILLER, BOTTLE CAPPER &
CAPS, AND ONE DOZEN CLEAN 12 OZ. PRY-OFF BEER BOTTLES.
1. Siphon your cider from the gallon jug into the Little Big Mouth
Bubbler® fermentor, leaving the sediment behind. Move the Little
Big Mouth Bubbler® to a table or countertop.
2. Sweetening (Optional). This is the opportunity to customize your
cider to personal taste.
DRY: If you want to make a completely dry cider, skip this stage and
move on to bottling. Your cider will be tart and crisp.
SEMI-SWEET to BALANCED: If you prefer a slightly less dry cider,
use half the sweetening pack.
SWEET: If you want a cider with perceptible sweetness and a more
pronounced “appley” character, add the entire contents of the
sweetener pack.
4. Start the siphon and fill the bottles. Remove the lid from the Little
Big Mouth Bubbler® and place the auto-siphon into the cider.
While holding down the bottle filler to keep the valve open, have
your helper pull up, then push down on the siphon piston to begin
the flow of cider. Allow the cider to fill the bottle, and just lift up
on the filler to stop the flow. Fill until the liquid level is at the lip
of the bottle. When you remove the filler, the perfect amount of
headspace will remain.
5. Cap the bottles. Put a sanitized bottlecap on a filled bottle. Center
the bell of your bottle capper on the cap, push down on the levers,
then release. The cap should be crimped tightly.
6. Repeat Steps 2-4 about ten times … now is when a helper really
earns his or her keep!
7. Store bottles in a dark space between 72°F and 77°F for one to
two weeks to carbonate. Tip: Fill a PET bottle with cider & add a
fizz drop. When the bottle is inflated and can’t be depressed when
pushed on, your cider is carbonated and ready to drink!
DO NOT SWEETEN YOUR CIDER WITH ANY FERMENTABLE
SUGARS—DEXTROSE, HONEY, TABLE SUGAR OR OTHER.
These sugars will be fermented by active yeast, cause
over-carbonation in bottling and may lead to bursting bottles.
Only use the sweetening pack.
Conditioning & Enjoying
What’s happening: Residual yeast will consume the small dose of sugar and
convert it to just enough CO2 to add some fizz. Because we’re using natural
carbonation, the exact timing of this step can vary; 7 to 14 days is a safe bet for
complete carbonation, but don’t be dismayed if it takes a little less or more time.
DATE:
YOU WILL NEED: A LITTLE MORE PATIENCE, YOUR FAVORITE
CIDER DRINKING GLASS, APPRECIATIVE FRIENDS
1.
Test a bottle at one week—did it hiss when you opened it? If not,
wait a week and try again. Once the cider is carbonated, the bottles
can be stored cold and upright.
2. Imbibe! As if we really need to tell you how to do this! Assemble
your tasting panel, clean your favorite cider glass, and crack open
a bottle of fresh, handcrafted hard apple cider.
Tip: The fermentation we used to naturally carbonate the cider will leave
a thin layer of yeast at the bottom of the bottle—leave this behind when
you pour for maximum clarity … or pour it in your glass for an extra dose
of vitamin B12! Admire the appearance, savor the aroma, discuss with
your friends, and then enjoy a sip ... cidermaker!