HOW TO MAKE HARD CIDER
INS TRUCTIONS
Mak e a S t art e r
Th e d a y b efor e you b r ew you r cid er , m a k e a s t a r t er . To m a k e a s t a r t er , op en a h a lfga llon b ot tle of r oom -tem p er a t u r e a p p le ju ice a n d p ou r ou t a few ou n ces . Pou r t h e
con t en t s of on e yea s t p a ck et in t o th e b ot t le, r es ea l it a n d s h a k e for a few s econ d s .
Wit h in five or s ix h ou rs , you s h ou ld s ee a b it of b u b b lin g wit h in t h e b ot t le. On ce you
d o, r elea s e th e p r es s u re with in t h e b ot tle, r es ea l it a n d p u t it in t h e r efr iger a t or
over n igh t . Get it ou t a cou p le of h ou r s b efor e you s t a r t t h e n ext m or n in g.
Fe rm e n t at io n S t age (1 5 d a ys )
1 . S a n itize a ll equ ip m en t, u s in g Pr ofes s ion a l Br ewer ’s Wa s h
2 . Pou r t h e s t a r t er with yea s t in to t h e s a n it ized fer m en t a t ion b u ck et a n d a d d t h e
r em a in in g cid er (~ 5 ga llon s ). S t ir t h e m ixtu re with s p oon t o a er a t e
3 . For a 6 ga llon b a t ch , a d d 3 t s p yea s t n u t r ien t s (½ ts p p er ga llon ) a n d 1 ½ t s p
p ect ic en zym e (¼ t s p p er ga llon ).
4 . S ea l t h e lid a n d a ffix th e a ir lock & fill a ir lock w/ wa t er
5 . Pla ce t h e b u ck et in a r oom or clos et wh er e t h e t em p er a t u r e is 6 5 t o 7 5 d egr ees
Let it Fer m en t . Wit h in a d a y or t wo you s h ou ld s ee t h e a irlock s t a r t t o b u b b le. Th is
b u b b lin g s h ou ld s u b s id e (in t er va l b et ween b u b b les exceed s 2 m in u t es ) wit h in two
week s , s ign ifyin g a n en d t o t h e p r im a r y fer m en t a t ion . It is n ow t im e t o t r a n s fer (k n own
a s r a ck or r a ck in g) th e cid er t o a s econ d a r y fer m en t a t ion ves s el, t yp ica lly a 5 ga llon
gla s s ca r b oy wh er e it will s it for 3 -4 week s to cla r ify & a ge. If p os s ib le, it ’s b es t t o “cold
cr a s h ” t h e cid er over n igh t , t o ca u s e th e yea s t t o fa ll ou t of s u s p en s ion a n d ga th er a t
t h e b ot t om of t h e fer m en t a t ion b u ck et . Cold cr a s h in g is wh en you r efr iger a t e t h e
fer m en t a t ion b u ck et . If t h is ca n ’t fit in you r r efr iger a t or , you ca n a ls o ju s t p u t t h e
b u ck et ou t s id e over n igh t , a s s u m in g it will b e cool (b et ween 3 2 -6 0 d egr ees ) d u rin g t h e
n igh t .
Clarific at io n S t age (3 -4 week s )
1 . S a n itize a ll equ ip m en t, u s in g Pr ofes s ion a l Br ewer ’s Wa s h
2 . Us e a n a u to-s ip h on to s ip h on th e cid er fr om t h e fer m en t a tion b u ck et , in to t h e 5
ga llon gla s s ca r b oy. Be ca r efu l t o lim it t h e a m ou n t of yea s t / lees you t r a n s fer b y
k eep in g th e a u to-s ip h on ju s t s ligh t ly a b ove t h e a ccu m u la t ion of yea s t a t t h e
b ot tom of t h e b u ck et .
3 . S ea l wit h a s a n it ized s t op p er & a irlock , p la ce it b a ck in a d a r k a n d cool loca tion
4 . Let it a ge & cla r ify for 3 -4 week s
At t h e en d of t h e cla r ifica t ion s t a ge, it is t im e t o eith er b ot tle or k eg you r b a t ch .
HOW TO MAKE HARD CIDER
Bo t t lin g (~ 4 -6 week s )
If you wa n t t o b ot t le, t h er e a r e s om e d ecis ion s t o b e m a d e. Cid er ca n b e en joyed s till
(u n -ca r b on a t ed ) or ca rb on a ted . If you wa n t you r cid er t o b e u n -ca r b on a ted , b ot tlin g is
ea s y. Mos t lik ely, t h e fer m en t a t ion p roces s h a s c a u s ed th e yea s t t o con s u m e a ll
a va ila b le s u ga r s in th e cid er , s o yea s t will go d or m a n t a n d even tu a lly d ie off. As lon g
a s n o s u ga r s a r e p r es en t , you ca n b ot t le im m ed ia t ely, b u t s h ou ld b e a wa r e t h a t you r
cid er will b e d r y t o th e t a s t e a n d u n s weet en ed (lik e a d r y wh it e win e). If you wis h t o
ca r b on a t e th e cid er in t h e b ot t le (ca lled b ot tle con d ition in g), you ’ll n eed to a d d s om e
s u ga r t o th e cid er a t b ot t lin g t im e, wh ich t h e yea s t will th en con s u m e over t h e n ext 4 6 week s . Th e b y-p r od u ct of yea s ts ’ con s u m p tion of s u ga r is Co2 , wh ich is th en
t r a p p ed in t h e clos ed b ot tle. Th is ca u s es th e ca r b on a t ion of t h e cid er . S t ep 3 b elow
s p ea k s to h ow m u ch s u ga r t o a d d t o d o t h is (d o n ot over a d d s u ga r a s t h is ca n ca u s e
b ot tles to exp lod e u n exp ect ed ly).
Wh ile t h is p r ovid es t h e ca r b on a tion d es ir ed , it will s till lik ely lea ve you r cid er d r y to
t h e t a s t e, a s a ll or m os t of t h is a d d ed s u ga r will b e con s u m ed b y th e a ct ive yea s t s
r em a in in g in t h e b ot tle (n ot e, t h is p r oces s will s ligh t ly in cr ea s e t h e a lcoh ol con t en t a s
well). Th e on ly wa y t o r elia b ly s weeten b ot t les with ou t r is k in g exp lod in g b ot tles is to
u s e a r t ificia l s weet en er s , s u ch a s : s t evia , t r u via , et c. Wh ile t h is work s , t h is m a y cr ea t e
u n d es ir ed t a s t es . If you a r e goin g to d o th is m et h od , I wou ld s u gges t you d o s om e
googlin g to d et er m in e wh a t you feel is th e b es t a p p r oa ch , b a s ed on wh a t you a r e t r yin g
t o a ch ieve.
Her e’s t h e p r oces s for b ot tlin g:
1 . S a n itize a ll equ ip m en t a n d b ot t les , u s in g Pr ofes s ion a l Br ewer ’s Wa s h
2 . S ip h on you r cid er over fr om you r ca r b oy to th e b ott lin g b u ck et .
3 . Pou r ¾ of a ca n t h a wed a p p le ju ice con cen t ra t e in to b u ck et or .8 cu p s cor n
s u ga r (p er 5 ga llon b a tch ) for ca r b on a t ion p u r p os es
4 . S t ir s lowly with a s a n it ized s p oon to m ix th or ou gh ly
5 . S weet en t o t a s te u s in g S t evia . Dis s olve 1 cu p in t o 1 cu p wa ter , t h en a d d t o
t a s t e.
6 . Bot tle a n d ca p it a n d let it s it for 4 + week s a t r oom t em p er a t u r e to a llow for
ca r b on a tion .
Ke ggin g (~1 week )
Th e a lt ern a t ive t o b ot tlin g is t o u s e k egs wh er e you will for ce ca r b on a t e t h e cid e r ,
u s in g a Co2 t a n k a n d you ca n t h en eit h er s er ve d ir ectly fr om t h e k eg or you ca n b ot tle
fr om t h e k eg. Us in g t h is m et h od , a s s u m in g you a lwa ys k eep t h e cid er r efr iger a t ed
(u n d er 4 0 d egr ees ), a n y s u ga r a d d ed (eit h er cor n s u ga r or r egu la r fr es h a p p le ju ice)
will n ot b e con s u m ed b y t h e yea s t , a s t h ey will r em a in in a d or m a n t s t a t e wh en
HOW TO MAKE HARD CIDER
r efr iger a t ed . Th is is m y p r efer r ed m et h od , a s you get a wa y fr om a r t ificia l s weet en er s
a n d ca n con t r ol t h e ca r b on a t ion level of you r cid er m u ch b et t er .
To k eg, d o t h e followin g…a n d you s h ou ld a ls o r eview t h e lin k a t t h e b ot tom of t h is
s ection t o get a t h orou gh u n d er s t a n d in g:
1 . S a n itize a ll equ ip m en t (in cl k eg), u s in g Pr ofes s ion a l Br ewer ’s Wa s h
2 . S ip h on cid er in to b ot t lin g b u ck et
3 . Ba ck -s weeten with eith er fr es h a p p le ju ice, fr ozen a p p le ju ice con cen t r a t e or
cor n s u ga r t o in cr ea s e t h e level of s weet n es s t o you r d es ir ed level. A h yd r om eter
ca n b e u s ed t o t a r get a s p ecific level of s weet n es s . I p r efer s om ewh er e b et ween
1 .0 0 8 t o 1 .0 1 2 , d ep en d in g on th e t yp e of cid er I a m m a k in g .
4 . On ce d es ir ed gr a vit y is a ch ieved , s ip h on t h e cid er in t o th e s a n itized cor n y k eg
(b a ll lock s t yle)
5 . S ea t t h e lid p r op er ly b efor e t h e b a il is clos ed . To d o t h is , t u r n t h e Co2 on , a n d
s et it to 1 0 -1 2 PS I. Pu t t h e Ga s -In Qu ick Dis con n ect on t o th e Ga s -In Bod y
Con n ect of t h e k eg wh ile s im u lt a n eou s ly p u llin g u p on t h e b a il of th e k eg lid .
Th e lid m igh t m ove a s econ d or s o b efor e fin d in g th e s ea l, b u t it s h ou ld s it
cor r ectly r ela tively fa s t.
6 . On ce t h e lid is s ea led a n d h eld u p b y th e ga s , s et t h e b a il of t h e lid .
7 . To p u r ge oxygen ou t of t h e a ir s p a ce in t h e k eg, p u ll u p on th e p r es s u r e r elief
va lve wh ile th e ga s is h ook ed u p . Per for m t h is p u r gin g ~ 3 t im es
8 . Ch ill t h e k eg with t h e Co2 con n ected for ~ 4 -5 d a ys b et ween 3 5 -3 8 d egr ees with
you r Co2 r egu la tor s et for 1 2 -1 4 PS I.
9 . Ta s t e t es t for ca r b on a tion a ft er 5 d a ys .
1 0 . At t h is p oin t , if you wis h , you ca n b ot tle d ir ect ly fr om t h e k eg u s in g a s t a n d a r d
p icn ic t a p , a s lon g a s you k eep th e b ot t les r efr iger a t ed u n t il u s ed .
Keggin g r efer en ce d ocu m en t :
(h t t p :/ / www.m or eb eer .com / t h em es / m or ewin ep r o/ k eggin g.p d f)