How to Brew Hard Cider

Hard cider was the alcoholic drink of choice before beer became popular in America. Hard cider provides an alternative to beer and along with mead is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. Easy to brew and easy to customize, hard cider is one of the first things home brewers should try.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 4 gallons of apple juice or cider
• 5 lbs. of sugar
• Brewer's yeast
• Flavoring (optional)
• Large pot
• Wooden spoon
• 2 5-gallon buckets
• One bucket lid with grommeted air lock hole
• Airlock
• Racking cane
• Plastic tubing

1. Pour 1 gallon of juice or cider into a large pot. Heat on the stove until the liquid begins steaming, but don't let it boil.

2. Dissolve the sugar in the heated juice. Stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Use a wooden or plastic spoon; metal can impart a bad taste.

3. Pour the remaining 3 gallons of juice or cider into a clean 5-gallon bucket and let it sit until it is at room temperature.

4. Mix the liquid with the dissolved sugar into the bucket, stirring thoroughly. Ensure the mixture is at room temperature. If necessary, let it sit for several hours, covered.

5. Add yeast to the liquid in the bucket. Mix well.

6. Put the lid on, tightly. Install the airlock and place the bucket somewhere out of the way, but with a steady temperature, usually around 70 degrees.

7. Watch for bubbling. The yeast will consume the sugar in the mixture, turning it to alcohol and releasing fumes. Depending on the yeast, the fumes can smell quiet bad. The airlock should bubble consistently.

8. Let the mixture ferment for 1 week. Once the bubbling has slowed almost completely, it's time to change containers.

9. Rack the cider into the clean bucket with the racking cane and tubing. Pouring is not recommended, as it will let debris into the new bucket.

10. Seal the secondary fermenter with a lid and airlock. Let it sit for a minimum of one week. This step allows the cider to clear. This is also the time to add any flavoring extracts.

11. Rack the cider into smaller containers once the liquid has cleared considerably. If the cider has not cleared appreciably, let it sit for another week.

Tips & Warnings

• This process will result in a still or non-carbonated cider. Carbonation can be added through various means, including adding a small amount of sugar to the bottles when racking.
• A hydrometer is necessary to determine alcohol content through specific gravity.
• It's possible to brew hard cider without a lid/airlock combination. Simply cover the top of the bucket with cheesecloth and store away.
• The amount of alcohol produced will depend on the type of yeast you use. A champagne yeast will yield higher amounts of alcohol, but a drier finished product more akin to wine than hard cider. Ale yeast is a good choice for a beginner.
• Make sure the cider or apple juice you use is preservative free. Homemade cider is preferable, though pasteurized cider or juice is OK.

Resources

• Home brewing supplies of all kinds
• Home brewing supplies

[russ5]

on 6/27/2009 A racking cane is akin to a siphon and it is used to transfer the cider from the primary fermenter to the secondary fermenter. This process is called racking

[jimdris]

on 11/6/2007 Not that I'm going to try this, but what is a "racking cane" and what does it mean to "rack the cider"?