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MAKING
HARD CIDER
HOW
TO MAKE HARD APPLE CIDER Hard cider was once the
drink of choice in early America. Today, sweet cider is enjoyed at
harvest time and the hard stuff is making a comeback. The secret to making
sweet or hard cider is the blending of apples at pressing time. A balanced
blend of sweet and tart apples is needed. Hard or sweet, it's another great
activity to enjoy at home. Unfortunately for the home cider and apple wine
maker, the addition of stabilizers to fresh pressed apple cider is becoming
common. This is being done to extend the products shelf life. Cider which
has been treated in this way will spoil before it ferments.
The secret to making a great
tasting cider is in the blending of apples prior to pressing. Making
hard cider from a single type of apple will result in a bland drink with
no real character. Apple cider mills usually guard their secret recipes
well. Basicly you what a blend of at least two apples mixed by weight
at a ratio of 2:1. For sweet cider use 2 parts sweet verity and one
part tart. Reversing the mixture will make a dryer cider. While
the ratio remains the same, you can add more complexity and character by
using more verities of apples. Our local supplier uses 6 varities
and that's all he's saying.
Making hard cider is very
much like making wine. Fresh pressed apple cider is fermented without
the addition of any sugars. The starting gravity should be between
1.040 and 1.050. This will produce a dry cider with about 4.5% -
5% abv. The key to success is using fresh pressed cider that has
not been treated in any way. Cider purchased at the super market
will almost always contain preservatives and will rot before it will ferment.
State and local laws require producers to treat apples with anti bacterial
sprays prior to pressing and many require that stabilizers be added prior
to sale. You must ask your supplier for wine or hard cider grade
juice. Arrange to pick up your cider the day you will start to make
it. The fresher the better!
CIDER-$14.95- Discover the pleasure of
making and drinking fresh cider with this complete, guide to sweet
or hard cider. 216 pages by Proulx and Nichols .
A
Note About Yeast: The type of
yeast you select makes a great difference in the flavor of your cider.
In the old days the cider was left to ferment on it's own. That was done
out of ignorance of the true nature of bacterial fermentaion. Wine yeast
will produce a clean, dry flavored cider with little of no aftertaste.
For a dry cider use champagne yeast or for semi sweet cider try Cote De
Blanc. Cider with a more rounded, lasting flavor can be made by using brewer's
ale yeast.
Here's
What You Do
Crush up one campden tablet
per gallon of cider to suppress any bacteria or wild yeast.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of pectic enzyme
per gallon to prevent pectin haze in the finished cider.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of yeast nutrient
per gallon to provide for complete fermentation.
Cover and let the juice rest
for 24 hours stirring once or twice during that time.
Use a hydrometer to record the
starting gravity of the must.
Open the primary fermenter and
sprinkle in one packet of wine or brewer's yeast. Let the yeast re-hydrate
for five minutes then stir it in for about a minute. Close the fermenter
and attach an air lock which is half full of water. Ferment for 7 to 10
days at 70 degrees.
Open the fermenter and check
the specific gravity with a hydormeter. It should have dropped by at least
75%. If not, close the fermenter and allow to sit for a few more days.
Do not leave the cider in the primary fermenter for more than 10 days.
If the specific gravity has not dropped in that time, continue to the next
step any way.
Place the primary fermenter
on a counter ot table top 24 hours prior to the next step. This will provide
time to the sediment to settle to the bottle of the pail.
Clean and sanitize a glass secondary
fermenter along with your siphon equipment. Crush up one campden table
per gallon and put them into the secondary fermenter.
Siphon the cider from the primary
to the secondary ferment. Attach an air lock and allow to rest for 14 days
and 70 degrees.
Check the cider for clarity.
If it is hazy or not quite clear, you can add a fining agent such as isinglass.
Add the fining agent directly to the fermenter and stir it in gently. Allow
the cider to rest for another week at 60 tp 65 degrees.
Clean and sanitize your primary
fermenter or another glass carboy and siphon the cider into it. Sample
the cider by tasting a small amount. You can adjust it at this time. If
it tastes a little bland you can add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of citric to taste.
If it is lacking in apple flavor but the tartness is correct add our apple
flavor enhancer. If it is too tart or sour add frozen apple juice concentrate,
which contains no preservitites, to taste. Allow the cider to age for another
week in a cool place.
FIVE
gl CIDER MAKING EQUIPMENT $89.95- Complete equipment package
for making 5 gallons of your favorite hard cider from any concentrate or
fresh fruit. You get a 6.5 gallon primary fermenter with air tight lid,
5 gallon glass carboy, carboy cleaning brush, rubber airlock stopper, airlock,
hydrometer, racking cane, 4 foot siphon hose, bottling bucket with spigot,
bottle filling wand, siphon support and shut off valve, bottle cleaning
brush, sanitizing chemicals, 1 pound of bottle caps, bottle capper and
Making the Best Apple Cider book. Also suited to homebrewing too!
FIVE
gl CIDER MAKING EQUIPMENT $89.95-
HOW
TO MAKE HARD APPLE CIDER