How to Make Hard Cider
Hard cider is a traditional early American and European drink that is simple and rewarding to make at home. Follow this step-by-step guide to crafting your own hard cider using minimal equipment and ingredients.
What You’ll Need
- Two 1-gallon glass jugs or polyethylene buckets
- Stopper and airlock
- 4-6 feet of plastic tubing
- Auto siphon
- Brewing yeast (e.g., Nottingham ale yeast)
- Brown sugar or honey (optional)
- Optional tools: Wing capper and hydrometer
Step 1: Preparation
Everything that comes into contact with your cider must be cleaned and sanitized. Use a food-grade sanitizer to ensure cleanliness. Proper sanitization prevents off-flavors and ensures successful fermentation.
Step 2: Prepare Your Apple Juice
If using fresh apple juice, ensure it contains no preservatives. If the juice is unpasteurized, heat it to 160°F to kill wild yeast and bacteria, but do not exceed 185°F.
Step 3: Add the Yeast
Rehydrate dry yeast by adding 1 ounce per gallon of cider to 4 ounces of warm water. Let it sit for 15 minutes before mixing into the cooled juice.
Step 4: Fermentation
Pour the apple juice and yeast into a sanitized fermenting container. Aerate the juice, insert the airlock and stopper, and store the container in a cool area for about 2 ½ weeks.
Step 5: Racking the Cider
After primary fermentation, rack the cider into a secondary fermenter to remove sediment using an auto siphon. Allow the cider to age for one to two months for a smoother flavor.
Step 6: Bottling
Bottle cider in sterilized beer or swing-top bottles. For still cider, simply rack and fill the bottles, leaving 1 inch of headspace. For sweetened or carbonated cider, follow instructions in our hard cider guide.
Enjoy Your Hard Cider
With minimal effort, you can enjoy homemade hard cider. Plant an apple or pear tree for a fresh fruit source and experience the joy of crafting your own cider. Grow organic for life!
