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pablo

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Hello-

If anyone feels like helping out a beginner, i'm trying to put together a shopping list of the equipment I need to brew a batch of cider. I'm starting from scratch having never brewed anything before.

I plan to use fresh pressed apples from a local orchard - I'm not sure if that will effect the equipment that I need.

Also, if anyone knows of a good website to purchase equipment, I'd love to know.

Thanks for your help.

Pablo
 
No problem!

Carboy - 2 of what ever size you want (1 or 5 gallons)
Two because you will want to rack in about 6 weeks and age it a bit.
Airlock - The 3 piece types are easier to deal with.
Tubing - Need 4 to 6 foot of the size for the racking cane (usually 5/8)
Racking cane - This helps to rack the cider off the lees without sucking them into
the bottles or another carboy. Make sure the cap is on the Cane.
Yeast - Big selections here. From Ale and Beer yeast to wine and cider yeast. Each
gives a flavor or subtle differences to the taste.
Sugar - Another large selection. White sugar, Brown sugar, Dextrose, or Honey,
they each impart a difference to the taste. Dextrose is the most nutral and
Honey will take the longest to ferment. I would start with white sugar.
Juice - Whether fresh pressed or juice in a jug it all work as long as no presertives
are added to it.
Potassium Sorbate - This will be needed when you are finished to stabilize the
cider(keep it from restarting fermentation). Only use if you
don't want to carb it.
Pectic Enzyme - Not required but a good thing to use if you have unfiltered juices.
This help the must to stay clear by not allowing the pectin to set.
Bottles - How ever you like them stored. Wine bottles and corks are nice, Flip top
bottles are great and do not require anything special to cap them, and of
course beer bottles.
Bottle filling wand - A time saver, headache reducer and prevents oxyidation. Has
a spring loaded tip that allow the cider to flow into the bottles
without splashing and when you fill to the top and remove the
wand it is at the correct level.

Of course if you want the wine bottles or the beer bottles you will need a good capper/corker. Get a good floor corker or bench capper and save yourself lots of headaches. I like the flip top bottles in the 22 oz size but they don't leave the house. For presents I give the wine bottles or the beer bottles.

If you need any help just ask. There are lots of people here willing to share their knowledge and experience. Best of luck and I don't know what area your in but here are a few links to HBS.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/
http://www.bacchus-barleycorn.com/
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/
http://www.eckraus.com/index.htm
:mug:
 
Mark - thanks for the info. This is exactly what I needed. The equipment is already enroute - I should be set up and ready to go by the time my local orchard presses their first batch of apples. I'll keep you posted on the results.

Pablo
 
pablo said:
If anyone feels like helping out a beginner, i'm trying to put together a shopping list of the equipment I need to brew a batch of cider. I'm starting from scratch having never brewed anything before.

Here is my recommendations since I started about 2 months ago....

  • A bunch of carboys... maybe four 5 gallons, four 6 gallons and four 3 gallons
  • 16+ Airlocks, most 3 piece design... a few glass for secondary
  • 16+ stoppers / plugs to put airlocks into.
  • Sanitizer
  • Carboy scrub brush
  • Vinometer
  • Hydrometer
  • Fermtech Wine Thief
  • Smaller scrub brush for wine theif
  • Yeast


I started with a 3 gallon carboy, 1 airlock, 1 wine theif, sanitizer, hydrometer and yeast. (See: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=36792)


You might be wondering why I recommended so many carboys. Basically you might get addicted. And you don't want to rush what you're making so you want to go in cycles.
 
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