Easy hard cider ?
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beergolf
Well-Known Member
Hard cider is pretty hard to mess up. Quick and easy to brew and very easy to manipulate into something tasty. I've done it on Chico strain, Montrachet, WLP007, pretty much whatever I have a yeast cake of. I've even not washed the yeast at all, just poured the apple cider in with whatever spices I feel like, it rarely comes out unpalatable. The only time I didn't like it was when I dry hopped it.
Try this. 3.5 gallons of apple juice, one gallon of pomegranate juice. Add to fermenter of choice holding one gallon out. On the stove bring the extra gallon of apple juice almost to a boil. Juice 5 or 6 oranges into it. Add a dozen or so cinnamon sticks and a handful of cloves. Keep this at a simmer for a while. (Heck, even dump the orange peel in if you'd like). Keep the temp above 175ish for at least 10 minutes, 20-30 is probably best. Let it cool down to room temp then strain into your fermenter. I did something similar to this last year on Montrachet and it was a big hit at Christmas time. I think I'll do it again soon, but using a true Cider yeast. I think it would be great mulled as well.
Try this. 3.5 gallons of apple juice, one gallon of pomegranate juice. Add to fermenter of choice holding one gallon out. On the stove bring the extra gallon of apple juice almost to a boil. Juice 5 or 6 oranges into it. Add a dozen or so cinnamon sticks and a handful of cloves. Keep this at a simmer for a while. (Heck, even dump the orange peel in if you'd like). Keep the temp above 175ish for at least 10 minutes, 20-30 is probably best. Let it cool down to room temp then strain into your fermenter. I did something similar to this last year on Montrachet and it was a big hit at Christmas time. I think I'll do it again soon, but using a true Cider yeast. I think it would be great mulled as well.
TopherM
Well-Known Member
The first time I made hard cider, I just made 4.5 gallons of apple juice from WalMart concentrate and dumped in some Nottingham yeast, and that turned out great. These days, I just make my hard ciders with some quality apple juice (Whitehouse brand), and it is even better.
The tricky part of hard cider is keeping it sweet if you bottle and want sweet hard cider. The technique to backsweeten in a keg is incredibly simple, but the technique to backsweeten in a bottle is an inconsistent PITA at best.
Anyway, that's what you are dealing with. If you want to make a dry, English-style cider, hard cider making is just like brewing beer without the brewing part.
If you want more details, I'd be happy to walk you throught the steps, just PM me and let me know what kind of cider you are trying to make.
Good luck!
The tricky part of hard cider is keeping it sweet if you bottle and want sweet hard cider. The technique to backsweeten in a keg is incredibly simple, but the technique to backsweeten in a bottle is an inconsistent PITA at best.
Anyway, that's what you are dealing with. If you want to make a dry, English-style cider, hard cider making is just like brewing beer without the brewing part.
If you want more details, I'd be happy to walk you throught the steps, just PM me and let me know what kind of cider you are trying to make.
Good luck!
My first cider was pretty simple. 5 gallons of apple cider fresh from the orchard, a pound of brown sugar and champagne yeast. Added a pound of lactose at bottling to keep it from being too dry. Everyone who has tried it so far is in love with it.
