Help a newbie make sweet sparkling hard cider

I have unlimited access to fresh from the press cider so i am deciding to take up making some hard cider. I have 10 gallons in my refridgerator. I want to make it in 1 gallon batches so i can add different flavors to it. I have the glass jugs airlocks and auto siphon being shipped as i type this. I want to do it right and make a nice sweet tasting sparkling flavorful hard cider with a 6%-10% alcohol range that i can bottle and give out as gifts.......can anyone help out a newbie so i dont end up with vinegar?


:rockin:

Glenn1978

First: What kind of apples went into the cider? A key part of a good cider is the blend of apples that goes into the mix.

Second: You're more than likely going to use a Champagne Yeast (it seems like the standard recommendation on all the forums), but you're going to want to kill the natural yeast from the fresh fruit with Campden tablets first so that they don't give off flavors to your final product.

Third: To get a crisp, clear product, you're going to need some sort of Pectic enzyme to help you out, as apples in particular have a lot of pectins that leave a haze in the final product.

I'm a beginner myself too, and don't have any more real advice, but hopefully some experts can expand on this stuff

If you are new to cider making and want something that will do justice to your fresh juice and be ready by Christmas, read Pappers' sticky on bottle pasteurization or else think about investing in some kegs.

Dont use champagne yeast if you want a sweet cider. use these 10 gal to experiment with ale and wheat yeasts in order to determine which one works best with your juice.

If the juice has been in your fridge a while, you might need the campden, but if you have access to fresh juice it is much better to just pitch the yeast right away as soon as it is pressed and skip the campden.