Thoughts on this beginner recipe?

I have never brewed before and recently found this recipe for hard cider and it seemed so easy that I decided to try it, but I am not sure how good it actually is.


"5 gallon water jug
10 cups of cheap sugar
4 gallons of cheap apple juice
1 package of traditional baking yeast

-mix all in water jug, shake hard, cover opening with 2 napkins and secure with rubber band, wait 2 months, then you have 23 liters of 14% hard cider"


After doing some internet research I found different options and ways to change it. Some possible changes:

"a glass container to ferment in and a bung to plug said container
wine/champagne yeast instead of baking yeast
and an airlock"


I live in Northern CA and plan to bury the container in my backyard. It might keep the temperature stable, and the temp has been in the low 70s and I read cider ferments best closest to 60 degrees. My goal is to discreetly make cheap but good cider in the shortest time possible. Thoughts and advice?

that sounds not-so-good.. make this.. Tried and true.. Simple.. Cheap..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-i-love-apfelwein-14860/

discrete?
go away kiddie.

You might want to do more research on the 5 gal water jug. The plastic has to be a certain type. Best bet is just buy a 5 gal Better Bottle they are cheaper then glass carboys.

GroosBrewz said:

that sounds not-so-good.. make this.. Tried and true.. Simple.. Cheap..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-i-love-apfelwein-14860/

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Thanks

DarkPhyre said:

discrete?
go away kiddie.

Click to expand...

Whoa bro, my roommates don't want me stinking up the place

bcfzx2 said:

You might want to do more research on the 5 gal water jug. The plastic has to be a certain type. Best bet is just buy a 5 gal Better Bottle they are cheaper then glass carboys.

Click to expand...

Does this also apply to bottling it? Do I need a certain kind of glass so its not skunked

correct me if i'm wrong but the only potential problem with plastics is oxygen permeability, which takes a long time, meaning you are fine to ferment in there but you might not want to leave it for say 6 months to age
you can bury it i a hole if you want, but for the first time i would suggest making a successful cider before fooling around with odd subterranean efforts, unless you are going for the most ridiculous cider 2011/2012 podium, you're a shoe-in for bronze
do you have a kitchen? i would try that first

Here are so articles on using water jugs. Some claim chemicals could leach from the plastic. IMO Better Bottles are pretty cheap so why risk it.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/pros-cons-fermenting-plastic-5-gallon-water-cooler-jugs-142980/