Looking for the simplest instructions

[bobbycheetah]

I have 1 gal of raw, UV processed apple cider from local orchard. I would like to turn that into wine - uncarbonated. (Is that still technically called a hard cider? is wine and hard cider 2 completely different things?)

Take OG reading
Put into a fermenter with some head room - I have a 2 gal plastic fermenter
add yeast - have seen so many opinions on this. it seems like safale 04 or 05 would be fine
ferment for x amount of days, 1 week, 2, more?
take FG reading
transfer to a new container
let it sit for x amount of time
enjoy

I am an experienced beer brewer, do not a total newb in this realm. Not looking for anything fancy, win awards, etc. I've been down so many rabbit holes, reading all the forums etc. I would like to keep this as simple as absolutely possible and see what happens. Or if there is a site out there that I have missed for "how to make wine from 1 gallon of raw apple cider". let me know.

Thank you

 

[Rish]

Still or carbonated fermented apple juice is "cider" everywhere except, apparently the US, where many call it "hard cider" (maybe a marketing thing?). I think you're right on the yeast, either will give good results. You may want to add a little yeast nutrient. No need to transfer unless you need the fv. Check sg at around 2 weeks, then a few days later. I leave my ciders in the fv until they clear, usually about 4 weeks. I've left them 6 weeks with no ill effects, maybe even some improvement. Good luck and happy cidering!

 

[mac_1103]

Still or carbonated fermented apple juice is "cider" everywhere except, apparently the US...

Or Germany, where it's called Apfelwein. I say call it whatever you want - after all it's your hooch. I've got a batch of fig puree and water fermenting with S-04 right now that I'm planning to carbonate and call fig cider. Just because.

 

[Maylar]

Or Germany, where it's called Apfelwein. I say call it whatever you want - after all it's your hooch. I've got a batch of fig puree and water fermenting with S-04 right now that I'm planning to carbonate and call fig cider. Just because.

It's definitely a regional thing. In the US cider is made with apples, any other fermented fruit is wine. In Italy wine is made with grapes, any other fermented fruit is cider.

 

[Raptor99]

The process of making cider is virtually identical to making wine. In the US, if the ABV is above 7% it legally needs to be labeled as wine rather than cider. So cider is just a lower alcohol wine. Cider is often 6-7% ABV while apple wine is often 10-12% ABV or higher. Legal requirements for commercial operations are here: https://www.ttb.gov/faqs/cider

In the US, "cider" can refer to unfiltered apple juice, so we often say "hard cider" to refer to the fermented beverage. I'm not sure when they started calling unfermented apple juice "cider," but it was probably a marketing decision.

Since you are making your own, you can call it anything you want.

 

[mac_1103]

In the US, if the ABV is above 7% it legally needs to be labeled as wine rather than cider.

8.2% ABV Virginia Hard Cider

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

Apple juice fermented as-is into cider tastes way better than apple juice + enough sugar to be "wine".

 

[Raptor99]

Here's a regional cider that we enjoy:

It is called "apple-raspberry-cranberry-wine" in the fine print on the can:

(I'm not sure how to rotate the photos on the forum)

I don't know how common this is, but Two Towns marks their imperial ciders as "wine."

 

[Maylar]

I don't know how common this is, but Two Towns marks their imperial ciders as "wine."

I stopped into a local cidery when they opened a few years ago and had a nice chat with the owner. One cider maker to another . He said that there is an 8% threshold for "wine", and from his perspective (a business) that the liquor taxes that he has to pay were higher for wine than for cider. They were sure to keep ABV at 6.5% or lower.

 

[jdubdvdt]

I have 1 gal of raw, UV processed apple cider from local orchard. I would like to turn that into wine - uncarbonated. (Is that still technically called a hard cider? is wine and hard cider 2 completely different things?)

Take OG reading
Put into a fermenter with some head room - I have a 2 gal plastic fermenter
add yeast - have seen so many opinions on this. it seems like safale 04 or 05 would be fine
ferment for x amount of days, 1 week, 2, more?
take FG reading
transfer to a new container
let it sit for x amount of time
enjoy

I am an experienced beer brewer, do not a total newb in this realm. Not looking for anything fancy, win awards, etc. I've been down so many rabbit holes, reading all the forums etc. I would like to keep this as simple as absolutely possible and see what happens. Or if there is a site out there that I have missed for "how to make wine from 1 gallon of raw apple cider". let me know.

Thank you

I think Nottingham and S04 are good choices. I like the residual apple flavor from Nottingham, but there is a distinct almost bread like flavor in my opinion that subsides with time. Yeast will rip through and be done in about a week or two.

Obviously sanitation of your fermenter and possibly consider pasteurizing prior if it's raw with no preservatives. Otherwise your process is correct. It's simple. Dump and go is my method.

 

[jnesselrode]

8.2% ABV Virginia Hard Cider

Yeah, I don't think the >7% = wine thing is quite right. I had a Crispin Imperial the other day that was 8+% and no mention of wine.

 

[lumpher]

The process of making cider is virtually identical to making wine. In the US, if the ABV is above 7% it legally needs to be labeled as wine rather than cider. So cider is just a lower alcohol wine. Cider is often 6-7% ABV while apple wine is often 10-12% ABV or higher.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) defines apple cider as fermented apple juice with less than 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), while apple wine is fermented apple juice with more than 8.5% ABV.

The main difference is Apple Cider uses just the sugar that is in the apples. For Apple Wine, you add sugar.

The maximum limit for cider is 8.5% The FDA regulates cider less than 7%. The TTB regulates cider 7-8.5%, and they have different tax rates. Anything over 8.5% has to be classified as Apple Wine. Semantics for tax purposes, but isn't it that way with too much stuff?

@Raptor99 As for that 2 Towns Raspberry Cosmic, I bet if you look on the label, it has added sugar. That would make it wine regardless of the ABV.

 

[Maylar]

@Raptor99 As for that 2 Towns Raspberry Cosmic, I bet if you look on the label, it has added sugar.

8% ABV would require an OG of 1.060. There are apples that can get there without added sugar.

 

[lumpher]

8% ABV would require an OG of 1.060. There are apples that can get there without added sugar.

Yes, there are, but they call it "wine", not "cider". Just apples is "cider". + sugar is "wine".

Sugar

7g

 

[Maylar]

Yes, there are, but they call it "wine", not "cider". Just apples is "cider". + sugar is "wine".

Sugar

7g

What if there is sugar but the alcohol level is only 5%? Is that still "wine"? I've read that some of the commercial ciders are fermented to 13% ABV by adding sugar, then watered down to 5%. My ciders are fermented dry then stabilized and sweetened with sugar. They're have sugar but are not wine.