This Factoid is a walkthrough of the process for making hard apple cider on the cheap. This is a great method that can yield great, alcoholic cider in about a week or two. Results may vary, but what you end up with is going to have alcohol and it’s going to be drinkable.
There are many ways to make apple cider; this article focuses on the way to make it the cheapest while still maintaining a certain amount of quality.
The materials required for this project are simple, though one may prove hard to find:
Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
If at all possible you should find a glass, one-gallon jug of pasteurized apple cider with NO preservatives.
The glass is the best container to ferment your cider; the pasteurization removes the risks of other bacterias and the lack of preservatives provides a better environment for the yeast.
You can probably find a good jug at a natural foods store, like Whole Foods, Sunflower Market etc. If you simply can’t find one, using regular apple juice is okay. Contrary to certain myths, preservatives like potassium sorbate do NOT kill yeast, though they can prevent it from doing its job as well.
Yeast
The yeast you use will probably affect the outcome of your cider the most. It is a very important ingredient and you have several options. Ideally, you will use the wild yeast found naturally occurring on fresh picked apples. If you can procure a fresh picked apple this is best. Slice it up and drop it in your glass jug with the juice. Unfortunately there is no way to tell if there is yeast on the apple without waiting to see if it begins fermentation.
Alternatively you can use a number of different commercially available yeasts. First use champagne or wine yeast, or a beer ale yeast. These can be found at local home brewing stores across the nation, as well as on the internet.
As a last resort, you can use dry active bakers yeast found in your nearest grocery store. This is going to produce tastes that are not cider- like but will still produce hard apple cider in the end.
An airlock
An airlock is a device used to keep bacteria, mold and other junk from getting in your cider while you’re fermenting, while also letting out the carbon dioxide gas produced. It looks like this, and can be purchased at a local homebrew store. There are easy ways to make an airlock on your own, though nothing is as good as the real deal.
Sugar
You may want some added sugar to boost the alcohol content of your cider. Note: adding sugar before the fermentation process is not for flavor, solely for increased alcohol by volume. Cane sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup etc., all work; find what works best for you. Without added sugar, most ciders will produce between 3-6% ABV. WIth added sugar you can create up to 10-15% ABV depending on the yeast you use. I’ve added up to a 1/4 pound of sugar to reach the traditional 10% ABV. For your first time I would suggest adding between 1/8 and 1/4 pound of any kind of sugar. After that feel free to experiment.
The process of creating cider is simple. Add the yeast to the one gallon juice, cap it, shake it, uncap it, fill airlock halfway with clean water, put airlock in jug, wait.
The fermentation may take between 1-2 weeks, with signs of bubbling within 24 hours. Leave your jug of cider in a place that is between 60-70 F.
After the bubbling has stopped, you have created cider; taste it. If it’s good, drink it. If its dry, bitter, or sour, you can backsweeten it, using any of the sugars mentioned above. BEFORE backsweentening you should refrigerate your cider and either siphon or filter your into another container to get rid of the yeast. This should also help clear up some cloudiness.
Your cider can be consumed cloudy, you can filter it to make it clear, you can sweeten it to make it more tasty, you can do just about anything with it. Enjoy.
Notes: Fermentation of cider produces an odor that has been attributed to rhino farts, and there’s not many ways to reduce the smell. Fermentation of alcoholic beverages may not be permitted in your state or area. Check with local and state laws to make sure it is legal. As always, please drink responsibly.
