Homemade Hard Cider

[BKhunter]

With apple picking season upon us, just curious if anyone on here does this. Seems like a fun fall project and it will be ready for deer camp!!

[turkeyfeathers]

You want to make this. Use brown sugar though. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/165814/apple-pie-in-a-jar-drink/

you can post me a thank you from deer camp floor. It's sneaky , smooth and dangerous 

[mattypotpie8S]

I make wine. You can make the process as simple or complex as you see fit, BUT cleanliness is ABSOLUTE.

Here's a recipe I have on hand.

CAlls for raisins but F raisins. 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient, 1 teaspoon acid blend, 1 teaspoon pectic enzyme, 1/4 teaspoon tannin, 1 campden tabllet, use champagne yeast

Edited September 16, 2016 by mattypotpie8S

[growalot]

 We have oak barrels that we do ours in it's a mix of apples from our trees we get juiced and concord grape juice.....

[2012_taco]

My brother and I used to make a lot of hard cider years ago, we would get used bourbon barrels from down south and fill them with fresh pressed apple cider. We stored them in his basement till they stopped working, usually around March. He lived in an old farm house so the basement was always cool. Then we would siphon it out and put it in 1 qt. bottles with a tablespoon of sugar, re cap, and store them till summer. The bottles were the old fashioned type that used real caps. It turned out like champagne! One bottle would knock you down!

[growalot]

Sounds great...but just 2 cups of our will wobble your eyes...lol...I'll have to get Mr B to give me the recipe...

[BKhunter]

On 10/15/2016 at 9:50 AM, growalot said:

Sounds great...but just 2 cups of our will wobble your eyes...lol...I'll have to get Mr B to give me the recipe...

Would love to hear it!

[growalot]

Give me time...he's in a "later" mood right now.....a tad stressed...

[WNYBuckHunter]

I make my own. I should actually be getting started this week as long as I get my raw cider. Theres nothing special to it, just  1lb of sucrose per gallon of cider, champagne yeast and raw cider in a bucket with a bubbler. Last year I got mine up to 16%, and I had to add sugar to it after I killed the yeast off, because it was super dry. Takes 2-3 weeks to ferment as long as you do it inside at room temps, and not in a cold garage or basement.

[growalot]

ours is a bit different...it combines cider and grape juice and we ferment it in barrels

[Culvercreek hunt club]

If you are looking for a consistent product I suggest using Campden tablets to kill off the wild yeasts and introduce the yeast of your choice. Believe it or not all yeast is not created equal so no, #yeastlivesmatters doesn't hold any water. You can get some very odd tastes from wild yeasts. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

4 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

If you are looking for a consistent product I suggest using Campden tablets to kill off the wild yeasts and introduce the yeast of your choice. Believe it or not all yeast is not created equal so no, #yeastlivesmatters doesn't hold any water. You can get some very odd tastes from wild yeasts. 

Yep. I forgot to add that step. You use the Campden tabs at the end before you bottle it as well, or youll end up with tops popped off or blown out bottles.

[landtracdeerhunter]

We use to do a special blend of  baldwin apples and  Keffer pears in a once used 40 gallon bourbon barrel purchased form Dietz's cider mill in the Rapids. They use to grind and press 100's of bushels for us this time of year.  All raw natural cider.  None of this heat crap, they call cider today.  Add to the barrel a mixture of sugar and the right yeast after 1st fermenting process had ended; let it work again.  Keep in the granary in the barn all winter. A nice go to drink..  Much smaller scale in todays world, but the outcome is the same, LOL.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

On 9/16/2016 at 5:37 PM, mattypotpie8S said:

 BUT cleanliness is ABSOLUTE.

 

Sanitation and sterilization can't be emphasized enough. Probably the biggest reason people have failed ferments. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I use 5 gallons of cider. (USE A 6 GALLON CARBOY OR SCALE DOWN FOR A 5 GALLON CARBOY. FOAMING OVER IS ONE HECK OF A STICKY MESS, TRUST I KNOW.)

5 pounds of white cane sugar

3 pounds of dark brown sugar.

10 ounces of raisins. 

EC-1118 yeast. I use two packets. 

crush and put Campden tablets into cider following directions. 

wait at least 48 hours to proceed. 

heat 2 gallons of cider to about 170 and dissolve all sugar. add to carboy with rest of cider. Add raisins. prep and pitch yeast per yeast instruction. Hit the proper temps for pitching the yeast. To hot =kill it, and to cold may stall or slow the fermentation.  Ideally it is nice to know the original specific gravity of the solution so you can confirm if the fermentation is completed and not just stalled.  In the absence of a hydrometer, you can taste it when it stops bubbling and if it is sweet it probably has  a stalled fermentation. 

plug the carboy with a plug and bubbler and wait. champagne yeast can tolerate cool temps and a nice slow fermentation is preferred. happy yeast piss good product. Oh Did I mention that alcohol is yeast piss? LOL and all that bubbling is their flatulence. (Farts for Pygmy). Keeping it at about 60-65 degrees is perfect. could be looking at a two to three week ferment. Assuming it is done bubbling  you will see a bunch of sediment in the carboy. good time to uncork and sneak a taste. the sweetness should be about gone. Siphon off the liquid into a sterile bucket (to put back in your original carboy once it is cleaned and sterilized) or another carboy and avoid disturbing or picking up the sediment. Better to leave some than get greedy. 

At this point I may adjust the sweetness to the level I want. If I was right and the ferment was done when I recork it with the bubbler it won't do anything. if it does a little bit, no biggie. I am going to let it sit for a month or two to really clear and let all the particles settle out. At this point is when any flavorings can be added. I like putting in 3-4 cinnamon sticks. a table spoon of apple pie spice and about a dozen cloves. 

let sit for a month or two. with the cork and bubbler in. 

Taste, siphon off and bottle. 

It is good cold and wonderful warm. If you warm it up don't overheat it. Anything 170 or above with allow the alcohol to boil off quickly. 

Edited October 17, 2016 by Culvercreek hunt club

[mattypotpie8S]

A hydrometer makes life much easier, it will tell if you need more sugar to start and when its done working in the end..

Edited October 18, 2016 by mattypotpie8S

[Lawdwaz]

Sounds like some great brewers here!  I have fond, fond memories of my friends father's hard cider.  That stuff would knock you right off your feet after couple glasses. 

 

Good times..........