How to Make Cider - Simple Guide

How to make cider the natural way

Approximately 20lbs of apples will make 1 gallon of cider. 2-4lbs of sugar per gallon (depending on how sweet you like the cider)

Equipment required:

  • A food grade fermenting bin with lid or a demijohn
  • Fruit pulp and press (can be loaned from brewing shops to keep the cost down or alternatively small kitchen electrical appliances can work well)
  • Campden tablets
  • Wine / champagne yeast
  • Air lock and grommet
  • Siphon
  • Bottles (plastic fizzy pop bottles are fine)

Instructions:

  1. Collect apples, discarding any rotten ones as these greatly affect the end result. Wash them thoroughly.
  2. Pulp the apples. This is done to prepare the apples for pressing - the next step. Basically pulping means crushing the apples and it may be that you develop your own method for doing this. Try using a large pestle and mortar or electric kitchen juicer.
  3. Press the apples. This process squeezes the juice out of the pulp and can be done using a fruit press or alternatively the pulp can be wrapped in cheesecloth, then the juice squeezed out.
  4. Put the juice into a container that is suitable to accommodate an air lock. (a popular choice is a demijohn - ideal for fermenting cider). Always ensure the container you use is sterilised, as should all equipment be.
  5. Add a cruched campden tablet. (One per gallon of juice). Experienced cider makers will probably not use campden tablets instead relying on natural yeast.
  6. Stir in a packet of wine or champagne yeast.
  7. Attach the air lock and leave to ferment. This process can take anything from 2 months.
  8. Siphon the cider into bottles (plastic pop bottles are ideal.)

Enjoy!

How to make turbo cider - the original recipe.

This recipe was devised by "Deadlydes" and is the original turbo cider recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 4.5 litres of pure apple juice
  • 1tsp yeast

Method:

  1. Place 3L of apple juice into a demijohn (assuming everything is sterile)
  2. Place 1tsp of yeast into the demijohn
  3. Shake
  4. Leave for 36-48 hours to ferment then top with the remainder of the juice (can't fill it right up at the start as it will foam quite a bit).
  5. Leave to ferment out.
  6. Rack off and drink (or if you like cider fizzy then prime as usual)

Quick tips for making your own cider

  • If using one type of dessert apples to make cider always add a few crab apples to prevent the cider from tasting too sweet.
  • Avoid using any rotten apples.
  • Before purchasing equipment such as an apple press check whether your local brew shop hire out the equipment.
  • If making cider from apple juice always use pasteurised juice as others could contain harmful bacteria.
  • Look online when purchasing a demijohn. Plastic ones are fine and cost under £3.
  • Be adventurous!! Devise your own unique cider by adding other ingredients such as honey, cinnamon or maple syrup.

There you have it, some great tips on how to make cider!

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