Add the cider to a primary fermenter with plenty of head space (don’t fill more than ¾ full). We recommend that you add ¼ teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite per 5 gallons of cider at this point to prevent your cider from spoiling or turning to vinegar. Add the sulfite by measuring out the powder, dissolving it in a little warm water, and then stirring it into the cider. You should add this same amount each time you rack (siphon) your cider.
You may add sugar to increase the specific gravity (and the final alcohol content) of your cider. If you choose not to add sulfite, the specific gravity should be over 1.060 to reduce the chance that your final cider will spoil. 1 gallon of juice can be raised 5 degrees or .005 on the specific gravity scale by adding 2.25 oz. of granulated sugar. 9 oz. of sugar is approximately 1 rounded cup and will raise 1 gallon of juice .020 degrees specific gravity.
No crab or highly tannic apples are added to our any of our blends, so you may want to add 1 tsp. of tannin per 5 gallons (optional).
Before adding your yeast, allow the cider to reach room temperature (at least 65 deg F), and make sure it has been at least 3 hours since you added the sulfite. Add 1 packet of yeast for each 5 gallons. You can use a fresh liquid cider yeast from Wyeast or White Labs, or a white wine, mead, ale or lager yeast. If using dry yeast, sprinkle it evenly across the surface of the juice. Do not stir. Add the lid loosely to the fermenter or attach an airlock (partially filled with water) and seal the lid. Primary fermentation should begin in 24-36 hours and should finish in 5-9 days.
After the fermentation slows down, you should rack the cider into a clean carboy and attach a stopper and an airlock. While bulk aging cider, the carboy should always be filled close to the top (~ 1″ from the stopper). Secondary fermentation will now occur, and can take up to 30 days. You will know it is done when the carbon dioxide gas bubbling through the airlock stops. At that point you may rack the cider off the sediment into a clean carboy and add more sulfite. Cider generally benefits from bulk aging for an extended time period, but you can finish and bottle as you see fit.
Ask us for more information if you’d like your hard cider to be either sweet or sparkling.
We have a great book on cider making that can provide you with more information and recipes: Cider-Making: Using & Enjoying Sweet & Hard Cider by Annie Proulx and Lew Nichols.
FAQs
Before adding your yeast, allow the cider to reach room temperature (at least 65 deg F), and make sure it has been at least 3 hours since you added the sulfite. Add 1 packet of yeast for each 5 gallons.
What temperature do you ferment hard cider? ›
Recommended fermentation temperature is 68 to 72 °F (20 to 22 °C). Fermenting at higher temperatures will produce more esters, potentially developing a strongly aromatic cider. Wyeast 5112 Brettanomyces bruxellensis: This could be a good yeast choice for the very adventurous cider maker.
How much sugar do you add to hard cider when bottling? ›
Back carbonation gives you much more control over how dry or sweet, and even still or fizzy your cider is. If you would like a nice, fizzy cider: for a gallon at bottling time, add either: 1/8 – 1/4 cup of brown sugar (for best mixing, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup of boiled water, before you add it) OR.
What equipment is needed to make hard cider? ›
1. Gather Equipment & Ingredients
- Juice. ...
- Glass carboy or brewng bucket to ferment your cider.
- A rubber stopper and fermentation airlock to keep air out of your fermentation vessel.
- Brewing Cleaner & Sanitizer.
- Cider yeast.
- Corn sugar for fermenting and carbonating your cider.
If we add an excessive number of yeast, the fermentation process will be robust and energetic, and this may result in an excessively active fermentation.
Should you add sugar when making hard cider? ›
If you don't add any sugar to the cider, this will be the final alcohol content after primary fermentation is complete. If you want to increase the alcohol content, you will need to add sugar prior to fermentation as described above. You will want to recheck the cider with the hydrometer after you add the sugar.
How to tell when hard cider is done fermenting? ›
A natural finish...
This can be checked by: Looking for bubbles passing through the airlock. No bubbles indicate that fermentation has finished (though it might be 'stuck' – see later). This is not fool proof so you should also follow the next step.
Should I stir my cider during fermentation? ›
Don't stir. That is why it is called “pitching the yeast” and not “stirring in the yeast.”
What is the shelf life of homemade hard cider? ›
While hard cider can be aged for years, it becomes drier as time passes, and the general shelf-life of cider is considered to be a year or two.
What is the best sugar for bottling cider? ›
Liquid sugar is one of the most widely used sugars in cider production because its 67% sucrose content and low viscosity enable it to deliver consistent and reproducible results.
After capping, if you are making fizzy cider you have some more waiting to do. If you added the amount of sugar I recommended, you will want to check your cider in about 2 weeks (sooner if your room is warm >70F). Just pop open one of the bottles and see if you get a nice, carbonated “pop” sound.
How do you make homebrew cider sweeter? ›
Sucrose is the most common sugar for back-sweetening. Since it is fermentable, adding it to a finished cider risks refermentation and pushed-out corks or blown-up bottles. Cider can be also be sweetened with a non-fermentable sweetener such as saccharin or stevia, which we will cover later in this article.
What is the best temperature for making hard cider? ›
The ideal fermentation temperature for hard cider is generally between 13°C and 22°C (55°F and 72°F).
Do you need an airlock to make cider? ›
Some cider makers ferment without an airlock during this stage, using a clean cloth to stop solids getting in; the gas coming out will stop bacteria invading. If you decide to use an airlock, make sure it doesn't dry out. Apple juice will ferment without adding anything to it, so many cider makers use this process.
What is must in cider making? ›
To make the best cider, you need to ensure that the fruit is ripe. This can be done with a simple prod test – when you can leave an indentation in the skin with your thumbnail, they're ready to go. Importantly, also, the fruit needs to be clean, so as to not introduce spoilage bacteria.
How much yeast do I add to 5 gallons? ›
A good way to remember how much dry yeast to pitch: For ales and 5 gallon batches, use approximately 5.5 grams of dry yeast for every . 025 SG points.
How much yeast do I need for a 5 gallon wash? ›
For a 5 gallon mash: (201)
If using bird feed, make sure it is perishable, or in other words is free of preservatives. 7 lbs (3.2kg) of granulated sugar. 1 tbsp yeast (distillers yeast if available.)
How many packets of dry yeast for 5 gallons? ›
A single 11 g pack of dry yeast contains about 200 billion cells, which is more than enough to pitch 5 gallons (19 L) of ale and perhaps enough for 5 gallons (19 L) of lager (although two packets are generally advised).
How much yeast do you put in 5 gallons of homemade wine? ›
Each 5 gram packet is enough to start 5 gallons of wine by direct addition. Packets may be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Some strains are also available in 500 gram packets which are enough for 500 gallons of wine.
