How to make Hard Cider

New England Style Hard Cider

8/1/2011 English 202C Peter George

How to make 5 gallons of New England Style Hard Cider

Making your own hard cider is an enjoyable hobby that anyone who completed a high school level chemistry class can do. Even so it can be a daunting task to someone who has never tried it before. When you complete these 8 simple steps, you will have 5 gallons of a dry New England style hard cider. The entire process takes 9 weeks from start to finish but the first three steps are all done on the first day.

1. Setting Up Your Equipment 2. Taking Your Hydrometer Readings 3. Pitching Your Yeast 4. Racking Your Cider 5. Fining Your Cider 6. Bottling Your Cider 7. Conditioning Your Cider 8. Storing & Enjoying Your Cider

Glossary of terms
Here are some definitions you will find useful in your cider making experience. Must Unpasteurized apple juice before it is fermented into cider. Dextrose Also known as brewers sugar, it is a 100% fermentable sugar. Carboy A glass container used to store liquids while they ferment. Hydrometer A glass instrument that measures the specific gravity of a liquid at 60F. Bung w/ airlock A rubber stopper with a plastic, water filled, airlock attached to it. Used to seal a carboy and release CO2 during fermentation. Racking The process of siphoning the cider off its yeast sediment to a new container. Bottle conditioning The process of allowing natural carbonation to occur in the bottle.

Equipment
All of the following equipment can be purchased online or at your local homebrew supply store. 6.5 gallon carboy 5 gallon carboy Graduated cylinder Auto-siphon Measuring spoons Hydrometer Stirring stick Bung w/airlock Measuring cups Bottle capper Thermometer Funnel Glass bottles Bottle caps Bottling valve
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Ingredients
The unpasteurized apple must can usually be found at a local farm or orchard. The other ingredients can be purchased online or at your local homebrew store. (6 gallons) Unpasteurized apple must (1 Tbsp.) Pectic Enzyme (1 packet) Montrachet wine yeast (6 oz.) Dextrose

Step #1

Setting Up Your Equipment

Start by cleaning your workspace. It should be a well lit area with table or counter space. Gather your equipment and ingredients together. Make sure that your equipment is clean and free of soap/detergent residue.

Step #2

Taking Your Hydrometer Readings

To determine the potential, and final, alcohol content of your cider you must take a hydrometer reading before and after fermentation. This shows you the amount of sugar in your cider and how much of it has been converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the yeast. Use your thermometer to make sure the apple must is at 60 F. Fill your Graduated cylinder full with must. Gently place your hydrometer into the must and spin it to remove any air bubbles from the surface of the instrument.
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Write down the specific gravity reading of the hydrometer.

Specific gravity is written like (1.060) and once you have that number you can determine the potential alcohol content of your cider. On the reverse of the hydrometer is a scale of the percent alcohol by volume. A specific gravity of 1.060 corresponds to a potential alcohol content of 8%.

Figure 1. Hydrometer in cider

Step #3

Pitching Your Yeast

Once you have accurate measurements of the musts specific gravity at 60 F you can start the fermentation process. Place the funnel into the mouth of the 6.5 gallon carboy. Measure out 1 Tbsp. of Pectic Enzyme and pour it into the funnel. Pour the packet of Montrachet wine yeast into the funnel. Pour all 6 gallons of must into the 6.5 gallon carboy through the funnel. Remove the funnel. Fill the airlock to the fill line with water. Insert the airlock into the bung. Seal the carboy with the bung w/airlock. Store the carboy in a dark place with the ambient temperature between 55-65 F.

Figure 2. Yeast pitched into must

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Step #4

Racking Your Cider

After about 2 weeks the foamy head on the cider will sink down to the bottom and the cider will start to clear. Most of the yeast will have settled to the bottom of the carboy and the cider will look less brown and more yellow. WARNING: If your cider is exposed to too much oxygen during or after fermentation occurs you risk acetobacter turning your cider into vinegar! Place the 5 gallon carboy below the level of the 6.5 gallon carboy or the auto siphon will not work properly. Remove the bung w/airlock from the 6.5 gallon carboy. Gently insert the siphon end of the auto siphon into the cider being careful not to disturb the yeast sediment on the bottom. Insert the tube end of the auto siphon into the 5 gallon carboy so that it is as close to the bottom as possible. Engage the auto siphon to rack the cider off its yeast sediment into the 5 gallon carboy. Seal the 5 gallon carboy with the bung w/airlock. Place the 5 gallon carboy on the upper level where the 6.5 gallon carboy was.

Figure 3. Cider that is almost finished fermenting

Step #5

Fining Your Cider

After about 2 weeks the yeast will have eaten all the fermentable sugars in the cider and converted them to alcohol and carbon dioxide. Your cider should look golden or honey colored and all of the remaining yeast sediment should be at the bottom of the 5 gallon carboy. Place the funnel into the mouth of the 6.5 gallon carboy. Pour 6oz. of dextrose into the 6.5 gallon carboy through the funnel. Remove the funnel.
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Place the 6.5 gallon carboy below the level of the 5 gallon carboy or the auto siphon will not work properly. Remove the bung w/airlock from the 5 gallon carboy. Gently insert the siphon end of the auto siphon into the cider being careful not to disturb the yeast sediment on the bottom. Insert the tube end of the auto siphon into the 6.5 gallon carboy so that it is as close to the bottom as possible. Engage the auto siphon to rack the cider off its yeast sediment into the 6.5 gallon carboy. Take a sample of the cider once it is all in the new carboy and fill the graduated cylinder of the way full. Take your second hydrometer reading the same way you did in Step #2 and record it. Take the last two digits from the first reading and subtract the last two digits from the second reading. Multiply the difference in gravity by (.129) to give you your ciders percent alcohol by volume or ABV. Insert the stirring stick into the cider and gently but thoroughly stir the dextrose into the cider.

Figure 4. Properly fined cider

Step #6

Bottling Your Cider

You can use several different kinds of bottles to store your cider in. The most useful are brown glass beer bottles that require a bottle opener. The twist-off type bottles are useless and should never be used. You will need at least 48 12 fl. oz. bottles for your cider. Make sure your bottles are thoroughly rinsed and dried before bottling. Attach the bottling valve to the tube end of your auto siphon. Insert the siphon end into the cider and engage it. With your bottles on a lower level than the 6.5 gallon carboy insert the bottling valve into the bottle. Push the valve against the bottom of the bottle to engage the valve and fill the bottle. When the bottle is full to the brim remove the valve from the bottle to disengage it. Place a bottle cap in the bottle cappers upper press. Place the bottle of cider under the upper press and pull the handle down to cap it.
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Repeat the last five tasks until all of your bottles are capped.

Figure 5. Bottle cappers

Step #7

Conditioning Your Cider

Once all of your cider has been bottled it is time to condition it. Adding dextrose in the last task of Step #5 has given what little yeast is left in your cider a new food source. The yeast will proceed to eat the small amount of sugar and produce CO2. Since the bottles are a sealed environment the pressure inside the bottles increases and the CO2 dissolves into the cider. Place your bottles of cider in a dark place that stays at a constant 65F. Do not disturb the bottles for two weeks. After 2 weeks have passed remove the bottles and put them into a dark place that stays at a constant 50-55F. Age the cider for at least a month in the cold environment to develop flavor and allow the yeast sediment to settle.

Step #8

Storing & Enjoying Your Cider

Your cider bottles should be stored upright in a cold, dark environment like a refrigerator or wine cellar. This will keep it fresher longer and reduce the risk of it becoming vinegar. If kept in a appropriate location your cider can last for years enhancing and changing the flavor. To properly enjoy your cider use a wine glass or brandy snifter to drink from. Remove the bottle cap and slowly pour the cider off the yeast sediment into your glass.

Troubleshooting Tips
If your cider is not carbonated when you open a bottle it is probably because the temperature in the environment was too cold to allow the yeast to grow. Move the bottles of cider to a warmer environment. If your cider tastes sour or vinous its probably because bacteria have infected it. The solution is to sterilize your equipment better next time.
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