The Cider Making Knowledgebase
Conical Fermenters For Cider Makers
Do you hate sanitizing transfer vessels or using a racking cane? The process of racking adds an additional step that could introduce oxygen or contaminates into your cider, not good. Also, it's a lot of work! To get around this, I recently started using a FastFerment...
Perry Pear Hard Cider Recipe
You may only think about apples when it comes to cider but there is another wonderful juice out there that can make an amazing beverage, that is pear cider AKA perry. Pears grow in similar fashion and have the same season which also means there is an abundance all at...
Citra Hopped Cider Recipe
After talking about how much I enjoyed my first batch of hopped cider using Cascade hops, several readers suggested that I give a Citra hopped cider a shot. Not knowing a lot about hops, or having much experience brewing with them, I figured it would either be the...
Basic Kegging Equipment For Hard Cider
Personally, one thing I don't like to do is clean and sanitize dozens of bottles. It can be a pain to clean old bottles and filling them can get messy. On top of that, getting the carbonation just right can also be tricky. So, I invested in kegging equipment for...
When to Make Fruit Additions – Cider Experiment
While pondering my next batch of hard cider, I thought about an ongoing discussion. Should fruit, berries or any other flavor addition be added to cider must before pitching yeast or after initial fermentation has neared completion? The question comes from the idea...
Cherry Hard Cider Recipe
Cherry is a popular choice for flavoring hard cider because cherry juice will complement the apple whether it is sweet or tart. I have found many versions of the recipe including black cherry cider, sour cherry cider, tart cherry cider and everything in between. ...
Apple Cyser Mead Recipe – 1 Gallon
A Cyser is a blend between an apple cider and a mead. Fermenting the fruit and honey combination is also referred to a Melomel but the apple and honey base has earned its own name. Cider is traditionally apple juice and a mead is only honey and water, also known as a...
Yeast Energizer & Nutrient: A Cider Experiment
I have received many questions about yeast nutrient since I wrote a post about it and I didn't have a solid way of backing up my belief that it helps produce better cider. So, I decided to run an experiment, one that can be replicated by other home cider makers. The...
Adjusting Hard Cider Acidity (TA) & pH with Malic Acid
Have you ever made a cider that tasted flat and watery that made you feel like you wasted a bunch of time waiting for your cider to mature? Or, maybe the cider is too acidic? I know I have and I tried to correct it by adding sugar or apple juice concentrate but just...
How to Make Peach Hard Cider
Apples and peaches taste great together in many drinks and desserts so it would only make sense to blend them for a hard cider! If you are looking for a way to use your extra peaches or just want to try a new hard cider recipe, try making hard peach cider! This recipe...
Why Does My Cider Smell Like Sulfur?
Whether you are new to making cider or have many batches under your belt, you have probably popped off the airlock of a fermenter, went in for a sniff and were greeted with a nose full of sulfur. It's certainly disappointing. When yeast becomes stressed or is exposed...
Non Fermentable Sugars and Sweeteners for Hard Cider
Non fermentable sugars and sweeteners are the solution to a big challenge for the home cider maker. The problem is how to make a sweet cider that naturally carbonates in the bottle without overpressurizing the bottles. If you follow r/cider, you have probably seen the...
How to Stop Cider Fermentation for Sweet Hard Cider
A common question I get from new cider maker's about making sweet or semi-sweet cider is “how do I stop fermentation of my cider?” This question is generally asked for two reasons. The first is to stop active fermentation early to keep a cider sweet before it ferments...
Aging Hard Cider with Oak Chips, Cubes or Spirals
During my last trip overseas, I came across Henry Weston Vintage Oak Aged Cider while I was browsing ciders in Tallinn, Estonia. The Weston Cider was great, even at 8%+ ABV, the cider was smooth and the tannic properties along with hints of vanilla that the oak added...
Homemade Pineapple Hard Cider Recipe
I have seen a few people posting online about their attempts at a pineapple hard cider recipe and it sounded interesting so I thought I would give it a shot. I am a big fan of pineapple (especially on pizza) and obviously love apples but I was a little skeptical on...
Best Bubble Airlocks for Fermentation of Cider
The airlock, also called a bubbler, is an essential fermentation device that protects your cider from bugs, bacteria, oxygen and other undesirables during fermentation. It allows excess CO2, a byproduct of fermentation, to escape the fermenter while keeping a...
Best Yeast for Making Hard Cider
Often people ask "what is the best cider yeast for making hard cider?" and that is tough to answer. It all comes down to style and preference because different varieties can change the process, taste and even visual appearance of hard cider. Commercial yeast...
Homemade Berry Hard Cider Recipe
If you are looking to add a twist of flavor to your next homemade cider, adding berries to make a berry apple cider might just the thing you are looking for. Berries are packed with flavor that will complement the apple yet are low in sugar so they won't boost the ABV...
Using Yeast Nutrient & Energizer for Making a Better Cider
Yeast nutrient and energizer add nutrients to apple cider that can boost fermentation quality by improving yeast health which results in faster fermentation, lessens the chance off flavors and helps produce a better tasting hard cider. While apple juice does have a...
Best Hard Cider Making Kit
Kits for making hard cider that are available online generally include basic essentials such as a fermenter and airlock but beginners quickly outgrow these setups. For someone looking to make a decent size batch and have more control over their homemade cider, they...
Dry Hopped Hard Cider Recipe
The idea for a hopped cider recipe came to me after switching my tap from a pale ale to a fresh hard cider. When I switched the tap, I didn't bother to flush the line and I ended up with a mix that was surprisingly delicious. So, I decided it was time to change things...
How to Keg Hard Cider
Are you tired of filling and capping bottles? Kegging and force carbonating hard cider has many benefits over traditional bottling and while it requires more equipment, finishing cider in a keg is totally worth it! Whether your cider has been bulk aged or is only a...
Keto Friendly Low Carb Hard Cider Recipe
Let's face it, even when making challenging lifestyle changes, we sometimes need a drink! Finding a keto friendly hard cider can be a challenge when searching the local beer store because they all seem to be packed with sugar. On average, a commercial hard cider has...
Ginger Apple Hard Cider Recipe
I have always loved homemade ginger beer so I when I began making cider I knew I had to try a ginger apple cider recipe. My favorite part is how the fresh ginger creates a fiery flavor that I can’t get from a commercial beverage. Making this alcoholic ginger apple...
Reuse S-04 Yeast for Fermenting Hard Cider
Don't wash that yeast down the drain just yet, there may be a lot of life left in those beauties! While commercial cultured yeasts are fairly cheap, why not get the most out of a pack and reuse the yeast? After racking a batch of cider into a secondary you will be...
Krausen Formation on Cider
If you're new to cider making, there may come a time when you see a questionable foam layer on top of your cider and wonder if you messed up. Or maybe you have read about krausen and wonder why you have never had it form. While the development of krausen is not...
Chaptalization Calculator for Adding Sugar to Cider
Chaptalization of cider is the process of adding additional sugars to the must, or original sweet cider, in order to raise the original gravity of the juice. This higher original gravity of the cider must will result in more viable fermentable sugars for the yeast to...
How to Add Tannin to Homemade Hard Cider
What Are Tannins? Tannin, or phenolics, are a naturally occurring compound that is found in apples, grapes, and some other fruits. These tannins are responsible for adding body to ciders by producing an astringent sensation on the tongue. An easier way to describe it...
How to Force Carbonate Hard Cider Without a Keg
If you want to carbonate your cider using CO2 but do not have a kegging setup, then the Carbonator Cap is a simple solution. This simple device can carb up any beverage quickly with only a few pieces of equipment. The biggest benefits of using the carbonator cap...
Hard Cider from Store Bought Juice Recipe
Making hard cider with store bought commercial apple juice is probably one of the easiest ways to make a cider and perhaps alcohol in general. At least a decent tasting one… Not everyone is lucky enough to live close to apple orchards where the freshest cider can be...
How to Use a Hydrometer for Cider Making
One piece of equipment that makes cider making seem like a chemistry experiment is the hydrometer. When fermenting cider, a hydrometer is used to measure the specific gravity, or sugar content, of the sweet cider before fermentation and alcoholic cider after...
Clearing Cider with Pectic Enzyme
Pectin is a naturally occurring substance that is found in the cell walls of many fruits, including apples. This pectin is the same organic material that gives your jam its thick consistency. While pectins make jelly an enjoyable spread, pectin makes clearing homemade...
Back Sweetening Hard Cider for Bottling & Kegging
Why would you back sweeten hard cider? Unless you added a lot of additional sugar before fermentation, there is a good chance your cider will be dry after fermentation. This leaves the cider a bit tart and maybe seeming a little watery. Back sweetening or adding some...
Dry English Cider Recipe
This hard cider recipe is an attempt to recreate a Dry English Cider and was originally posted on HomeBrewTalk. Traditional English ciders made in the south west of England were typically made with a blend of bittersweet and bittersharp apples that naturally contain...
