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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Dry Hopped Cider Recipe 5 Gallon Batch
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...
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How to Keg Hard Cider
Kegging and force carbonating hard cider has many benefits over traditional bottling and while it requires more equipment, kegging is totally worth it! Whether your cider has been bulk aged or is only a few weeks old, carbonating in the keg will allow for safe back...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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