Homemade Apple Cider Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How is apple cider made step by step? ›

Selecting Apples

It takes 15 pounds of apples to produce a gallon of cider.

It take about 3-6 medium sized pressed apples to make an 8 oz cup of cider.

There are essentially 2 simple ways to make cider. One is to add campden tablets to the juice to remove any bad bacterial that may spoil the whole batch. Then 24 hours later, add cider yeast. The alternative way is to not add campden or yeast, and leave the juice to do its own thing.

If you are relying on the wild yeasts which naturally occur in apples, it may take one or two weeks for the fermentation to get under way. If there is still no fermentation after 2 weeks, add a cultured yeast, such as Vigo Presses cider yeast, which is a high quality cider yeast widely used by commercial producers.

The most commonly used yeast is a champagne yeast. Being a very aggressive yeast, it ferments quickly to a very clean, dry flavor that suits the apple character very well. This yeast is cheap, easy to use, and makes a delicious, consistent beverage.

For sweeter cider, try Gala, Fuji, Cortland, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious varieties; for a more acidic ghostwriter seminararbeit, tart flavor, go with Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonathan, or McIntosh. A blend of apples from both the sweet and tart flavor families is sure to be a hit!

If you are looking for a healthy detox, look no further than ACV. Combine 1 ½ cups ACV with one gallon of water and drink throughout the course of a day for an overall body and kidney detoxification.

A gallon of fresh apple cider at Walmart is about $4/gallon. I used about $2.50 worth of fruit and a few cents worth of spices to get 48oz. If we say it cost a total of $2.75 to make this batch of 48oz, that would come out to $7.15/gallon.

How much yeast is needed for cider? ›

Use a cider yeast and add a 5 gram sachet. If you are making a larger quantity, the whole sachet would be enough to make a full (23 litres) 5 gallons of cider. Stir it around and then add some yeast nutrient. A teaspoon is normally good for 1 gallon.

Add yeast and nutrients: Add ½ teaspoon (~2 grams) of yeast nutrient (Fermaid K) per gallon of juice. Carefully swirl to mix. Add ¼ teaspoon (~1 gram) dry yeast per gallon of juice by sprinkling across the surface of the juice. After a few minutes, gently swirl to mix.

Caroline advises that with the addition of a little apple juice or elderflower cordial there is every chance that you will be able to turn your cider from puckering to perfect. Just don't put the lid back on it and pop it in the cupboard as it may well start to ferment again.

Keep fermentation vessel(s) in a warm place (15-20°C) – after 3-4 weeks you should have a clear cider. Check it with a hydrometer . The reading needs to be one or less. If higher, keep fermenting.

Fermentation is the magic process that turns your apple juice into delicious cider.

Fermentation is a relationship between yeast (naturally found on apples) and the sugar in the apple juice; yeast eats sugar and excretes alcohol and CO2 gas.

The fermentation time will depend on the room temperature and the initial starting gravity. 5 to 14 days is just a guide. The slower the fermentation the better the cider will taste. It is really important not to exceed 27°C.

You can make cider from pretty much any variety of apple. They could be cookers, eaters or a blend of many different types. In an ideal world, cider apples would be best but again any type of apple is capable of making you a nice, real home made cider!