Hard Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 liter fresh apple juice (no preservatives)
- adjust sugar content to desired level
- 1/2 teaspoon tsp. pectic enzyme powder
- 1 tsp. acid blend
- 1/4 tsp. grape tannin
- 1/2 tsp. yeast energizer
- 2 campden tablets
- 1 packet all purpose wine yeast
Instructions
Crush and dissolve campden tablets in a cup of warm water and mix well with the FRESH apple juice in your primary fermenter. Let stand over-night. Mix in all other ingredients except yeast making sure everything is dissolved, then sprinkle yeast over top of juice and cover with plastic sheet and ferment 3 to 5 days. Rack (siphon) into secondary fermenter and attach air lock. Rack again in 3 weeks. When all fermentation is finished, rack into a clean vessel and add 2 oz of white sugar and gently stir well. (I usually put the sugar into a bit of water and dissolve it first by boiling it in the microwave) When sugar is well mixed, bottle and age 3 months. This will give you a crisp, carbonated hard cider. Note: The more sugar you add, the more alcohol you will get, but the longer it will take to ferment. I would recommend from 1/2 to 1 pound per gal/4.5 l and not more than 2 lbs.