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 AUGUST 1, 2010 |
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AUGUST 1, 2010 |
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THE COUNTRY CORNER |
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HARD CIDER THIS FALL???
Steps in Making Hard Cider
Secure apple cider without
preservative. Most apple cider
for hard cider should be a blend
of 3 or more varieties.
Gathering your own apples and
squeezing is the fun way to
go!!!
Fresh cider should be in clean
containers. Wooden barrels make
the best hard cider as the wood
breathes and gives the cider
proper aging.
To the cider add 1lb. of sugar
per gallon for a dry hard cider
(not sweet) or 1 1/2 lbs. for a
sweet drink. Honey can be
substituted for sugar on a pound
per pound basis. Sugar and honey
should be dissolved by warming
some cider and mixing the sugar
and honey until completely
dissolved; then mix with the
cider.
Natural yeast in the juice will
ferment the sugar to alcohol.
Yeast need not be added,
although it can without any
problem. Some fermentation
processes call for killing all
the yeast in the pure cider with
sulfur dioxide, waiting 24 hours
and then adding wine yeast. For
the homeowner this is not
necessary.
Put air lock on container and
keep at 60-70F for a couple of
months. Lower temperatures take
longer for product to change
from sugar to alcohol.
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After 2 months the juice should be decanted
off (siphoned out of the container), the
container washed, and the juice put back
into the container. Do not use siphon hose
closer than 4" from bottom of container as
this is where all the sediment is resting.
After decanting, store at 40 - 60F in a
wooden barrel and wait for proper aging -- 6
months to 6 years, depending upon desires.
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NOTES
Once juice is in container, the container cannot be moved as it will put sediment back into solution, and the results is a cloudy product.
Beet, grape, raspberry juice, etc. can be added for color.
Raisins can be added for sugar.
If cider is made in a 50-gallon wooded barrel, and you plan to draw it off over a 6-month period, a sulfur dioxide dispensing bung should be put on top bung hole once barrel is in use. This keeps the air space germ free and prevents off taste on the last used product.
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