10/20/2011

Hard Cider

My interest in brewing again is starting to itch... Thus, I will be starting up again. This time, I think I'll try my hand at something that looks equally as easy, and just as rewarding.

Hard Cider.

I'm not going to go all wild and pick my own apples, and mash em, etc... I'm just going to go cheap and buy cider.

"FEH!" the purists are saying right now, I'm sure, but hey, I'm just a broke guy, who likes to drink beer and cider. It doesn't need to be expensive and difficult to be great. I know this from baking cakes using boxes of cake mix. I've baked things from scratch, and honestly it's a pain in the ass, and it's not any better. I'm not going to break my back and my bank for something that may very well suck.

I've researched it just a little bit (read: for the last 15 minutes online) and I've got some good ideas about it. I think I may actually make 5 gallons, since I have everything I need to do a 5 gallon batch. I won't have to buy 4 more stoppers and 4 more air locks, etc. Those are the reasons I will give to justify making so much. ;)

If you've done this before, and have some recommendations, I'm all ears!

3 comments:

  1. The most important thing about brewing cider is what cider you get. The cider you'll find in grocery stores typically have preservatives, which can retard fermentation. If you're so inclined, go to an orchard and get the good stuff.

    Not that it won't work with grocery store cider, if that's all you have access to, I just find that orchard-fresh cider has better results.

    Beyond that, if you've brewed beer, you won't be surprised by anything that happens with cider, it's fairly simple. Second fermentation is important for clarity, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, I'm told that the best place to buy the cider is whole foods, but I wasn't sure if that was because it came in convenient 1 gallon glass bottles, or the preservatives. I'm thinking probably both...

    Like I say, I have the 5 gallon carboy though, so I think I'll go that route. I am willing to bet there's a farmers market or an orchard around me that I could get it from though.

    Out of curiosity, have you done it by juicing your own apples? How many to a gallon?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've shied away from pressing my own, a bushel of apples makes about 3 gallons. Definitely cheaper to buy it already pressed, even if you get it straight from the orchard.

    ReplyDelete