It's (hard) cider time!

I look forward to this time of year, when I can get my hands on some fresh apple cider to make my yearly batch of hard cider. This year I have not been able to find any real fresh stuff and I don't have the time to drive to Wilcox to visit the cider mills, so I had to improvise. I chose to use the Simply Apple pure pressed juice for a trial batch, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
3 Gallons Simply Apple Pure Pressed
6 lbs Desert Wildflower honey
6 Cinnamon Sticks
10 Whole Cloves
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
5 Tbsp Acid Blend
1/2 Oz Irish Moss
Yeast Energizer
Lalvin D47 Yeast

Place all ingredients except the yeast and the yeast energizer in a pot and bring to a boil, continue boil for 15 minutes, skim off the scum. Remove 2 cups of the mix and place in a wine bottle and cool to 80 degrees - this will be used for the yeast starter. Pour remaining mixture into plastic primary fermenter and allow to cool - I do this with a bathtub of cool water.

Once the yeast starter mix is properly cooled, add 1 Tbsp of yeast energizer to mix, disssolve the yeast in 2 oz of water for 15 minutes and add mix in wine bottle. Install airlock and place in dark location for 4 hours. Once the starter in well established, aerate the cider mixture (this is called a "must") and add the yeast starter. Place lid on fermenting bucket and install an airlock.

Allow the cider to ferment for approximately 1 week, rack (siphon transfer) to glass carboy, straining out any remaining cinnamon, cloves, etc. and once again install an airlock. Allow to ferment until there is 1 bubble about every 3 minutes coming from the airlock. At this point you will rack the mixture again and prime with 1/2 cup of corn sugar and water mixture (dissovle the sugar and bring to boil to sterilize). I like to put the sugar water mix in a clean carboy and siphon the cider into that container to get a good mix with the primer. Next fill your bottles and cap. Allow to carbonate / settle for at least 2 weeks before drinking. Best served very cold.

I should point out that it is VERY IMPORTANT that you don't over prime, or bottle before the cider has fully fermented. When I started making hard cider 15 years ago I made that mistake and ended up with glass grenades. I literally had chucks of glass embedded in the drywall where I stored the bottles - very dangerous indeed!

Enjoy!



John
http://www.redbarnworkshop.com/