Hard Cider Experiments

Those who know me usually know of my predilection for hard apple cider; my preferred brand is Blackthorn, which actually I haven’t been able to find here in New Mexico — and so I buy out the entire stock at Trader Joe’s in Sunnyvale CA whenever I’m visiting there.

I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of homebrewing, too — although I hate beer, ale, stout and the rest.  So, waste of time there.  But then I heard you can homebrew hard apple cider and started to look into the ‘how’.

At first, it looked too hard and complicated, all kinds of expensive gear and not knowing if I’d even like it or find the effort worthwhile.  Finally, I decided what the hell, let’s try something cheap first.

So I ordered a “Mr. Beer” Hard Cider rig from Amazon, which comes with everything you need to brew up 2 gallons of cider, including some cider syrup concentrate, a plastic brewing barrel thing, and 8 quart-sized bottles for post-fermentation bottling.  Again, all plastic, but that keeps the cost down, I’m sure.

Last week (1st Dec), I started the first batch and have been watching with interest as it developed the layer of yeasty foam… The instructions say wait at least a week before bottling, so I’ve a ways to go yet on that — I’m planning to let it go at least 10 days, maybe two full weeks.

Additional research, of course, led me to alternative methods of cider making (including some interesting notions for deriving applejack, which is freeze-distilled cider).  One of the most intriguing I found via Google at this site here.  The method?  Even simpler:  Buy a gallon of organic unfiltered apple juice at Whole Foods ($7), which happens to come in a glass jug perfect for fermentation.  Add some homebrewer’s yeast; I went with 1/3 a packet of Lalvin EC-1118 champagne yeast ($0.85), mixed in warm water to activate.  Then topped the jug in-situ with a #6 rubber stopper and S-curve airlock (these cost about $2).  (Later, I may try lager yeast, as the website recipe suggests.  I also got a packet of ‘liquid cider yeast’ which could prove interesting, but would best be for when I’m going to make at least 5 gallons at one go.)

Did this last night, with two more gallon bottles — and stoppers and airlocks — in reserve…figured I’d try it 1st and see what happened if anything.  Initially, for the first 12 hours, it didn’t look like anything would.

This morning though, I woke to discover bubbles coming through the airlock at a steady rate of about one every 1.5 seconds and a steady stream of tiny bubbles making a froth at the top of the juice.  Still active, too.  According to the website, I should have something drinkable in about a week and a half.  We’ll see.