Vermont Homebrew Supply

We all enjoy a glass of fresh cider in the fall.  But, to a beer or winemaker, a bucket of cider in the fall is a great chance to craft a truly Vermont beverage. You will need to make a series of choices once you have secured your cider.  I sometimes skip right to the finish and try to imagine what I want to drink when the cider is done.  The alcohol content, the color, flavor and whether or not I want it sparkling or still are all part of the design.  As the cidermaker you can design your cider and then plan your recipe based on what you want to drink later.  I'll try to walk you through some of the options you have.  But remember, you can always try something different next year.

 

The number one ingredient.  Your choice of cider is very important.  You want a fresh, untreated with sorbate, cider.  You might be able to get fresh untreated cider right out of the press.  That is always the best.  If it has been pasteurized, or heated up to kill bacteria, you can use that as well.  The blend of apples is very important.  The more tart and complex the blend of apples is , the more interesting the final product will be.  Once the sweetness has fermented out, the acidity and alcohol will become the dominant flavors.  And I find that a certain extra level of tartness also makes a better tasting cider with better aging potential. 

Of course, without the yeast this party is getting off to a slow start.  Let's assume that you found fresh cider straight out of the press.  If the apples were picked, not drops, and not washed you can do a "natural" fermentation.  The apples have wild yeasts on the skins.  When the apples are not washed and the cider isn't pasteurized, the yeasts will start to ferment naturally.  You just want to make sure it is warm enough for them to work.  I usually ferment the ciders upstairs, over 60F, then take it down to the cellar for secondary.  I have made spontaneously fermented ciders up to about 10% alcohol with very good results.  This is pretty much the only beverage I would ever do like this.  There is no guarantee you'll like what you get, but for the adventerous, it is fun to try. 

Your alternative is to add the yeast yourself.  Here again, lots of choices.  You may want to treat your cider first with campden tablets.  They look like aspirin pills.  One tablet per gallon will release sulpher dioxide gas which is toxic to the wild yeasts.  In 24-36 hours you pitch the yeast you want.  This is also about the same amount of time is takes icy cold fresh pressed cider to warm up in your house to fermentation temperatures. 

I have used wine, ale & lager yeasts to good effect in hard cider.  You always want to know the temperature where the fermenter will be.  If you are going over 8-9% alcohol content, then you should probably plan to use a wine yeast.  Don't skimp on the yeast, it's doing a big job.

One of the first things I do when I get my bucket of cider is take a hydrometer reading.  The sugar in the cider is going to become alcohol.  On the hydrometer is a scale for potential alcohol.  Once you have a reading you can decide if that is strong enough or if you need to add more fermentable sugar.  Just as an example, if your hydrometer reads 1.050 or 7% potential alcohol, then adding #1 of sugar per gallon will bring it up to 1.090 or 12% potential alcohol.  If I am adding sugar, then I take a half gallon of cider and dissolve the sugar in that on the stove.  Then all I have to do is add it back and stir well to mix.

Remember I said you had lots of choices to make?  This one is big.  Once you have decided to increase the alcohol content by adding sugar, you can also effect the color, flavor and aroma of the cider by your choice of sugar.  The lightest sugar I've used is corn sugar or dextrose.  It will add no color to the cider and may enhance the apple aroma and flavor.  It dissolves easily and the yeast will very easily ferment it.  Use dextrose when you want a light colored, crisp and dry cider.  Honey is another popular sugar.  Also known as cyser, a cider with honey is a little more complex.  Depending on the honey it can also add flavor and aroma.  Right now in the store we have a blueberry honey.  Orange blossom would be good too.   Maybe you've heard of New England barrel style cider.  That's a version that is usually over 10%/vol. and an amber color.  Usually done in a barrel, today's modern cidermaker, yeah I'm looking at you, can get the same effect by using oak chips/cubes in a glass carboy.  The darker color comes from using darker sugars like brown sugar and molasses, sometimes in a blend with corn sugar.  Raisins can go in as well,  they'll add color and tannin to the cider. But, be warned: Raisins can also make your cider look like a bad science experiment as they will loose their color and puff up. Don't panic, the raisins will usually sink to the bottom of the carboy and be left behind when you siphon out the cider.   I made a nice cider one year using Belgian amber candi sugar.   Cider makers also ask about using maple syryp in the cider, but I don't get as much positive feedback on that.  Try an English sugar like Demarara, Moscovado or Turbinado.

If you already make beer or wine you have most everything.  It will foam up a bit when its fermenting so make sure your fermenter has some headspace.  Glass or plastic is fine.  An airlock with water will keep the fruit flies out.  You will need to have a glass jug/carboy for secondary. You should plan to make an extra half gallon or so.  If you have extra then you'll have plenty of cider to fill the carboy right up.  Since this is going to sit till it clears, it is very important not to have a lot of headspace.  A hydrometer and siphoning equipement is important to have.  You don't need to worry about bottling for a few months.

You have a beautiful clear golden yellow cider and it's time to bottle.  If you want to have a sparkling cider then bottle like a beer brewer does.  A bottling bucket and a bottle filler tip will make the job easier.  Use bottles that can hold pressure, like beer or champagne bottles.  If the cider is not going to be sparkling, or still, then you can use any bottle and either cap or cork it.  You might want to add some potassium sorbate to the cider before you bottle it.  Then the yeast is dead and you won't find a big mess in the cellar later.

I have ever carbonated a naturally fermented cider by adding a couple of organic raisins to each bottle, then capping.  It worked very well but it's a little bit less sure than just priming it.  When I do prime it I use 1/2 cup of dextrose for a lighter level of carbonation than I want in a beer.

It can be a long cold dark winter.  Sometimes cold things happen to good ciders, specifically, you can make applejack.  Mother Nature is going to help you make a strong cider a bit stronger.  When you have a nice, clear 12% cider sitting in a carboy in February start watching the weather reports.  If we are going to have -20F or better (worse?) then you can siphon the cider back into a bucket, cover it, & put it out to freeze overnight.  The next morning you can punch through the ice with your racking cane and siphon out clear stuff.  You may get it up to 20% or more. 

Cidermakers will encounter a few situations that can effect the cider for the worse.  Fruit flies are the enemy.  They can carry the bacteria that can turn a wine/cider to vinegar.  So today's modern cidermaker should use a fermenter with an airlock.  Glass or plastic, sanitized and an airlock on top and you can keep those pesky fruit flies out and let the CO2 escape.  Keep the fermenter over 60F so that it will ferment easily.  Remember, one of your jobs is to make life easy for the yeast, whether it's natural or you bought it.  Siphon it, don't just pick it up and pour it.  The exception to this is when it first comes out of the fermenter.  If there is still some residual CO2, then pouring it out will help to de-gas it.  But you really ought to be siphoning it when you transfer it to a different container.  Siphoning it lets you move it, without splashing it (adding oxygen), and leaves the sediment behind.  Oxygen is also something to avoid adding to your cider once it is done fermenting.  Oxidized cider will be brownish in color and can smell nutty like a sherry.  That's not necessarily bad, but oxygen also can carry the acetobacter bacteria that will turn your cider into vinegar.

Hopefully you are starting to realize that there is no one path to a great homebrewed cider. Keeping it clean, filling up the secondary, using your hydrometer and being patient are the same for cider or beer or wine.  You have choices to make.  Add sugar or not.  Which kind, how much?  A fruit essence on bottling day? Maybe some rose hips or elderflowers in the secondary?   Yeast or not? Which kind.  We have liquid yeast for cider.  You can use beer or wine or the natural yeast. Still or sparkling? Oak or not?  I'm sure I'm forgetting something.  But I'll come back and update this if need be.  If you have never made wine or beer before, don't get intimated by the process or terminolgy.  It's both art and science.  If you like it, it's good.

Cheers