Made a batch of hard cider

[mike64]

I've wanted to try this since we moved to a place a few years ago that has some apple trees on the property. We get tons of apples every fall. So I juiced the apples, poured in a vial of English cider yeast and watched it bubble in a 5 gallon glass jug for 3 weeks. It's supposed to get better after bottling and aging for a month or so, but Saturday I bottled it up and gave it a try, and it's already delicious!

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Made a batch of hard cider

Mike's Hard Cider..........................who'da thunk it?? I'll bet it's got a kick!!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Made a batch of hard cider

There was an older local man that would wait until the dead of winter and open a wooden keg of hard cider that he stored outside....... it was closer to apple moonshine since 80-90% of it was frozen and only the alcohol would flow out.

I know I took a sip and quickly gasped for air!

 

[mike64]

Re: Made a batch of hard cider

Mike's Hard Cider..........................who'da thunk it?? I'll bet it's got a kick!!

If I get around to making labels, that's what I'm going to call it! And yes, it does have a pretty good kick. I added a pound or more of brown sugar to up the alcohol content, which would have been about as strong as light beer with just the sugar from the apples. I think it's probably around 7-8%, somewhere between beer and wine.

I also added a little bit of sugar before I bottled it for a secondary fermentation that'll make it a sparkling cider. Yesterday I chilled and opened the bottle that I filled last, one that had a lot of dregs in it, and it was already fizzy after 24 hours.

There was an older local man that would wait until the dead of winter and open a wooden keg of hard cider that he stored outside....... it was closer to apple moonshine since 80-90% of it was frozen and only the alcohol would flow out.

I know I took a sip and quickly gasped for air!

I've heard of that-- I believe it's known as applejack.

 

[ToothDocNick]

Re: Made a batch of hard cider

When I was in high school we used to make hard apple cider with a gallon jug of cider and a box of raisins. It was great. Forgot that fall I left for college, and dad went digging through my closet for something or another and found the cider. By then it was winter so he stuck it in the snow and waited for me to return home from school. Man that was some strong shine and it didn't take much to get you lit. I think he enjoyed it more than I did.