How to make Cider from Supermarket Apple Juice without Special Equipment or Ingredients
By Paraglider
How to make Cider from Supermarket Ingredients
Cider is easier to make at home than either wine or beer and makes a very pleasant alternative, especially on a warm summer evening. To make cider traditionally, you need fresh cider apples and a heavy-duty screw press. To make it even more traditionally, you need a barn, a large oak cask that you can call a hogshead if you must, sackfuls of cider apples, a huge granite mill wheel and channel, and a horse that doesn't mind walking in circles for a few hours.
Alternatively, you can use supermarket apple juice and dried baker's yeast.
Not everyone wants to invest in equipment or learn techniques that they may never use again. And many of us simply don't have access to winemaking supplies. When I moved to the Middle East, I developed and published a winemaking method that needs only supermarket juice, sugar and wine yeast. But what if you can't even source wine yeast? Baker's yeast is unreliable at best for winemaking (its alcohol tolerance is too low) but it does produce a very acceptable cider. So let's make cider instead. It's called cutting your coat according to your cloth, or something. And it's quicker too.
Get the ducks in line
Pop down to the supermarket and get a large plastic flagon of pure apple juice (not a cardboard carton) and a packet of dried baker's yeast. The brand of apple juice doesn't matter, but make sure there are no added preservatives, as these could prevent it fermenting. Some additional vitamin C is no problem. If there are no preservatives, the juice will usually have been pasteurised to stabilise it. This gives it a darker colour than fresh juice, but we can live with that.
You will also need a teaspoon and a drinking straw, but you probably have these already! If you like, you can arrange everything neatly on the table and take a photograph like mine, but this step is entirely optional!
Get the ducks flying!
- Open the flagon and completely remove the inner foil seal (if any).
- With the drinking straw, enjoy the top two inches (5 cm) of apple juice. Waste not, want not!
- Carefully tip half a level teaspoon of dried yeast onto the surface of the juice.
- Do not shake or stir the juice.
- Replace the cap. Tighten it then back it off a quarter turn to allow gas to escape.
And that is it! There is nothing more to do but wait, watch and read my deathless prose...
Watch as the yeast quickly re-hydrates and expands across the surface, forming a slurry. The dormant yeast cells waken in a yeast heaven and soon start gorging on the sugar and nutrients in the juice and replicating like crazy. This is a yeast orgy. Clumps of cells start to break off and fall slowly to the bottom, where they carry on working on the fruit sugars, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide gas.
Flying and quacking now...
After a few hours, the juice should be bubbling merrily, with a good head of froth on top. Baker's yeast tends to be a much faster starter than wine yeast and doesn't take long to get going. You'll notice that the juice has gone cloudy. This is normal. The yeast population is now far more than the original teaspoonful and the rising carbon dioxide bubbles keep everything in motion.
The fermentation doesn't go on forever. After a few days, the available sugar is all used up, the bubbling stops, and the yeast cells start to drop to the bottom. It's impossible to say when this will happen as it depends on the sweetness of the original juice, the strain of yeast, the ambient temperature and several other factors.
- When the fermentation has slowed to one or two bubbles per second, typically after three days, taste it using a drinking straw. It should be fairly dry. If it is still sweet, try again in 24 hours.
- When happy with the dryness, tighten the cap and put the flagon in the refrigerator (not the freezer!) This will help it to fall clear.
The cider is already ready for drinking, but will look and taste better after a couple of days in the fridge. It doesn't matter if it is not completely clear. There is nothing unwholesome about a little yeast. After all, you eat it every day in bread. Some commercial ciders of the scrumpy style are traditionally served cloudy. Always keep the flagon in the fridge until serving. This prevents any risk of exploding flagons if you've been in too much of a hurry. When serving, pour carefully to avoid disturbing the sediment.
If you have judged your end point well, it will have a slight sparkle when poured, giving a freshness to the taste. If you left it a little too late, it will be still and dry, but perfectly drinkable. On the other hand, if you refrigerated it too soon, it will be sweeter and a little frothy.
Cider Apples?
Cider apples are different from both dessert and cooking apples. True cider apples are extremely hard, even when ripe. When crushed in a mill, the juice runs clear. The softer dessert and cooking varieties tend to crush to a sloppy pulp with cloudy juice which is no good for cider. Supermarket apple juices are not made from cider apples, but they are extracted and cleared using hi-tech centrifuge and filtering techniques that are not available to the amateur. Be grateful they have done the hard work for you!
Explanations, hints and tips
This method was designed to work with no special equipment and with baker's yeast. If you do have access to wine yeast it is better to use it this way.
Sterilisation is vital if you are making cider by traditional methods. However in my method you start with a sealed, sterile juice flagon and ferment in situ opening the top only for the minute it takes to remove some juice and add the yeast. Spoilage is highly unlikely.
Why not stir the yeast in? By floating the yeast on the surface, the growth process starts locally in the concentrated slurry that forms when the yeast absorbs the liquid and re-hydrates. A blanket of carbon dioxide soon forms which forces the air out of the flagon and protects the juice from oxidation. If you stir the yeast in, the start will be slower and the protection less.
Temperature: Warm room temperature is best. Shirt sleeves temperature, if you like. If the juice has been in a fridge, don't start and don't open it until it has warmed up to room temperature.
Sunlight: Yeast doesn't like sunlight. It's best not to place the flagon on the windowsill. Having said that, it doesn't need to be kept in the dark either.
Quantity: One flagon of cider is not very much. If you want to make a larger amount in a single batch, start by kicking off one flagon exactly as described above. When it is going well, say after 48 hours, transfer it to a larger vessel and pour in more juice, remembering to leave a couple of inches air space at the top. Cap it and back off the cap as before, to let gas escape. After that, proceed exactly as with the single flagon. But if you are going to do this, you should sterilise the large vessel before use.
Alternatively, if one flagon isn't enough, start two, three, five, ten! The great advantage of fermenting in the original container is that there are no sterilisation worries.
Strength: The alcoholic strength of this cider depends on the sweetness of the original juice. Typically it will lie in the range 4 to 6% ABV (Alcohol by Volume), or about the same as a medium-strong beer. You can increase the strength by adding sugar at the start, but this increases the chances of stopping the fermentation early, leaving an oversweet drink, because of the relatively low alcohol tolerance of baker's yeast. I prefer to accept the natural strength as it comes.
Still, Flat, Sparkling: No-one talks about still beer. If beer has no bubbles, it is called flat, not still, and flat beer is to nobody's liking. That is because beer is made from grain and contains little or no acid. It needs the carbon dioxide gas to give it sharpness or life. Cider, made from apple juice, contains malic acid. This lends a freshness to the taste, even in the absence of gas. So still cider is an accepted style, while flat beer is always a failure.
Quality: This cider is not meant to win any prizes. Better results can be obtained with fresh apples and a great deal more work and knowledge. But you can be assured that it is perfectly wholesome, because you know exactly what went into it. No preservatives, no chemicals, just juice and yeast.
Cheers! and thanks for reading!
Comments
Wow...this really IS easy! Thanks for the explanation of how to make apple cider without "a huge granite mill wheel and channel, and a horse that doesn't mind walking in circles for a few hours." Haha! Rated useful and up.
I've never seen this done before, interesting! Thanks!
Thanks for helping to revive a very early American drink.
Johnny Appleseed was not spreading apples in America far and wide for ingestion; he did this to encourage the production of cider.
I live out in Thailand and cider has never taken root here, even though they have been growing apples for a long while. If I can find yeast of any kind, I will try this.
This could be a life changing read for expats everywhere. Cold cider and a fiery sunset has to rank high in the pleasures of life!
What an easy way to make something that is obviously tasty and refreshing. Thanks for the recipe and tips!
I like it -brilliant!
Thanks Gus - just the thing to go with your barbecue sausage!
Peggy - it's as easy as it gets! It's worth trying it with as many different apple juices as you can find, as some turn out better than others.
Thanks Pinkchic, and welcome :)
LiamBeam - absolutely right, and something similar can be said about barley!
Will - Let's just say that my thoughts turned to cider making because of Ramadan in Qatar!
Cardisa - it is, but always serve straight from the fridge.
itakins - thanks, going to try it?
Cheers Paraglider! Sounds like a plan.
Thanks Alice - give it a try?
Most certainly-raring to go !
Hey Paraglider, I guess I have to go to the store now and get some apple juice and see how well this works out. I haven't drank cider in years, but your hub and it's excellently written format, should provide me with something that will be very interesting to attempt. :) Thank you kindly. :)
Hi Cagsil and iatkins - let me know how you get on, ok? Just make sure you get a preservative-free juice. A friend and I polished off a flagon last night. Very acceptable :)
Oh finally a great how to guide with out searching for the equipment. I love how to's with what you have, not what you need to get. Awesome thank you!
jenubouka - Where I live, in the Middle East, wine and cider making equipment is not available, so I've devised methods for both that need nothing unusual or specialised. I hope it works for you!
Middle East? in usa or over seas?
Qatar, Arabia, in the Gulf. So very over seas, yes :)
this is a wonderful article. i have been wanting brew some beer since i have been in riyadh, but theres just too much special equipment and ingredients to make it practical. i can't believe i never thought of cider! i kicked off a batch a few days ago, ill post up some results next week. Thanks for the advice!
My family is from lebanon. We are pratically neighbors! well not really but I will defiantly be looking for your articles
pistolpete - there's not a lot to go wrong with this method as it is so simple. Some juices have a better flavour than others, that's all. Good luck.
jenubouka - most welcome. I've not been to Lebanon but have many Lebanese colleagues here in Doha.
I can only find Saf Gold Yeast in my area so, i am using it and did three batches today let you know the result in few.
Thanks for explaining this. The best cidar I ever had I tasted at a gift shop at the beach. It costed almost $10 for a little carton!
At $10 a carton, it's got to be worth making your own!
Cloudy and dry.
This is not a weather report, but my first try at any form of home brew. Maybe I'll stop it a little earlier next time, and see if I can make it a little sweeter.
Hi GG - dry is fine, but cloudy suggests too short a time in fridge, maybe? Anyway, how did it taste? The cider house in Elmley Castle serves in china mugs so you can't tell if it's cloudy or clear!
I'm going to have to try this. Thanks for the detailed directions and pictures. I'm a fan of fermented foods, and this process seems easy enough.
Hi livelonger - it's certainly easy. I haven't had a failed batch yet. The main quality factor seems to be the brand of apple juice, and strangely, I've found that the better juices (for drinking) don't make the best cider. The apple flavour is too strong. Cheaper, blander juices turn out more authentic. Good luck :)
Interesting - that's a good tip, since it will save me money, too!
Mine works out at 3 Riyals a pint (about 75 cents) while the bar prices in Qatar are ten times that amount. So it's got to be worth doing!
Wow...talk about cheap tipple! ;) And I suppose you're right that you don't want cider to have too much of an apple flavor; it might be cloying.
Ok, failed with the first try very harsh kind taste and bread kind smell so in next try i put very small piece of cinnamon now eventually all is well.. Saf Gold Yeast also worked..
There's nothing magic about cinnamon, but if you like the taste of it that's fine! I deleted your second comment because I don't want outgoing links.
been fermenting for a few days now... getting excited :p has a slight vinegar smell though, im afraid it might have oxidized....
This is a delightful DIY article! I'm always looking for ways to provide life's simple needs myself without paying some overgrown business complex to do it for me. Your method is right down the alley.
parks - fermenting juice always has a slightly acidic smell because of the CO2. 'A few days' is long enough. Taste it. If the sweetness is gone, refrigerate it.
Attikos - thanks, good luck with the first brew :)
Cool thanks man. makes me feel a bit better. one more question..... i did add some extra sugar at the start. its been three days almost to the minute, but its still bubbling up pretty nicely. a bit more sour than sweet, but the sweetness is deff there for sure. fridge it or one more day?
I'd give it another day. Three days is enough for natural juice in my warm Gulf climate. But if it's still bubbling happily, give it more time.
Just wondering if any apple juice that says 'pure' is suitable as long as it is in a plastic bottle...
Its just i saw some own brand in a plastic milk style bottle and thought it might work?
I did another experiment, i am very happy and satisfied its easy and fast also the taste is GOOD. All i did is create a natural starter using brown raisins and used against dry yeast follow your steps here is the detail:
1. Buy 1.5 Mineral Water and Remove .5 litter Water
2. Add 10 Spoons Sugar
3. Add 50 Raisins
4. Shake Well
5. Put the cap on and tight fully
And that is it!
Now..
* Every 24hour for next 7days, must remove the gas from the bottle (press the bottle to make sure it can be easily pressed) so process can continue by moving cap a little bit around and never remove the cap all the way then tight fully back, after releasing the gas from the bottle. After 7days just use half cup per 5 litter or two spoons per litter!
Ollie - It would probably work, but if the juice has not been pasteurised there's slightly more chance of it spoiling.
SatGold - that's using the natural yeast on the raisin skins and growing it on. It's not guaranteed to work for all raisins, but if you enjoy experimenting it's well worth the small risk. As it's a true wine yeast, the taste could well turn out better than the baker's yeast.
When I fully tight the cap on third day and leave the bottle for 12hours, it was impossible to even pressed and then I put in refrigerator now taste is perfect.
Nice success story - thanks :)
2 days ago I bought some 'Copella' cloudy apple juice. I thought i'd get it as it said its just like home made stuff. It says its pure and free from all sorts of preservatives etc. It has bubbled and frothed alot, so im pretty sure its working. But theres orangey brown gunk forming at the top and sticking to the sides. It might just be left over yeast or whatever i'd just like to know what it actually is and what i should do about it.
Another quick response would be great :) Thanks
It's just yeast. Don't worry about it. when you pour it, it will stick to the sides and not come into the glass.
So i mixed up a batch of cider yesterday and the bottle was expanding a lot, so i have been slightly loosening the cap to release gas and then retightening. I just came home and attempted to do this and the cider exploded all over my kitchen...pretty funny but i'd rather not have that happen again hah should i not open it at all next time?
My first batch was very enjoyable- like a very dry white wine with an apple after hit. I have graduated to a 5 litre container.
Joy - throughout the fermentation process, the cap should remain slightly backed off, to let the gas out. I do say that in the method. Anyway, now you know why!!
Will - Glad my method has made it to Thailand :)
has anyone tried it with 'cloudy apple juice'. ive just put mine in the fridge and it looks disgusting XD. smells slightly cider-like so it might work ;)
Aahh i misunderstood that bit, thanks for the quick response.
my husband was very happy when he read this article..we are living right now in the middle east and alcohol is strictly prohibited..he is so excited and this time we are doing it..wish us good luck..and i hope this first cider is going to be a huge success..thanks a lot..
There's not much can go wrong with this method as it's so simple. Good luck :)
I never knew that making cider could be this easy. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, CF, hope it works for you :)
I've looking for an easy cider recipe. Thanks for sharing.
This is as easy as it gets :)
Hey Paraglider, I also live in a country where there is no access to wine yeast! So, I decided to get fresh apples and juiced them instead of using the clear and less viscous supermarket apple juice. I've put the yeast in already about an hour ago. Will it work? I don't see too much activity.
Hadi - it should work, but the risk of spoilage is higher because the juice (and your equipment) might not be sterile. If you're going to use fresh fruit, you should really apply sterilisation techniques. I discuss this on my winemaking hubs.
I bought a large batch of wine yeast into Saudi disguised as "gravy powder" with various other provisions..
I have enjoyed cider many times although I tend to add a little extra sugar to boost the strength in line with the capabilities of the yeast. I also have tended to make slightly larger batches, normally having 4 or 5 five gallon water containers on the go at any one time so that I don't run out of any socially unacceptable but totally necessary drinks!
I have never sold my beer / wine / cider despite many asking to buy, I think that would be looking for trouble, but share with friends quite generously.. many of my friends being Saudi who will often turn up with a bottle or two of black label to go with the other drinks.. I love the saudi way of life..lol
As to cider getting back to your hub, this method is great for just about any form or flavor of fruit juice, you can even drop a few grains of yeast into the top of bottles of No-Alcohol beer with a spoonful or three of sugar for a more refreshing drink (mixed with a fresh bottle of beer will give you back a little fizz if you don't like it flat.)
Hi LeanMan - the best thing about this method is that it is almost guaranteed to work because the chances of spoilage are minimal. And it's completely scalable - if you want a bigger batch, just start more flagons!
I agree with you about sales though. That would be pushing your luck just too far. The authorities couldn't turn a blind eye to a brewing business.
This is awesome! Perfect for the holiday season coming up. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Elizabeth, I hope it works for you :)
The method has made it to Australia! First three litres just started. Will let you know in a few days how it went.
That's good - I see no reason why it shouldn't work down under!
Thanks for this i'm just about to refrigerate my first batch then i'm going to try the white grape wine, should be nice and ready by christmas.
Scotty, yes, if you start in the next day or two, you can get a white wine ready for Christmas. Good luck!
This could prove to be very valuable for a handful of reasons you probably know, with the short production time being my personal favorite. Will naturally experiment with a few brands and maybe minor amounts of added sugar. First toast goes to you.
Dr Corollary, the fast turnaround is a nice feature. From one weekend to the next. If you're going to add sugar, best make it into a syrup first, rather than adding crystals. Good luck.
Hi Paraglider, I'm really keen to try your method. Just a question about temperature: what is 'warm room temperature'/'shirt sleeves temperature'? I live in Asia where the room temp is 25-30 degrees celcius, is that an ok temperature for making cider? Thanks :)
Kristen, 25 to 30C is perfect. You should have a nice quick fermentation in that temperature range. Good luck :)
Thanks! Will try it next weekend and let you know how it goes. Am really excited :)
Paraglider, this stuff is absolutly lovely the only problem is that everyone likes it so in 3 weeks i aint seen one clear pint even if i filter it... i have been using a 5 liter container firstly with 3 liters of juice to one teaspoon of yeast then after 48 hours i've added another 1.5 liters of juice.... problem is my friends and family want some for the christmas period so can you suggest a recipe for a bigger batch? i have a 40 pint container here but not sure how to go about it....
Since we're just using supermarket juice and no extra sugar, there's nothing much to go wrong, provided everything is properly clean. If you want a 5 gallon batch, start off as if making one gallon. When it is fermenting strongly, pour it into the 5 gall vessel and add nearly 4 more gallons. Just hold back from over filling it until the fermentation has calmed, then top it up. Alternatively, just start a dozen 2-litre flagons separately, in their original containers. Less heavy lifting involved!
i'm finished my first try.., the taste is sour like vinegar..
With no sugar left to balance it, the malic acid in the apple juice will feature in the taste, but if there is a real vinegar taste you have had infection by acetobacter, a bacteria that converts ethanol to acetic acid. This is nearly always carried by fruit flies. Are you sure there's a vinegar taste and smell, or maybe you just don't like cider?
Hi there. I've just started off four bottles of your method, but as I sprinkled it in, the yeast didn't stay on the surface - most of it sank to the bottom. Is that still OK? Also, I live in a hot country but our house inside is quite cold - obviously the houses here are designed to keep the heat out. Do I need to try to warm the room the bottles are in a little bit, or will it be OK?
Hi Evs - it won't be a problem. Some yeasts float more easily than others, but it will still start. There should be no need to heat the room. If it is cool, it will take an extra day or two to finish but that's also fine.
Thanks alot. It's been 24 hours but nothing's started happening yet - I'm guessing you will just tell me to be patient!?
Patient is good, but if it doesn't start within 48 hrs there could be something wrong, e.g. preservatives in the juice or old yeast? Dried yeast has a shelf life and doesn't last forever, especially if it gets damp.
Thank you for the easy recipe. I really enjoy apple cider, but it tends to be too seasonal. Now I can have it whenever I choose.
Could you do a similar thing with non alcoholic beer, adding sugar and bakers yeast? if so what kind of amounts would you recommend?
Senorapata - this method is certainly all year round. The only difference is that it takes a little longer to ferment in the cooler times.
Fern, around 70 grams/litre and 1/4 tsp yeast per litre. But there's no great saving to be made as alcohol free beer is not much cheaper than normal beer, whereas apple juice is a lot cheaper than cider.
This hub is wonderfully informative, I simply must try it sometime! Though I do have one question, would microwaving or boiling a mug full of this stuff reduce the quality of it at all? I know I certainly do not enjoy cold cider.
Don't boil it or you'll drive off the alcohol. If you like a mulled wine style, you could warm it and stir in some cloves and cinnamon, sugar or honey to taste.
That sounds excellent! Thanks for the tip.
Thanks alot for the advice. Much appreciated. I think you're very kind answering every single persons questions individually. I moved the bottles to a warmer room and they started bubbling away. They are still going FIVE DAYS after I first started them. Looking forward to a taste or 10 soon - have had nada for weeks here in the dryest of dry countries.... thanks again. I'll report back on the results.
Five days is fine in a cooler place. You can taste it for dryness and stick it in the fridge with the cap tightened as soon as you're happy that most of the sweetness has gone.
I just had a sneaky taste and I think it still tastes quite sweet, so I'll leave it another day or so. It's still bubbling quite alot too. CAn one spoil things by leaving it too long before putting it in the fridge?
As long as it is pushing out gas it is pretty well protected (by the CO2 blanket) and should come to no harm. When the bubbling stops, or a little before, get it into the fridge right away.
Will I have to increase the amount of baker's yeast too if I increase quantity of the sugar in order to increase the strength a bit?
No. The small yeast addition grows by replication until there is an equilibrium between rate of replication and rate of dying. So it doesn't make much difference how much you add at the start.
could I decant into 500ml bottles with a little priming sugar to produce a clearer sparkling cider?
latic - yes, you could. Make sure the bottles are strong enough to take the pressure. One 'standard' sugar cube is about right, if you've allowed the main fermentation to finish.
Fantastic! I have some bottles that I use for homebrew lager. Thanks Para I'm off to give it a go,I'll let you know how it goes.
Hi Paraglider,I have started 5 litres and will decant into bottles with priming sugar.How long do you think it will keep before going off?
I would keep it at room temp for a couple of days after priming and sealing, then move it to a cooler place for storage. It should be OK for 2 months at least but if you want to keep it longer you should be thinking about sulphiting it.
Thanks for a wonderfully useful instruction! Being a professor of biochemistry I know the chemical details of glycolysis and alcohol fermentation, but was unsure about the type of yeast to use, sugar contents, etc. I set up a half gallon of Martinelli's apple juice with added sugar (final 19.2 Brix), a half teaspoon of baker's dry yeast and a primitive homemade airlock (a straw, a long balloon and some candlewax :)). I'll let it ferment for a few days to a week and let uou know how it went...
Biochemist - nice to hear from a professional! Most amateur brewers/winemakers use Specific Gravity or Original Gravity rather than Brix, as the hydrometer is a very cheap and easy tool to use.
I believe 19.2 Brix is around 1.080 SG. This is not going to ferment out in less than 3 weeks as it is a very high OG for cider. 80 is about right for a table wine. Baker's yeast might not be able to finish the job without additional yeast nutrients. I suggest you look at my wine-making hubs as well. Good luck :)
I just tried this for the first time, enjoying my third glass now! I've been making home brew beer and cider from kits for a good few years. Alcohol is highly taxed in Australia and cider ends up costing about 12 dollars a liter or more. I like to work as little as possible. I just made two litres for 2 dollars, I saved myself a whole hour of toil at the old boomerang factory. Also, Australian alcoholic drink labels don't tell you the ingredients so you really don't know what you're drinking. This stuff tastes great and I know it is free of gluten. Oh, I used white wine yeast because it is readily available here and added about 2 tablespoons of sugar to two litres juice to put a bit more edge on the strength.
I also love this method because it cuts out the most labor intensive and water consuming bit of home brewing, sterilizing the bottles.
I think I'll experiment with adding a bit of sugar after fermentation settles, cranking the lid down tight, and leaving it out of the fridge for a few more days. That oughta make it a little bit fizzy. I let you know how it works.
That will certainly give it a sparkle. Be careful though, you don't need much sugar to prime a bottle. No bombs please :)
Thanks for this :) I'm making homemade wine but I'm not very patient so this is a fast alternative to quench my thirst inbetween waiting for my wine :) and no special yeast to make it better... again thank you!
It's certainly faster than wine, especially in hot climates such as here in Qatar.
I've got to share our experience with this recipe.
I tried it first. I let the juice ferment for nearly three days before I put it in the fridge. It fell beautifully clear and had a dry taste. I tested the alcohol content with a refraction device and it read about 2%.
My wife liked the product so much that she made the next batch. Same brand of juice. She let it ferment for 48 hours. As you would expect, it's less dry. As you would not expect, it has a higher alcohol content at about 3.5%! It has stayed cloudy but it's got great sparkle and we both agree that hers tastes better than mine. I just don't understand why the alcohol content is greater.
Thanks Paraglider. We'll be doing this again very soon.
Temperature has a lot to do with it. I don't know where you live, but if the nights are cold you will have dormant hours when nothing is happening. I would always let it ferment until nearly exhausted, then refrigerate. Anyway, there's nothing wrong with a cloudy drink. I've just had a few pints of German weissbier. Quite relaxed now :-)
I've had great success with this, it's very hot in Western Australia and my apple juice turned into cider in a week. Just like the Somerset farm cider I used to buy as a lad many years ago. 50 pence a gallon if I remember right! Thanks for posting this. J
Here in Qatar I can make it for 40 riyals a gallon which is more or less a gallon for the price of a pint in the bars. It must be one of the most cost effective hobbies!
Oh wow!!! This is my "Hub of the day". Extremely wel written, interesting, it's like a combination of information and art! Love it! Surely gonna make. Voted up and everything else!
Thanks Nare :) Come back and let us know how your first batch turns out!
Hi, I read this article in detail and with practical interest. I will actually try making some cider at home.
It's a very easy method. I'm sure it will work for you :)
You, good sir, are a genius
Thanks Benny :)
BTW, how long will my cider last in the fridge, after it's finished doin its thing?
If you pour it into a new flagon, leaving the sediment behind, it will keep in the fridge for a good couple of months (if it gets the chance!)
Exactly how much should I back off the cap? Is there anyway to tell and what happens if I back it off too much
Do I have to put it in the fridge after I bottle it? Or can I just seal it up tightly and store. It wouldn't sit around more than a couple weeks.
Khalea - enough for the gas to escape. Not so much that you can lift the cap straight off.
Spado - No problem. Just be sure that it's not still sweet when you bottle it or the pressure could build up and burst the bottles.
Cool thanks man mine should be done within the next 48 hours can't wait to try it!
Thanks for the great instructions for cider making! I just started my first batch and had a quick question. Most of the yeast sank to the bottom pretty much immediately. I notice in your instructions and pics the slurry forming at the top of the container that helps produce CO2 and protect the cider from oxidation. I am not using a narrow necked container as pictured and perhaps that is the problem. My question is if this is going to be a lost batch if the yeast does not stay on top and should I just start over sooner rather than later?
There shouldn't be any problem provided you keep the jar covered (but not airtight!) When the fermentation gets underway, the rising bubbles keep the yeast in suspension.
Thanks for the quickk reply! Things are fermenting along nicely even without the slurry on the top. After about a half day I found the bottle laying on its side as the base had been deformed by the pressure despite the fact that I had backed the cap off a quarter turn. Is this normal? I released some pressure by opening the cap a little more and then resetting the cap to the suggested position. The bottle remains rock hard this morning. Should I perodically release gas to prevent a rupture or am I ok to leave it just with the cap backed off a quarter turn?
Sounds like you've got a self sealing cap. Back it off more until the gas can escape freely. The aim is to let the gas out but not let any fruit flies in.
Well my first batch is done! I think it turned out ok - but honestly it has been a long time since I have had a cider. I also live and work in the middle east and when I was back home I was more a beer guy than cider. My results after fermenting for 3 days and chilling for 1/2 a day:
Pours a slightly hazy pale gold with lots of tiny bubbles. Very light nose just a hint of apples. Light effervescent mouthfeel. A bit tart. Jam assuming this is normal and that if the batch were off it would have both an offensives odorous and a very sour taste - is that true? How would I tell if it oxidizized or were infected?
All in all I think it was a decent first effort. I have a second batch started to see if I can repeat the results. Thanksgiving so much for the great directions and support!
Sounds fine. It will clear more if you leave it in the fridge longer. Maybe give the next batch 4 days fermenting to be slightly stronger/flatter/drier. All comes down to taste :)
Fun stuff, but bakers yeast is generally not the best thing for fermenting beverages. If you're looking to kick this up a notch, go get yourself a 22 oz bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and pour most of the beer into a glass. At the bottom there will be a layer of yeast. You can use this to make a starter culture by putting it in a sterile glass container along with some sugar and yeast nutrient. Let it sit for a day or two and you'll have a nice slurry of happy brewers yeast ready to go to work on your apple juice. Now drink the beer, if you haven't already. Cheers!
Hi Wes - I'm familiar with growing yeast cultures from the lees of real ales, but I'm writing from Qatar where there are no alcoholic beverages in the shops. Baker's yeast doesn't make a good wine as a general rule, but for cider it does pretty well if used as per my method.
Paraglider, Thank you so much for this cider receipe, I live in Egypt where you can not get cider, or when you do you pay stupid prices for it.
I make my cider in a 6 litre water bottle, I use 5 litres of pure apple juice and half a teaspoon of yeast, when it has finished bubbling, I then transfer to another 6 litre water bottle and add 1 teaspoon of sugar, where I then put it in the fridge overnight.
This makes a slightly sparkling cider which is really really nice.
So much so that I cannot make it quick enough!
Thank you so much for all your advice
Glad it's working for you :) I use the original 2 litre containers to minimise the risk of any contamination, but really the risk is small provided your water bottles are scrupulously clean and fresh.
GusTheRedneck 9 months ago
Howdy Dave (Paraglider) - A great how-to article, complete with clear directions and accompanied by understandable explanations of the "why-to." Nice stuff. Thanks.
Gus :-)))