Need a good Hard Apple Cider recipe!!

[hewgag]

Does anyone have a good "from scratch" hard apple cider recipe?? I have a pile of apples and thought this would be something good to do with 'em. I have experience with home brewing beer and thought maybe I'd give cider a go if the recipe was good.


Many Thanks!

 

[moikel]

I don't have a recipe but I would look towards the United Kingdom if it was me. I have seen it made on TV shows in places like Yorkshire & Dorset.
If you can find it on YouTube Hugh Fearnley Whittingstalls River Cottage TV series has some stuff on making cider.
Do you have the right apples?

 

[jeepdiver]

If you have juice apples and the juice taste good, I would just get some cider yeast (wyeast and white labs both make hard cider yeast).

Check your juice with a hydro and see what your potential avb is (cider will finish at ot slightly below 1.0). If you want it stronger add enough table sugar or corn sugar to up it where you like it.

I would pitch a healthy starter or at leasr a couple of packs so the yeast has a good head start on any natural yeast or bugs on your apple. Give it at least 2-3 months to age out and hopefully drop clear.

This will give you a nice dry cider. I have done it with fresh cider, and with store bought juice and cider.

Personally I like 5-6% abv. I have done up to 10% which takes 6 months or more to age to a drinkable beverage.

Bottle or keg just like beer.

If you like it dry it really is that easy. If you want to backsweeten that becomes a pain in bottles but can be done easy enough with kegs