You can but i strongly suggest you dont use it, i made my first batch when i started brewing 5 years ago and it ruined my batch, i suggest active yeast or wine/champagne yeast
Not being picky or anything ive brewed for 5 years, you need to let all of the sugar disolve, this is how i do it, pour half of the gallon of juice in your carboy and then put a pound of sugar in the half gallon, then shake and repeat til theres no more sugar, i suggest try to make edworts apfelwein its easy to make
use wood or glass for your home made cider, wood will expand and move around to let the cider work free.. they use wooden barrels to make wine and gives good flavor , its all in the movement
i was just wondering is it ok if i ferment mine in plastic containers and bottles cause i have two batches in plastic bottles should i not drink them ? or am i ok to use plastic? if you could let me know that would be great thanks
I've been making wine in my dorm room for quite a while since alcohol is so expensive and I noticed that some things are different with making hard cider. When making wine, you need to keep it in a dark area to let it ferment. Also, a balloon is a great substitute for the air lock. When making hard cider, is it okay to keep it out in the sunlight? And would you think that a balloon would work for this as well? Also, for the people wanting 1 gallon recipes, just divide everything by 5, dumb asses
@HonkMasterCraig i let mine sit out in the kitchen, not the dark and its been fine. the balloon will work too. a recipe i follow is 5 litres applejuice, 1/2 bag brown sugar, jar of honey, cup of strong tea for tannins spoonful of cider yeast. its tasty.
I don't think anyone's mentioned it but the added Vitamin C to all commercial apple juice IS the preservative in those bottles. It's not as bad as other preservatives but it will slow down yeast reproduction or even stop it depending on the yeast.
So saying that you're using apple juice without preservative is wrong, you're using apple juice with a mild preservative.
Look at the cheeks on this guy. I surley hope you put a little hard cider in the kid's bottle for helping your ass. Ain't nothing free in america chief.
Why do people call it hard cider now, when it was called apple jack for over 200 years? History people..History.. Anyone know the story of Johnny Appleseed? He wasn't planting trees for food, it was for apple jack. The preferred spirit until the Germans and Irish brought distillation of moonshine and beer into American life. :)
@StabbyMcButterPants apple jack is hard cider that has been jacked or freeze distiled to higher alcohol content so you are wrong this is hard cider history people history how rude of you to make people feel stupid when it is you that don't know what you are talking about
@callencasey1019 There was little distinction in the definition between the two names in the 1700's, especially among family farms. Applejack was hard cider but applejack was also a type of brandy. If you asked anyone during the 1700's if they had applejack, you could be handed fermented cider, or a harder apple brandy. Even Lincoln called both applejack in 1833. It's only until the 20th century they separated the two. As I said, for over 200 years it was called applejack.
@dondamon356 I'm in america, and I love to get in touch with my "irish roots", only problem is I'm not 21 yet, so I can't purchase any booze here. It's dumb how america you must be 21 to buy alcohol, and other countries it goes as low as 16. On top of that, you have to be 21 to drink here, but you can get a gun when you are 16, and I'm pretty sure guns are more dangerous than alcohol, especially at age 16.
@dondamon356 well that sucks im 18 and the drinking age here is 21, im in the military and can die for my country but my country men won't let me drink!
where's part 2? and I just bought a gallon of Apple Cider from a mennonite store nearby where I live, So it's completely rid of perservatives and all that junk that we dont want. Even has a nice health warning sticker on the side. But anyways, what should I do to make that one gallon of apple cider into hard cider, I know I am suppose to add yeast and let it sit for a couple weeks. Does it matter what kind of yeast? Like all i have at my house is bread yeast, will that work? please reply.
@Iamthegreen Shit, I wish I would've known a couple weeks earlier. I put my home-ade apple cider in the bottom of my fridge and it exploded, I didn't even notice it until recently. But thanx for the info, I'll try bread yeast next time I get some cider.
so how did it turn out? i am making a batch and its REALLY strong just dont know if i messed it up or not cant taste the apple juice in it anymore and its only been 3 days :S any help please
@timw421 --It turned out great. My measure for success was it still tasted like apple and had sweetness, but it definitely had the stronger almost wine tendency. But it ended up being about 9% alc. Great summer drink by itself or on ice. After about 9 days I had to ice bathe the carboy to kill the yeast cuz it was still fermenting like crazy. I actually dont know if I had, to but i did cuz I was afraid it would blow the tops off the jugs I put it in (I bottled in the jugs the juice came in)
So I went for it and just decided to make a 4 Gallon batch. The amounts of sugar I researched varied GREATLY, even tho the 6-7 day ferment seemed consistent. I am at 7 days since I mixed (about 6 days ferment) and it is still fermenting pretty steadily. Will it stop soon or can I stop it and bottle it anytime? Will my bottles explode if I bottle and refridgerate? What are my options, I am a beginner :)
@shaner12345y - not sure but i think the corn sugar is easier to disolve, but i have seen guys on you tube add reg table sugar to it - try it on a gallon, and see what happens??? would love to know how it worked!!!
@walkingspirittube - yep, that is what i used foor the primer in those 1 liter bottles (at least i think they are 1 liter. Try and see how dry it is, if it needs more sweetness, try 3??
most preservatives don't kill the yeast, they just stop it from growing(population expanding) If the juice has them, it just means you have to make a starter.
@niertap - gotcha!!! thanks for the info! We are getting ready to make another batch here in the next week or so, my wife want to drink some snakebites out on the patio...
@xx9MMxx - as i understand cider is basically apple juice. what we are making is "hard" apple juice. in my mind true cider is when the apples have been squeezed and you get pulp, juice, some rine, and it hasnt been filtered. But hey wtf do i know...
@ziggylogan - some people said that doing a fermentation in plastic is bad news. ??? I spoke to my local brewing supply guy, and he said since this was turbo cider and i was only letting it ferment for a week, it was fine..Thanks for the post! please rate me positive if you can!
@jwknight43 I have jury rigged two and three liter bottles with blow offs and I have never had a problem nor has anyopne who drank any of the wine i have made with it once complained about any off flavors..to say otherwise is saying your a tee totaler and just had to say that because you wanted to rain on someone elses parade.homebrewing if about fun not how much money you can throw at it thats like saying the smiths has to keep up with the joneses
@jwknight43 I brew my own beer and in my experience and from advice from other brewers using any plastic container isn't recommended because of the many tiny scratches inside the container that can harbor microscopic microbes. It makes it difficult to throughly sanitize it. Glass will last 100+ years and is much easier to clean. Just my $.02. I might try this cider thing though. Looks great.
Next time try using an organic or fresh pressed apple-juice, there must be a farmers market or organic food store you can get some from? You'll find you get a better end result, far better.
That Tree-top may not list preservatives, but they had to do something to it to make fruit juice shelf-stable!
@OPE08 - They actually put asorbic acid, basically lemon juice. For this process, I have done both cheap tree top, natural bottled applejuice, and fresh cider from a grower on the western slope of colorado. I am sorry, but I guess I dont have that great of a taste because i didnt fell one was soooo much better than the other..
To me simple is best, especially when cost is an issue and also availablity.
@RANGER2D - I used probably about 4 or 5 cups of sugar - yep, you can pitch the yeast dry - i did that with Champagne yeast i got from my beer making place. - I also primed each bottle with about 2 tablespoons of corn sugar - worked really good
people overestimate the importance of an air lock... CO2 is quite a heavey gass, so just a lid with a pin sized hole through the topp will surfice, that's what i do for the first week, then i just close it off completely to get it fizzy
You carbonate in your fermenter? thats poor process, all the dead yeast cells and the like, you'll get far better clarity by using a bright tank or bottle conditioning.
Each to his own tho' I guess.
Airlocks are NOT neccesary, but they are good for beginners who are still learning their process, and they can give you a "feel" for how your ferment is going.
I'm currently brewing an all-organic batch of hard cider with unfiltered apple juice, brown sugar and Cote des Blanc yeast. I pitched on 1/9/10 and I expect to begin bottling around early to mid March.
One thought on glass vs. plastic though - Better Bottles have advanced PET in their plastic, and it's completely fine to ferment for long periods of time (1+ months) in them - as opposed to glass.
Really looking forward to Part 2... I've started my own batch with champagne yeast, 3 days ago, and I'm just fermenting in the plastic jugs they came in, no sugar. My plugs didn't fit so I just drilled holes 1/8" too small in the lids for the airlocks...
Sorry, I will do the follow up video shortly! I need to make another batch this weekend. Will Film the process from the time it is done fermenting and will show how to bottle!!!
Great Video - Did it turn out, did you add more sugar when you bottled? Did the caps n the smaller bottles stay on? So full of questions - Would love to see a follow up!!
I will do a follow up, but yes I do "charge" the bottles after the fermentation. And the Shweppes(sp) bottles with the big mouthes work awesome! Since they have tons of carbonaztion with club soda in them, they work great..Have not had one blow up on me yet!
Love it!!! I do a Snake bite with my cider, Half Cider and Half Guiness(sp?) Tastes great and my last BBQ people drank 4 of the 5 gallons I made and really liked it!
@Cooking0the0art
You can but i strongly suggest you dont use it, i made my first batch when i started brewing 5 years ago and it ruined my batch, i suggest active yeast or wine/champagne yeast
405OklahomaBrewing 1 month ago
Not being picky or anything ive brewed for 5 years, you need to let all of the sugar disolve, this is how i do it, pour half of the gallon of juice in your carboy and then put a pound of sugar in the half gallon, then shake and repeat til theres no more sugar, i suggest try to make edworts apfelwein its easy to make
405OklahomaBrewing 1 month ago
where's part 2?
captianusa 1 month ago
how drunk we're you...
KevinxDoll 2 months ago
Yeahhhhhh ! FAIL ^^
arthurargoul 3 months ago
The ascorbic acid doesn't help either, so if you can get some without it as well you'd be even better off. Sadly you don't often have the choice.
electro676 3 months ago
use wood or glass for your home made cider, wood will expand and move around to let the cider work free.. they use wooden barrels to make wine and gives good flavor , its all in the movement
Gary65181 4 months ago
can i use instant yeast
Cooking0the0art 5 months ago
i was just wondering is it ok if i ferment mine in plastic containers and bottles cause i have two batches in plastic bottles should i not drink them ? or am i ok to use plastic? if you could let me know that would be great thanks
NickBrunisch 5 months ago
Where at in Colorado do you live?
calvinculpalt 10 months ago
I've been making wine in my dorm room for quite a while since alcohol is so expensive and I noticed that some things are different with making hard cider. When making wine, you need to keep it in a dark area to let it ferment. Also, a balloon is a great substitute for the air lock. When making hard cider, is it okay to keep it out in the sunlight? And would you think that a balloon would work for this as well? Also, for the people wanting 1 gallon recipes, just divide everything by 5, dumb asses
HonkMasterCraig 11 months ago
@HonkMasterCraig i let mine sit out in the kitchen, not the dark and its been fine. the balloon will work too. a recipe i follow is 5 litres applejuice, 1/2 bag brown sugar, jar of honey, cup of strong tea for tannins spoonful of cider yeast. its tasty.
JuiceBanger1 10 months ago
warm it in the refrigerator??
masterkronixster 11 months ago
I don't think anyone's mentioned it but the added Vitamin C to all commercial apple juice IS the preservative in those bottles. It's not as bad as other preservatives but it will slow down yeast reproduction or even stop it depending on the yeast.
So saying that you're using apple juice without preservative is wrong, you're using apple juice with a mild preservative.
Firgusgriffon 11 months ago
where is part 2???? has it been fermenting for a year?
FutureLaugh 1 year ago
Look at the cheeks on this guy. I surley hope you put a little hard cider in the kid's bottle for helping your ass. Ain't nothing free in america chief.
mikeygeneral 1 year ago
Why do people call it hard cider now, when it was called apple jack for over 200 years? History people..History.. Anyone know the story of Johnny Appleseed? He wasn't planting trees for food, it was for apple jack. The preferred spirit until the Germans and Irish brought distillation of moonshine and beer into American life. :)
StabbyMcButterPants 1 year ago
@StabbyMcButterPants apple jack is hard cider that has been jacked or freeze distiled to higher alcohol content so you are wrong this is hard cider history people history how rude of you to make people feel stupid when it is you that don't know what you are talking about
callencasey1019 1 year ago
@callencasey1019 There was little distinction in the definition between the two names in the 1700's, especially among family farms. Applejack was hard cider but applejack was also a type of brandy. If you asked anyone during the 1700's if they had applejack, you could be handed fermented cider, or a harder apple brandy. Even Lincoln called both applejack in 1833. It's only until the 20th century they separated the two. As I said, for over 200 years it was called applejack.
StabbyMcButterPants 1 year ago
hes too wasted to wave.
wtfuser0000 1 year ago
u americans and ur guinness! xD come over to me in ireland and il show u real guinness :P
dondamon356 1 year ago
@dondamon356 I'm in america, and I love to get in touch with my "irish roots", only problem is I'm not 21 yet, so I can't purchase any booze here. It's dumb how america you must be 21 to buy alcohol, and other countries it goes as low as 16. On top of that, you have to be 21 to drink here, but you can get a gun when you are 16, and I'm pretty sure guns are more dangerous than alcohol, especially at age 16.
BAMDANAproductions 1 year ago
@BAMDANAproductions
guns are as dangerous as the person handling them... booze makes everyone dangerous
mageac 1 year ago
@mageac I agree with the first part, booze doesn't make everyone dangerous though. Only weak minded people.
BAMDANAproductions 1 year ago
@BAMDANAproductions it makes EVERYONE more dangerous
poor motor skills, balance and lowers inhibitions... its a bad combo
but with that said... cheers! lol
mageac 1 year ago
@mageac Hey, I only drink alone, and I'm too lazy to drive or do anything for that matter. I always drink on bed while play video games
BAMDANAproductions 1 year ago
@BAMDANAproductions yea man im 16 , and the drinkin age is 18 over here
dondamon356 1 year ago
@dondamon356 well that sucks im 18 and the drinking age here is 21, im in the military and can die for my country but my country men won't let me drink!
cptpylot 6 months ago
please make the video on how to make organic yeast !
fark336 1 year ago
Snakebite, 1/2 cider 1/2 Guinness, powerful shit man , banned in a few little English villages
KOAFENDAZ 1 year ago
where's part 2? and I just bought a gallon of Apple Cider from a mennonite store nearby where I live, So it's completely rid of perservatives and all that junk that we dont want. Even has a nice health warning sticker on the side. But anyways, what should I do to make that one gallon of apple cider into hard cider, I know I am suppose to add yeast and let it sit for a couple weeks. Does it matter what kind of yeast? Like all i have at my house is bread yeast, will that work? please reply.
BAMDANAproductions 1 year ago 2
@BAMDANAproductions Do a search for a yeast starter on here. plenty of stuff!
jwknight43 1 year ago
@BAMDANAproductions you should use wine or beer yeast im just staring to day
noxneon 1 year ago
@BAMDANAproductions Just about anything will work. I used bread yeast for my hard cider and it turned out fine.
Iamthegreen 1 year ago
@Iamthegreen Shit, I wish I would've known a couple weeks earlier. I put my home-ade apple cider in the bottom of my fridge and it exploded, I didn't even notice it until recently. But thanx for the info, I'll try bread yeast next time I get some cider.
BAMDANAproductions 1 year ago
This was a great video which I really enjoyed. There doesnt appear to be a part two which is a shame. Cider is my favourite drink.
Stevethesearcher 1 year ago
Thanks for teaching an underage person how to make this! lol
islespatrick 1 year ago
do you have a recipe for 1 gallon??
kirkw95skate 1 year ago 4
@kirkw95skate Let me see about doing a 1 gallon recipe this weekend for you.
jwknight43 1 year ago
@jwknight43 ok sounds awesome!
kirkw95skate 1 year ago
so how did it turn out? i am making a batch and its REALLY strong just dont know if i messed it up or not cant taste the apple juice in it anymore and its only been 3 days :S any help please
timw421 1 year ago
@timw421 --It turned out great. My measure for success was it still tasted like apple and had sweetness, but it definitely had the stronger almost wine tendency. But it ended up being about 9% alc. Great summer drink by itself or on ice. After about 9 days I had to ice bathe the carboy to kill the yeast cuz it was still fermenting like crazy. I actually dont know if I had, to but i did cuz I was afraid it would blow the tops off the jugs I put it in (I bottled in the jugs the juice came in)
walkingspirittube 1 year ago
So I went for it and just decided to make a 4 Gallon batch. The amounts of sugar I researched varied GREATLY, even tho the 6-7 day ferment seemed consistent. I am at 7 days since I mixed (about 6 days ferment) and it is still fermenting pretty steadily. Will it stop soon or can I stop it and bottle it anytime? Will my bottles explode if I bottle and refridgerate? What are my options, I am a beginner :)
walkingspirittube 1 year ago
can it b any sugar
shaner12345y 1 year ago
@shaner12345y - not sure but i think the corn sugar is easier to disolve, but i have seen guys on you tube add reg table sugar to it - try it on a gallon, and see what happens??? would love to know how it worked!!!
jwknight43 1 year ago
2 tablespoons of corn sugar for priming: Each bottle (12 -16oz) ?
walkingspirittube 1 year ago
@walkingspirittube - yep, that is what i used foor the primer in those 1 liter bottles (at least i think they are 1 liter. Try and see how dry it is, if it needs more sweetness, try 3??
jwknight43 1 year ago
most preservatives don't kill the yeast, they just stop it from growing(population expanding) If the juice has them, it just means you have to make a starter.
niertap 1 year ago
@niertap - gotcha!!! thanks for the info! We are getting ready to make another batch here in the next week or so, my wife want to drink some snakebites out on the patio...
jwknight43 1 year ago
wat is cider can u eat or drink cider ?
xx9MMxx 1 year ago
@xx9MMxx - as i understand cider is basically apple juice. what we are making is "hard" apple juice. in my mind true cider is when the apples have been squeezed and you get pulp, juice, some rine, and it hasnt been filtered. But hey wtf do i know...
jwknight43 1 year ago
why are you not supposed to use plastic containers to let it ferment in?
ziggylogan 1 year ago
@ziggylogan - some people said that doing a fermentation in plastic is bad news. ??? I spoke to my local brewing supply guy, and he said since this was turbo cider and i was only letting it ferment for a week, it was fine..Thanks for the post! please rate me positive if you can!
jwknight43 1 year ago
@ziggylogan - some people say that if you do fermenting in plastic it will actually take on some of the chemicals from the plastic...
jwknight43 1 year ago 2
@jwknight43 I have jury rigged two and three liter bottles with blow offs and I have never had a problem nor has anyopne who drank any of the wine i have made with it once complained about any off flavors..to say otherwise is saying your a tee totaler and just had to say that because you wanted to rain on someone elses parade.homebrewing if about fun not how much money you can throw at it thats like saying the smiths has to keep up with the joneses
tappakeggaday1 1 year ago
@jwknight43 I brew my own beer and in my experience and from advice from other brewers using any plastic container isn't recommended because of the many tiny scratches inside the container that can harbor microscopic microbes. It makes it difficult to throughly sanitize it. Glass will last 100+ years and is much easier to clean. Just my $.02. I might try this cider thing though. Looks great.
wingmanalive 1 year ago
@jwknight43 food grade plastics are fine, hence why they are food grade...
most fermenters are plastic, and plastic carboys are getting pretty common
mageac 1 year ago
Next time try using an organic or fresh pressed apple-juice, there must be a farmers market or organic food store you can get some from? You'll find you get a better end result, far better.
That Tree-top may not list preservatives, but they had to do something to it to make fruit juice shelf-stable!
OPE08 2 years ago
@OPE08 - They actually put asorbic acid, basically lemon juice. For this process, I have done both cheap tree top, natural bottled applejuice, and fresh cider from a grower on the western slope of colorado. I am sorry, but I guess I dont have that great of a taste because i didnt fell one was soooo much better than the other..
To me simple is best, especially when cost is an issue and also availablity.
jwknight43 1 year ago
2 questions: How much sugar did you use for a 5 gallon batch, and could I pitch yeast dry??/ Oh yeah, also, did you have to prime before botteling???
RANGER2D 2 years ago
@RANGER2D - I used probably about 4 or 5 cups of sugar - yep, you can pitch the yeast dry - i did that with Champagne yeast i got from my beer making place. - I also primed each bottle with about 2 tablespoons of corn sugar - worked really good
jwknight43 1 year ago
people overestimate the importance of an air lock... CO2 is quite a heavey gass, so just a lid with a pin sized hole through the topp will surfice, that's what i do for the first week, then i just close it off completely to get it fizzy
matprithellodave 2 years ago
You carbonate in your fermenter? thats poor process, all the dead yeast cells and the like, you'll get far better clarity by using a bright tank or bottle conditioning.
Each to his own tho' I guess.
Airlocks are NOT neccesary, but they are good for beginners who are still learning their process, and they can give you a "feel" for how your ferment is going.
OPE08 2 years ago
If you make a syrup out of your sugar with a small amount of hot water or juice, you will have less trouble mixing that in with your juice. Nice vid.
Bonaireboy85 2 years ago
@Bonaireboy85 - thanks man!
jwknight43 1 year ago
Is there a Part 2 for this?
coloradopav 2 years ago
@coloradopav - OK, I just havent had time to post, I will next weekend...Going to the store tmrw to pick up supplies
jwknight43 1 year ago
Nice video!
I'm currently brewing an all-organic batch of hard cider with unfiltered apple juice, brown sugar and Cote des Blanc yeast. I pitched on 1/9/10 and I expect to begin bottling around early to mid March.
One thought on glass vs. plastic though - Better Bottles have advanced PET in their plastic, and it's completely fine to ferment for long periods of time (1+ months) in them - as opposed to glass.
saiyajingabe 2 years ago
Great vid! very helpful!
bulkfull 2 years ago
How much yeast did you add and what is the alcohol content after only a week?
Quazzar36 2 years ago
My 15 month old son also refused to help me my cider. Wait till he can mow the lawn......payback!
callmebigpapa 2 years ago
Really looking forward to Part 2... I've started my own batch with champagne yeast, 3 days ago, and I'm just fermenting in the plastic jugs they came in, no sugar. My plugs didn't fit so I just drilled holes 1/8" too small in the lids for the airlocks...
Looking forward to see how you do part two.
theBolyards 2 years ago
Only one week in the fermenter? I leave all my stuff at least 2 weeks. A month is better.
purplemutantas 2 years ago
that baby boy is so cute!
timmybombrules 2 years ago
terrible 2's have started, so not so cute anymore!!! But thanks for the nice words..
jwknight43 2 years ago
Your supposed to use cider not apple juice.
mcnasty2113 2 years ago
Hello? Waiting for the second part of How to Make Hard Cider Easy 1
you have not done number two yet?
ImPettersson 2 years ago
Sorry, I will do the follow up video shortly! I need to make another batch this weekend. Will Film the process from the time it is done fermenting and will show how to bottle!!!
jwknight43 2 years ago
thats good parenting for ya
scar504 2 years ago
Sorry! He has to learn how to make at some point in his life!
jwknight43 2 years ago
Great Video - Did it turn out, did you add more sugar when you bottled? Did the caps n the smaller bottles stay on? So full of questions - Would love to see a follow up!!
mathewrtaylor 2 years ago
I will do a follow up, but yes I do "charge" the bottles after the fermentation. And the Shweppes(sp) bottles with the big mouthes work awesome! Since they have tons of carbonaztion with club soda in them, they work great..Have not had one blow up on me yet!
jwknight43 2 years ago
u inspired me to make my own cider lol
AmbrosiaCiders 2 years ago
Love it!!! I do a Snake bite with my cider, Half Cider and Half Guiness(sp?) Tastes great and my last BBQ people drank 4 of the 5 gallons I made and really liked it!
jwknight43 2 years ago
Funny, in the West "Snake-bites" are usually a lager and lemonade, I say usually because drink recipes are so varied.
OPE08 2 years ago