So by now you all know that I enjoy drinking beer. However, in the fall beer is not your only carbonated (alcoholic) beverage on the menu. Hard ciders have become main stream because of brands such as Woodchuck and Cider Jack. These brands are relatively inexpensive (under $9 for a six pack) and are available in most liquor stores.
With apple season in its prime, there is no reason for anyone to have to go out and by commercially produced hard cider. With a few hours of work (maybe two or three) any novice can make their own hard cider at home. All you need is pressed apple juice (aka apple cider), yeast, and sugar.
When purchasing you pressed apple juice there are a few things that you want to keep in mind. First and foremost, preservatives are a big no no, so find a cider without them. Next, pasteurized cider will work but unpasteurized cider is much better. You cannot buy unpasteurized cider in a grocery store so you have to go right to the source. Orchards that press their own cider on site are your best bet to find what you need.
Next, select the type of sugar you want to use. I prefer to use brown sugar and honey, however, you can use regular cane sugar if that is all that you have available or are on a budget.
Finally, choose your yeast. The yeast is what will help you cider to ferment and ultimately produce your alcohol. You can find cider yeast at any home brewing store or on most home brew websites. In the Baltimore area a good shop to use is the Thirsty Brewer up in Baldwin, Maryland (in between Towson and Bel Air).
Once you have all of your ingredients, place your cider into you fermenting vessel, add your sugar and yeast, and let it ferment. After the fermentation is complete you’re ready to bottle and in a few short weeks (sometimes it seems like an eternity) your homemade hard cider will be ready!
The process is not overly complicated but it can be confusing, so I would suggest if you are a first time home brewer or unsure of any steps in the process check with your local home brew shop for more information.
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How long is the fermentation? 2 Weeks?