MadTripper
11-29-2007, 05:03 AM
Required Tools:
Carboy or Fermentation Bucket (Size is your choice)
Air Lock
Syphoning Tube
Sanitizer (Bleach or a commercial sanitizing agent)
Required Ingredients:
Unpasteurized Apple Cider (Pasteurized is optional if adding yeast)
Sugar (1 cup of sugar or 1 lb of honey per gallon of cider)
Start by sanitizing all tools that will touch the cider as well as the working area. *I use 1 Tbsp bleach per gallon of water and allow 20 minutes of soak time for the carboy or fermentor.
Pour the cider to about half of the fermentor. *Using a pan or bowl, mix the appropriate amount of sugar with about a gallon or so of cider until incorporated. *You can heat some at this point to speed the process however avoid temperatures near boiling.
Pour sugar/cider mixture into the fermentor and top off with fresh cider. *Fill the carboy's to the neck so there is only about 3 or so inches of airspace below the cork/air lock.
http://www.madtripper.com/gallery/d/5306-2/cider_1jan07+005.jpg
Beginning stages of fermentation. Notice the cloudiness of the product.
Allow to ferment in a cool, dry, dark area for 2 or 3 weeks, a month at most. *Rack into another fermentor leaving the lees at the bottom. *Top off with fresh cider if available, apple juice if you can't get any cider.
Ferment for approximately 2 to 3 weeks again and rack once more. *At this point, you need to monitor the air lock and see how often the gasses release. *A room temperature of 55 to 70 seems to work well. *The warmer the room, the more bubbles you will see however fermenting too fast will have an adverse affect on flavor.
http://www.madtripper.com/gallery/d/7250-2/bailey_cider+022.jpg
The final product was very clear.
Once the bubbling has ceased, bottle into appropriate containers and store in a cool, dark area. *Bottles can be screw caps, wine bottles with corks, crimp style beer bottles, or grolsch types. *Brown glass works best to prevent light from contaminating your finished product.
http://www.madtripper.com/gallery/d/7244-2/bailey_cider+017.jpg
These are the bottles I prefer to use.
Allow to bottle age for several weeks. *My last batch stayed in the fermentor for over a year and came out very smooth. *Bear in mind that every time you move it, IE rack or bottle the product, you invite air which takes time to mellow back out. *Bottles should be filled up to 1/2" from the top.
There are options for creating a carbonated cider or sparkling cider by adding a priming sugar however I prefer a still cider.
Feel free to add spices or herbs to flavor your cider. *I have done a gallon with hot peppers and also a 3 gallon carboy with white grape/peach concentrate.
Tripper
Carboy or Fermentation Bucket (Size is your choice)
Air Lock
Syphoning Tube
Sanitizer (Bleach or a commercial sanitizing agent)
Required Ingredients:
Unpasteurized Apple Cider (Pasteurized is optional if adding yeast)
Sugar (1 cup of sugar or 1 lb of honey per gallon of cider)
Start by sanitizing all tools that will touch the cider as well as the working area. *I use 1 Tbsp bleach per gallon of water and allow 20 minutes of soak time for the carboy or fermentor.
Pour the cider to about half of the fermentor. *Using a pan or bowl, mix the appropriate amount of sugar with about a gallon or so of cider until incorporated. *You can heat some at this point to speed the process however avoid temperatures near boiling.
Pour sugar/cider mixture into the fermentor and top off with fresh cider. *Fill the carboy's to the neck so there is only about 3 or so inches of airspace below the cork/air lock.
http://www.madtripper.com/gallery/d/5306-2/cider_1jan07+005.jpg
Beginning stages of fermentation. Notice the cloudiness of the product.
Allow to ferment in a cool, dry, dark area for 2 or 3 weeks, a month at most. *Rack into another fermentor leaving the lees at the bottom. *Top off with fresh cider if available, apple juice if you can't get any cider.
Ferment for approximately 2 to 3 weeks again and rack once more. *At this point, you need to monitor the air lock and see how often the gasses release. *A room temperature of 55 to 70 seems to work well. *The warmer the room, the more bubbles you will see however fermenting too fast will have an adverse affect on flavor.
http://www.madtripper.com/gallery/d/7250-2/bailey_cider+022.jpg
The final product was very clear.
Once the bubbling has ceased, bottle into appropriate containers and store in a cool, dark area. *Bottles can be screw caps, wine bottles with corks, crimp style beer bottles, or grolsch types. *Brown glass works best to prevent light from contaminating your finished product.
http://www.madtripper.com/gallery/d/7244-2/bailey_cider+017.jpg
These are the bottles I prefer to use.
Allow to bottle age for several weeks. *My last batch stayed in the fermentor for over a year and came out very smooth. *Bear in mind that every time you move it, IE rack or bottle the product, you invite air which takes time to mellow back out. *Bottles should be filled up to 1/2" from the top.
There are options for creating a carbonated cider or sparkling cider by adding a priming sugar however I prefer a still cider.
Feel free to add spices or herbs to flavor your cider. *I have done a gallon with hot peppers and also a 3 gallon carboy with white grape/peach concentrate.
Tripper