How is apple cider made?
How is apple cider made is a question you will probably only ask if you have several trees in the garden or access to surplus fruit; perhaps the greengrocer is turfing out a box that has seen better days.
You need about 3 apples per litre of cider. The kick will be determined by how long you decide to let it ferment. A hydrometer will give you an accurate measure of the alcohol content. Today we are making a light brew for a hot summer's day, not one that will be ruin your character and give you a headache for a week.
Ingredients for 4 litres of apple cider
- 12 apples, washed and quartered
- 2 oranges, washed and halved
- 3 litres of water
- 1 litre of ice cubes
- A chunk of freshly peeled ginger
- 2 tsp cloves
- A couple chunks of cinnamon
- 1/2 cup of sugar
You will need a packet of dried yeast later.
If you have organic apples that you know have not been sprayed then there is no need to peel them; simply quarter them and toss into a large pot.
These came from the greengrocer, were bruised and I would presume had been sprayed, so I peeled them, sliced off the damaged parts, and upped the apples to 15.
- Bring the ingredients to the boil and simmer for 2 hours.
- Using a potato masher, squish the fruit and bring back to simmering for another hour.
- Cool by placing the pot in running cold water and then strain into a 5 litre bucket; toss the solids into the compost heap.
- Cool as quickly as possible to around 20 degrees by pouring over a litre of ice cubes.
- When the temperature is in the range 18 - 22 degrees Celsius, add half a teaspoon of dried yeast. Measure the specific gravity if you really want to know how strong your apple cider will be. If you plan to do this regularly, get a thermometer.
- If you have a bubbler, make a small hole in the lid of the bucket and seal the bubbler in place with press-stick. It should start to bubble within 24 hours.
- You can wait for fermentation to go to completion, no sugars left and the SG will be close to 1.004; bubbling will stop. Or just pour into plastic bottles after another 24 hours, refrigerate your apple cider, and enjoy.
- Bottle in two litre coke bottles, watching to see they do not burst. Test how hard the bottle becomes. Release the pressure gently by loosening the lid carefully.
- Drink within a week.
How is apple cider made?
How is apple cider made is very simple to make badly, but you can make this a real hobby perfecting your brewing techniques.
Like most things making apple cider is an art developed over years if you want a magnificent draft. If you are happy with something less than perfect, then don't fuss too much with the details.
At the end of the day though, if you plan to do something regularly, you might as well learn to do it properly; that means that attention to detail, like cooling the wort as quickly as possible, and adding the yeast at the right temperature. You will be happier with the result.
I regularly make beer using honey instead of sugar; it is called a braggart. I will be experimenting with how apple cider is made to see if I can improve on the usual methods making it a more healthful drink. Sugar is public enemy number one, and it comes as no surprise that those with raised blood glucose are the ones being targeted by the coronavirus.
Covid-19
Probably the greatest risk factor to reacting very badly to the coronavirus is raised blood glucose. Pre and frank diabetics need to take great care to drastically reduce all refined carbohydrates, especially at this time; make your apple cider without the sugar, and accept that it will be rather more tart and less alcoholic.
Beer makes a good servant
Beer makes a very good servant but a very bad master; and likewise with all alcoholic beverages.
“Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself.”
Elie Wiesel
Danger
Bottling beverages like cider and beer in glass containers before you are absolutely certain that fermentation has stopped is highly dangerous; they can explode and seriously injure anybody nearby.
You absolutely must use a hydrometer before bottling in glass. The big plus then is that it will last a good deal longer than a week; in fact it will improve.
Read this page on beer hydrometer readings if you plan to use glass bottles.
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