Hudson North Standard Recipe

Prepare Juice

Sanitize all equipment (fermenter, airlock, siphon, spoon). Pour 4 liters of fresh-pressed apple juice into a sanitized primary fermenter. If the juice is extremely sweet (very high gravity), top up with up to 0.5 liters filtered water to bring starting specific gravity into the 1.050–1.060 range (aim for a crisp, dry finish).

Stabilize Wild Microflora

Crush and add 1 teaspoon campden (sodium metabisulfite) to the must, stir thoroughly, and cover. Wait 12–24 hours to allow sulfite to dissipate and to suppress wild yeast/bacteria before adding cultured yeast.

Add Enzymes and Nutrients

After the 12–24 hour wait, add 1 teaspoon pectic enzyme to help prevent haze from pectin and enhance juice extraction; add 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient to support a healthy fermentation. Stir gently to incorporate.

Adjust Acidity and Tannin

Add 1 teaspoon acid blend (or measured malic acid equivalent) to balance acidity toward a bright, crisp profile. Add 1/4 teaspoon powdered tannin (or steep a small pinch of black tea in a little warm water and add that) to provide astringency and body reminiscent of farm-stand ciders.

Pitch Yeast

Rehydrate or warm 1 tablespoon of chosen champagne or cider yeast per manufacturer instructions and pitch into must. Aerate the must by stirring vigorously for 1–2 minutes to provide oxygen for yeast growth. Fit an airlock and place the fermenter in a controlled environment at 18–20°C (64–68°F).

Allow fermentation to proceed for 7–14 days. Active fermentation should be visible (bubbling airlock, krausen). Take a gravity reading after 7 days. Target final gravity is ~1.000–1.002 for a dry cider. If fermentation is slow after 3 days (little activity), gently swirl the fermenter to resuspend yeast.

Once gravity stabilizes on two consecutive days near target (or fermentation is substantially complete), proceed to racking.

Siphon the cider off the primary lees into a sanitized secondary fermenter (carboy) to clarify and mature. Leave as much sediment behind as possible. Seal with an airlock and age at 10–14°C (50–57°F) for 2–4 weeks to allow flavors to mellow and haze particles to drop.

If you want a slightly hazy finish (farm-stand character), limit fining. For clearer cider, add 1 tablespoon bentonite or cold-crash at near-freezing temperatures for 48–72 hours before final packaging.

If you plan to backsweeten while keeping the cider still, add potassium sorbate (follow package dosage) and a measured small amount of non-fermentable sweetener or pasteurized juice. (Note: potassium sorbate prevents renewed fermentation but does not stop existing yeast activity unless combined with stabilization.) If bottle conditioning (light carbonation), calculate and add ~4 g total corn sugar per liter (adjust for desired carbonation), gently mix, and bottle into sanitized bottles, cap, and age at room temperature for 1–2 weeks, then cold-condition for a week.

If you prefer a clean, dry still cider (recommended for 'Standard' profile), do not backsweeten or add sorbate. Instead, cold-condition for 1–2 weeks and then bottle or keg directly once stable gravity is confirmed. Keep refrigerated to maintain crispness.

Label with date and store bottles cold. Best enjoyed chilled. The cider will taste fresh and crisp immediately but will mellow over 1–3 months.