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Ingredients
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Base Fermentables
Adjuncts & Flavoring
Water & Minerals
Yeast & Additives
Priming (if bottling sparkling)
Method
Preparation & Sanitation
- 1
Sanitize Equipment
Thoroughly clean and sanitize a 10–12 L fermenter, stirring spoon, hydrometer, airlock, funnel, and any measuring utensils. Rinse sanitized items with boiled-cooled water if needed.
- 2
Optional Campden Treatment
If using unpasteurized cider and you want to kill wild yeast/bacteria, crush 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite (or one crushed Campden tablet) and add to the combined juice. Let sit covered for 24 hours before pitching yeast, then aerate before adding yeast.
Making the Wort (Juice)
- 3
Combine Juices and Water
Pour 6 L fresh-pressed apple cider and 2 L clear apple juice into the sanitized fermenter. Add 1 L boiled-and-cooled spring water to bring total volume to ~9 L and allow headspace in the fermenter.
- 4
Increase Gravity
Dissolve 500 g table sugar and 50 g brown sugar in 1–2 cups (240–480 ml) of hot water to make a simple syrup, stirring until fully dissolved. Cool the syrup and add it to the fermenter. Stir gently to fully incorporate. Expected original gravity (OG) should be around 1.080–1.090, which will allow a final ABV near 10–11% with a strong attenuating yeast.
- 5
Add Flavor Adjuncts
Place 3 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves (tied in muslin or in a sanitized tea infuser), the thin orange peel, and 1/2 vanilla bean (split and scraped) into the fermenter or into a sanitized heatproof container. If you prefer a lighter spice character, you can add these after primary fermentation during conditioning for more control.
- 6
Add Nutrients and Minerals
Add 1 tsp yeast nutrient and 1 tsp yeast energizer to the must and stir to dissolve. Measure pH if possible and adjust to ~3.4–3.6 if necessary (acid additions not listed here).
Pitching & Primary Fermentation
- 7
Aerate Must
Aerate the must vigorously for 2–3 minutes by pouring between sanitized buckets or using an oxygenation stone if available. High-sugar musts need oxygen to build strong yeast biomass.
- 8
Rehydrate/Pitch Yeast
Prepare the wine yeast according to package instructions (rehydration in warm water if recommended). Once cooled and aerated, pitch the yeast into the fermenter. Seal with an airlock.
- 9
Primary Fermentation
Ferment at 18–22°C (64–72°F). Expect active fermentation within 24–48 hours. Fermentation may be vigorous for 3–7 days and then slow; allow primary to continue until specific gravity is dropping steadily (target terminal gravity in primary ~1.010–1.020 depending on yeast attenuation).
Secondary Conditioning & Flavor Adjustment
- 10
Rack to Secondary
When primary fermentation slows (usually after 7–10 days) and the gravity is approaching target, rack (siphon) the cider off the gross lees into a sanitized secondary fermenter to clarify and allow spice integration. Leave spice bundle in or remove depending on desired intensity—taste before removing.
- 11
Adjust Flavor and Sweetness
If you want to back-sweeten while keeping stability, stabilize with potassium sorbate (not listed) and sulfite, then add a small boiled cooled syrup of brown sugar to taste (start with 50 g and adjust). For a dry cider with 10.5% ABV, skip back-sweetening and allow to fully clear.
- 12
Aging
Age in secondary for 2–4 weeks at 10–15°C (50–59°F) to allow flavors to meld and the cider to clear. Rack again if heavy sediment forms.
Bottling or Kegging
- 13
Prepare for Bottling
If bottling still cider, carefully rack to bottling bucket and bottle. If you want a lightly carbonated (petillant) cider, dissolve 60 g priming sugar (dextrose) in 200 ml boiled water, cool, and add to the bottling bucket before filling bottles. For fully still cider, skip priming sugar.
- 14
- 15
Final ABV & Serving
Final ABV should be approximately 10.5% if OG and FG targets are met. Serve chilled (8–12°C) in stemmed glasses. If spices were added in a bundle, remove any whole spices before serving.