Blackberry Recipe

Sanitize and prepare must

Sanitize all equipment (fermenter, airlock, siphon, hydrometer). Pour 5 L of fresh-pressed apple cider into a sanitized primary fermenter. If using store-bought juice, ensure it is preservative-free (no sorbate or benzoate).

Measure gravity with a hydrometer. Typical fresh cider gravity is 1.045–1.055. If you want a higher starting gravity, add part of the 250 g sugar now dissolved in a little hot water (see calculation below). Record original gravity (OG).

Add 1 tsp crushed Campden tablet (or dissolved potassium metabisulfite per package instructions) to the must to kill wild microbes. Stir gently and cover. Wait 12–24 hours before pitching yeast to allow sulfite levels to drop.

After the wait, add 1 tsp pectic enzyme to help break down fruit cell walls and improve juice yield and clarity. Add 2 tsp acid blend if the cider tastes flat or lacks brightness (optional — adjust after tasting).

Rehydrate the yeast per manufacturer instructions (for EC-1118, rehydrate in 10x its weight in sterile water at 35–40°C if desired) and add 1 tsp yeast nutrient to the must. Pitch the yeast into the fermenter after the 12–24 hour Campden rest.

Fit an airlock and place the fermenter in a cool, dark place at 16–20°C (60–68°F). Active fermentation should begin within 24–72 hours and last 7–14 days until activity slows. Monitor gravity every few days.

Prepare blackberries

While primary fermentation is finishing (or once it has slowed substantially, ~specific gravity within 1.010–1.020 or about 5–7 days in), prepare the blackberries. If using fresh, rinse and remove any stems. For best extraction, crush or lightly puree the blackberries (use sanitized equipment) to release juices. For 1.5 kg berries, you can heat them gently to 60°C for 10–15 minutes to pasteurize and help extraction, then cool quickly to fermentation temperature; alternatively add raw to secondary and allow natural fermentation on the fruit.

Rack the cider off the heavy lees into a sanitized secondary fermenter (carboy). Transfer the crushed blackberries into the secondary. If you pasteurized the fruit, ensure it is fully cooled before adding. Top up to minimize headspace with additional cider or boiled/cooled water to reach 5 L, if necessary.

Optional: If you did not want the extra sugar in the initial must, dissolve remaining sugar (up to 250 g) into a small amount of boiling water, cool, and add to the secondary to increase body and to support a short fermentation on the blackberries for better flavor integration. Note this may increase alcohol and should be accounted for in final gravity estimates.

Seal with an airlock and let the cider condition on the blackberries for 7–21 days at 16–20°C, tasting periodically. The fruit will contribute color, tannin, and aroma. You may see renewed fermentation; allow it to finish until gravity stabilizes over 3–5 days.

When fermentation is complete and gravity is stable for several days, rack the cider off the fruit and lees into a clean carboy. Optional: add 1 tsp Irish moss or prepare gelatin fining per instructions to help clarify. Cold crash at 2–4°C (35–40°F) for 48–72 hours to help solids drop out.

If you want a sweet blackberry cider, stabilize with potassium sorbate (follow package dosing) and a small sulfite addition (only if you used Campden earlier) before backsweetening. Sweeten slowly with reserved pasteurized blackberry juice or the remaining sugar dissolved and pasteurized; taste as you go to avoid over-sweetening.

If bottling: gently dissolve 80 g priming sugar into 250 ml boiling water, cool, and add to a bottling bucket. Siphon cider onto the priming solution and gently mix to distribute without introducing oxygen. Fill and cap sanitized bottles. Condition at 18–22°C for 1–2 weeks, then refrigerate.

If kegging: transfer the clarified cider to a keg, carbonate to 2.2–2.5 volumes CO2 at 2–4°C, and serve on draft. Adjust carbonation to preference; fruit ciders often do well at moderate carbonation (2.2–2.8 vols).

Estimated final gravity will vary; expected alcohol by volume for this recipe (5 L base with 250 g added sugar and full fermentation) is roughly 5.5–7.5% ABV depending on yeast attenuation and starting gravity. Serve chilled on draft.