Shacksbury Vermonter Cider Recipe

Sanitize and prepare juice

Sanitize all equipment (fermenter, airlock, siphon) with brewery sanitizer. Pour 4 L of fresh apple juice into a sanitized primary fermenter. If using whole-press juice, rack off heavy solids first.

Adjust gravity and acidity (optional)

Measure starting specific gravity (target original gravity ~1.045–1.050 for ~6% ABV). If gravity is below target, dissolve the 150 g sugar (or equivalent honey) in 200 ml warm sterilized water and add to the must, stirring gently. Add acid blend or malic acid 2 tsp if the juice tastes flat—stir to dissolve.

Campden treatment (optional)

If you want to sanitize wild microbes, crush and dissolve 1 Campden tablet per 4 L into the juice. Cover and let sit 24 hours before pitching yeast to allow SO2 to dissipate; otherwise proceed directly to pitching if using pasteurized juice.

Add pectic enzyme (optional)

If using cloudy juice, add 1 tsp pectic enzyme per package directions to promote clearer cider later. Stir gently.

Rehydrate and pitch yeast

If using rehydratable yeast, warm 200 ml sterile water to 35–40°C, sprinkle the yeast pack in, and let sit 15 minutes. Stir and add yeast nutrient (1 tsp) and energizer (0.5 tsp if using). Pitch the rehydrated yeast into the must and gently mix to aerate. Fit the fermenter with an airlock.

Primary fermentation

Ferment at 15–20°C for a dry profile. Fermentation should begin within 24–48 hours and be vigorous for several days. Allow primary fermentation to proceed until activity slows (specific gravity approaching ~1.000–1.002 for a dry cider). This typically takes 7–14 days.

Prepare botanical tincture

Lightly crush juniper berries (4 g) and coriander seeds (2 g). Place crushed botanicals with dried orange peel (3 g), angelica root (1 g) and cinnamon (0.5 g) into a small jar. Pour 50 ml vodka over the botanicals, seal, and steep at room temperature for 24–48 hours, shaking occasionally. This creates a concentrated botanical tincture to mimic gin character.

Add botanicals to ferment

Two approaches: (A) Add the tincture to the fermenter after primary fermentation has mostly finished (SG ~1.010–1.005) so volatile aromatics are retained; or (B) add botanicals directly as a light tea by simmering botanicals in 100 ml water for 5 minutes, cooling, and adding once cool. For cleaner results and to avoid introducing microbes, use the 50 ml vodka tincture and strain before adding.

Infusion quantity and timing

Start by adding half the tincture (25 ml) to the cider, mix gently, and let sit 3–5 days. Taste daily; if gin character is too light, add the remaining 25 ml. Aim for a subtle, piney juniper and citrus lift rather than overpowering gin flavor. If too strong, allow more aging to integrate or dilute slightly with sterile water.

Stabilize and clarify (optional)

Once fermentation is complete and botanical profile is adjusted, cold crash the cider to near 2–4°C for 48–72 hours to drop out particulates. If backsweetening, add potassium sorbate (1 tsp) and a small amount of sterile sugar solution to desired sweetness. If not backsweetening, skip sorbate. Add clarifying agent (2 tsp bentonite or gelatin prepared per package instructions) to speed clearing.

Final gravity and carbonation decision

Confirm final gravity (target ~1.000–1.002 for dry cider resulting in ~6% ABV from OG ~1.045–1.050). Decide whether to bottle still or carbonated. For a lightly carbonated 12 oz serving like Shacksbury’s, prime with ~3–4 g sugar per 12 oz bottle (roughly 6–8 g sugar per 500 ml bottle equivalent) to reach low carbonation. For still cider, do not add priming sugar.

Bottle

Sanitize bottles and caps. If priming, dissolve priming sugar in 50–100 ml boiling water, cool, and gently mix into cider in a sanitized bottling bucket. Rack cider into bottles, leaving appropriate headspace, cap or cork, and store at 18–20°C for bottle conditioning if carbonating, usually 1–2 weeks to build modest carbonation. Chill before serving to integrate flavors and reduce volatility of botanicals.

Age and serve

Age bottles at cool temperatures for 2–4 weeks for flavors to meld; gin botanicals will mellow. Serve chilled in a 12 oz glass. Expect a dry, crisp cider with herbal juniper, citrus lift, and subtle spice — roughly 6% ABV per original gravity and volume.