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Ingredients
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Primary Cider
Dry Hopping & Aroma
Priming & Finishing (optional)
Method
Primary Cider
Sanitize
Thoroughly sanitize all vessels, spoon, airlock, and any equipment that will contact the cider. Good sanitation prevents off-flavors.
Warm the apple juices to about 18–22°C (65–72°F). Combine 1 cup fresh apple juice and 1 cup pasteurized apple cider in a sanitized 1-L fermentation container or jar, leaving some headspace for krausen and stirring gently to mix.
Measure and adjust gravity if desired (target original gravity ~1.045–1.055 for a balanced, session-strength cider). If gravity is low, dissolve the 0.5 tablespoon corn sugar in a small amount of warm water and add to the must; cool back to fermentation temperature before pitching yeast.
Rehydrate 1/4 teaspoon champagne or cider yeast per package instructions (or sprinkle directly if the strain permits). Add 1/8 teaspoon yeast nutrient to the must and pitch the yeast into the mixed juices. Fit an airlock and place the fermenter in a stable location at 18–22°C (65–72°F).
Ferment for 5–7 days until vigorous fermentation subsides and specific gravity reads around 1.010–1.015 (or fermentation shows signs of slowing).
Dry Hopping & Aroma
After primary active fermentation slows (typically day 5–7), prepare the hop and zest package. Gently place 0.5 tablespoon Citra and 0.25 tablespoon Ekuanot hops into a sanitized hop bag or loose if you have good filtration. Add 1/4 teaspoon dried orange peel and 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest to the hop bag.
Rack (transfer) the cider gently off the gross lees into a secondary sanitized container, minimizing oxygen exposure. Add the hop/zest package to the cider for dry hopping.
Allow the cider to sit with hops and zest for 3–5 days at 15–18°C (59–65°F). Smell daily; stop dry hopping when the desired citrus/hop aroma is reached to avoid grassy or vegetal notes.
After dry hopping, remove the hop bag or rack the cider off the hops into a clean, sanitized container. Check final gravity — target final gravity ~1.000–1.005 for a dry cider. If stabilizing, add a quarter crushed Campden tablet (or follow product instructions) to halt wild yeasts before backsweetening.
Priming & Finishing (optional)
If bottling for light natural carbonation, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon priming sugar in a small amount of boiling water, cool, and gently stir into the cider just before bottling. Bottle into 473 ml-capacity bottles (or the equivalent volume across bottles). Cap and store at 18–20°C for 7–14 days to carbonate, then chill.
If you prefer still cider, cold-crash the cider at 2–4°C (35–40°F) for 24–48 hours to clarify, then siphon to bottles or keg without priming sugar. Age chilled and consume within a few months for best hop aroma.
Serve chilled (6–10°C / 43–50°F) in a tall glass. Pour gently to leave sediment in the bottle. Enjoy the bright citrus and hop aroma balanced against a dry apple backbone.