Blake’s Cider Recipe

Sanitize & Prep

Sanitize all equipment (fermenter, spoon, airlock) with a no-rinse sanitizer. If using Campden tablet to stabilize apple concentrate, dissolve half a crushed tablet in a small amount of warm water and stir into the cider concentrate; wait 24 hours before pitching yeast.

Mash/Steep Specialty Grains

Place crushed crystal malt in a mesh grain bag. Heat 1.5 liters of water to 155°C°F (approx 68°C). Steep the grain bag in the water at 150–155°F (65–68°C) for 20–30 minutes to extract color and light caramel flavor. Remove the bag and allow it to drain back into the pot; discard grains.

Boil & Wort Preparation

Add the liquid pale malt extract and the steeped grain liquid to a brew kettle with the remaining water and bring to a gentle boil. When the kettle reaches a boil, add 0.5 oz hops (for 45 minutes total bitterness addition) and start a 45-minute timer. With 15 minutes left in the boil, add Irish moss if using.

Add Cider Concentrate & Flavorings (Post-Boil)

At flameout (end of 45-minute timer), turn off heat. Add the 1.5 lbs light dried apple cider concentrate to the hot wort and stir to dissolve. Also add broken cinnamon stick, allspice berries, split vanilla bean, and lemon zest in a sanitized mesh hop bag (or loose, but bagging makes removal easier). Let the combined hot mixture steep for 10–15 minutes to extract aromatics.

Cool Wort & Transfer

Cool the wort quickly to 68–70°F (20–21°C) using an ice bath or wort chiller. Once cooled, transfer the wort to a sanitized 5-liter (approx 1.3 gallon) fermenter or a fermenter sized to finish at 4–5 liters, topping with additional water to reach 5 liters total if needed. Ensure the total volume and gravity are appropriate (target original gravity ~1.050–1.054).

Pitch Yeast & Primary Fermentation

Hydrate or rehydrate the dry ale yeast per manufacturer's instructions. Aerate the cooled wort by shaking or stirring vigorously, then pitch the yeast. Seal the fermenter with an airlock and ferment at 18–20°C (64–68°F) for 5–7 days, then allow to finish at 16–18°C (60–64°F) for another 5–7 days until fermentation slows and specific gravity is stable near 1.010–1.012 (or desired dryness).

Secondary (Optional) & Conditioning

If you removed the flavor bag, rack to a secondary fermenter after 7–10 days to clarify and allow spicing to mellow. Condition for an additional 7–14 days at 12–16°C (54–61°F). Taste and decide if more spice character is needed — you may add a small sanitized spice bag for a few days if desired.

Hops were added at the start of the 45-minute boil to provide a light bitterness that balances the apple sweetness. The cinnamon, allspice, vanilla and lemon zest were added at flameout in a mesh bag to impart warm cider-like aromatics without extracting excessive tannin or harsh spice. Remove the spice bag after the 10–15 minute steep (or after secondary conditioning if you prefer stronger spice) and discard.

When bottling, dissolve 3 oz (85 g) of corn sugar in 120 ml boiling water, cool, and add evenly to the bottling bucket. Rack the beer onto the priming solution, gently mix, and bottle immediately to achieve natural carbonation. Cap bottles and store at 20–22°C (68–72°F) for 10–14 days to carbonate, then condition at cooler temperatures for an additional week if possible.

Serve chilled (8–10°C / 46–50°F) in a pint or flute to showcase the cider-like aroma and moderate hop balance. Expect a final ABV in the 4.5–5.5% range depending on final gravity.