Homemade Apple Cider Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does homemade apple cider last? ›

Apple cider will stay good in your refrigerator for 2 weeks. Be sure to let it cool down completely before storing in an airtight container and popping it in the refrigerator.

Fresh apple cider doesn't contain alcohol. It's possible for unpasteurized cider to ferment over time and become alcoholic, creating hard apple cider. If you don't want your cider to become alcoholic, then it's best to drink it within two weeks of making it.

There are others; Clos De Bois, for an aromatic sip, or CL-23, for a clean, crisp cider. Any beer yeast will also create apple cider, however, some are much better than others. One of our favorites is the Safale US-05, which is a yeast commonly used to make pale ales and IPAs. It has a crisp, clean flavor.

I prefer bourbon but whiskey or a dark rum with caramel flavors would also work wonderfully. What kind of bourbon goes in spiked apple cider? I used Makers Mark for this recipe which is one of my favorite bourbon brands. However, other brands I also recommend Four Roses or Woodford Reserve as other great options.

Basic Hard Apple Cider recipe

Approximately 20 pounds of apples for each gallon of juice. (Depending on how much juice is in apples and how they are processed. Juice if not pressing from apples.

The apple varieties that we generally find in stores and that are used for the making of modern-style ciders include McIntosh, Golden and Red Delicious, Goldrush, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Idared, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji.

After several weeks, depending on storage conditions, cider develops a slight fizz that is the result of natural fermentation. According to cider makers, many older folks like fizzy cider while younger consumers do not. Regardless, it's safe to drink, but may contain traces of alcohol.

Can apple cider go bad, or does apple cider expire? Well, it doesn't go bad in the sense that it's spoiled or expired and not safe for consumption. When unpasteurized apple cider is said to go bad, this means that it has started to ferment, and the sugars in it will eventually turn into alcohol.

The juice in a cider kit is pasteurized, so no sulfites are needed prior to starting fermentation. Fermentation should take about a week. You can then transfer the cider to a keg or bottle it. Let it mature for two more weeks, and it should be ready to drink.

There are essentially 2 simple ways to make cider. One is to add campden tablets to the juice to remove any bad bacterial that may spoil the whole batch. Then 24 hours later, add cider yeast. The alternative way is to not add campden or yeast, and leave the juice to do its own thing.

Is it legal to make apple cider? ›

Is making my own hard cider legal? YES! In the U.S., as long as you don't sell it, every adult in your home may brew up to 100 gallons of wine, beer or cider per year. More than that, and you need a liquor license… and likely a 12-Step Program.

On average, most hard ciders are 4.5% - 7% alcohol by volume (ABV), while some ciders have an ABV as high as 10% or 12%. Drier ciders usually have a higher ABV because the yeast consumes a majority of the cider's natural sugars.

The first step is to select some apples before pressing them and fermenting the juice slowly in barrels. The fermentation process is typically carried out over the winter, resulting in a dry and still cider by early summer. While this is the basic process, there is, of course, a lot more to cider making.

To make a starter, open the bottle of room-temperature preservative-free apple juice and pour out a few ounces. Pour the contents of one yeast packet into the bottle, let the yeast float on the top of your starter solution (Do not shake). The yeast will rehydrate and acclimate itself to the cider.