Sunday, November 14, 2010

Hard Apple Cider, small batch dorm style


What do you need to make a refreshing, yet ETOH rich beverage?
1 Packet of yeast
1 Gallon of Apple juice, cider, or juice of your like Sans (that's without) preservatives. Preservatives such as Sodium Benzoate can kill the yeast.
1 Airlock and bung or Big balloon (one that would fit around the top of the gallon jug)

Sanitize the balloon or the air lock in a solution of bleach, rinse and set aside.
Pour a bit of the cider into a sanitized shallow cup, pour 1/5th a packet of yeast into the cup of cider and set aside for a few minutes.
for higher alcohol contents add syrups or sugars to the cider. If adding white sugar, pour cider into a pan and dissolve the sugar to break its chemical bonds. The yeast will thank you for this.
Add the sugar, replace cap, shake, make sure the cider is about room temperature 70-72 degrees. If the sugar cider solution is too hot it will kill your little friends.
Pitch the yeast into the cider, cap it and give it a shake so that the yeast is distributed, remove the cap and then place bung and airlock or balloon on the top of the bottle.
If using a balloon, poke a hole in the balloon to let CO2 escape.
Let that sit for 2 weeks and you'll be right as rain.
Cheers

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