The Home Cider-Making Checklist

Simple Steps for Fresh or Turbo Cider Making

Homemade Cider of various flavours

I have previously described the steps for Turbo Cider and Fresh Apple Cider, this article is a quick reference step-by-step recipe:

Fresh Fruit Preparation (Start here for the Fresh Fruit version)

1. Wash, Chop, Pulp and Press the Fruit.
2. Add a Campden Tablet and wait for 2 days to kill any unwanted bacteria

Prepare Ingredients (Start here for Turbo version)

1. Add all the primary ingredients: Fruit Juice, Yeast, and Nutrient
2. Take a Hydrometer Reading (the ideal range is 1.046–1.052) for the Original Gravity
3. If you have a pH Meter then check that the apple juice is in the range of pH 3.2–3.7 for best fermentation results.

Primary Fermentation

1. Keep dark and optimum temperature for the yeast, primary fermentation will require 2–3 weeks typically
2. Optionally, add additional yeast nutrients and aerate after a few days
3. Take a hydrometer reading (Final Gravity) at the end of fermentation to calculate ABV and check the level of dryness or sweetness.

Secondary Fermentation (optional)

1. Secondary fermentation provides time for the cider flavours to develop, for the clarity to improve or for flavour additions to be introduced.
2. Add sweetener to increase the sweetness, or regular sugar if the fermentation has been deliberately stopped
3. Many choices for further flavour additions are at your disposal during secondary

Bottle Carbonation

1. If your preference is still cider, then your cider is ready and there is no need for carbonation.
2. Add around 1g of brewing sugar to each 500ml bottle before transferring the still cider to each bottle and leave in a warm place for 7–14 days.
3. This restarts fermentation to carbonate the cider which increases the ABV ever so slightly and will leave a fine layer of sediment at the bottom of the bottle

Cold Crashing and Keg Carbonation

1. Cold Crashing for 2–3 days at the end of fermentation will remove any final yeast from suspension and improve clarity
2. Moving to a keg for carbonation allows for faster ‘force carbonation,’ so it will be ready to drink much sooner. You can also subsequently transfer to bottles if you wish, sediment free.

Finally, chill before serving.

Happy Homebrewing,
Cheers, Rob