In this article, I am going to show you how I turned this 21Lbs of apples into ….
…. this fermenting hard cider
Depending on how you pull the juice from the apples it takes about 20lbs of apples to get 1 gallon of juice.
Important to note here is that this is the first time I am making cider at this scale using the equipment I had on hand.
Equipment
First, I want to show you the equipment I used.
Disclosure: I sometimes use Amazon affiliate links for some of the items I have listed. Purchasing from these links adds no additional cost to you but helps me support this channel.
Juicer
I don’t own an apple grinder or press and wanted to see If I could use my juicer to create the cider.
The Juicer is an old model Omega 8006 slow speed juicer.
You can get one of the newer ones here:
5 Gallon Food Grade Bucket with Lid
I used one of these to store my cut slices and the other to hold the cider as I pulled it from my juicer.
These were a little pricey online but I was able to find them at both HomeDepot and Lowes in my area for about $9. The lids are extra.
Apple Slicer
The apples need to be cut into wedges so they will fit into my juicer.
This one worked very well and did an excellent job at removing the core.
I purchased mine from Amazon here":
1 Gallon Carboy, Stopper, and AirLock
To ferment the cider, I used this 1 gallon carboy. I have a few of these from some wine I purchased at the supermarket.
You can also get these pretty cheap from Amazon, and it includes the stopper and a airlock.
Funnel
To transfer your cider to the carboy, you will need a funnel. I used this 9” funnel.
I purchased it here:
Brew Bag
To filter the pulp that the juicer creates, I use a 250 Micron brew bag.
I purchased mine here:
Sanitizer
One of the most important tasks that you need to perform when fermenting, is sanitation. This keeps the bad stuff from creating off flavors in your wine, cider, beer, or mead.
I use StarSan. It is a no rinse sanitizer and a little goes a long way. I mix 6ml to 1 gallon of water, or 1.5ml to 1 quart.
You can mix a gallon and soak your items in the solution, or put in a spray bottle like this one.
I purchased my Star San here:
Wine Yeast
For the yeast, I used this Red Star Cuvee wine yeast. It has some pretty good reviews for use with apple cider.
I purchased mine here:
If I end up with more than a gallon of cider to ferment, I will perform a little experiment with this bread yeast. I have used it in wine and mead with success.
The Apples
Let’s not forget the apples. This is about 21Lbs of Organic Enterprise apples.
I got these from the FIN IRENE FARM organic orchard in Virginia.
Website: www.finirene.com
In addition to the above items, I also used a knife, a cutting board, and numerous bowls. If you plan on pasteurizing your cider before fermenting, you will also need a pot that will hold your cider while you heat it.
Step 1 - Prepare the Brew Bag and Bucket
I start by sanitizing my 5-gallon bucket with the Star San. I give it a good spray on all internal surfaces.
After a minute or two I pour out all excess Star San.
I place the opened brew bag into the bucket then pull the sides of the bag up out of the bucket then place them under the bottom of the bucket and pull the draw string tight.
This is where I will be pouring my juice.
Step 2 - Prepare the Apples
My workstation for preparing the apples.
I center the slicer so that the center hole is over the core…..
… and give it a good push downward.
I pull the core out of the slicer…..
… and discard.
The wedges are then removed from the slicer and placed in a bowel or bucket.
If I find a bad spot, I use a knife to cut it out.
Here are all 21 Lbs. of sliced apples. Slicing these only took me about 35 Minutes.
Optional
You don’t have to proceed directly to the juicing phase. I like to cover the apple slices and let them sit overnight. This helps break down the pectin and even increases the juice production.
Step 3 - Juicing
Apples are placed into the feed hole on the juicer.
The plunger is used to force them into the auger.
The juice starts to flow into the container.
Once the container is full, I empty it into the bag/bucket as shown here.
Here is a setup I created to help the process go a little faster.
I was able to juice all the apple slices in about 45 minutes.
Step 4 - Prepare the Juice
I stir the pulp in order to help more of the juice drop into the bucket.
I then lift out the bag and twist it to squeeze out more juice.
Step 5 - Pasteurization
Some folks will ferment the raw cider, but I have found that pasteurizing the juice before fermentation yields more consistent results.
I pour the juice into a stock pot.
I then heat the juice to between 165F and 170F.
Important
Don’t proceed to the next step until your juice has dropped below 95F.
Step 6 - Filling the Carboy
The carboy is sanitized.
The sanitized funnel is placed into the carboy.
I then use a sanitized measuring cup to fill the carboy.
The carboy is filled to the shoulder as shown here.
Step 7 - Tests
There are some tests you can perform at this stage; however, I don’t recommend them if this is your first time at making hard cider.
Specific Gravity
You test the specific gravity with a hydrometer.
By taking a specific gravity reading now, you can figure out what your potential ABV will be if you fully ferment all the sugars.
This is something I do with all my ciders, beers, wines, and meads. The problem here is that the juicer adds so much pulp (even after straining) I can’t get an accurate reading.
For example, I know these apples will produce a specific gravity of about 1.060, but I am getting a reading of 1.070. That is a difference of 7.8% and 9.1%.
That is one of the main disadvantages to using this particular juicer.
PH
PH is the measurement of the total concentration of acid in the cider.
Cider should have a PH of between 3.0 and 4.5. Outside this range and you may have trouble fermenting the cider.
This test is performed with an inexpensive PH meter. Or even PH strips may be used.
TA
TA represents the amount of titratable acid in the cider.
American ciders should have a TA of 6.0 - 7.5 g/L
This test is a little harder to perform as it requires creating a base mixture then adding drops until the color changes.
For this you need an Acid Testing Kit.
Note that in the years that I have been making wine and mead, I have not been doing this test or making any corrections.
For wines and ciders, doing this test and making corrections can take you beverage to the next level.
Step 8 - Hydrating the Yeast
Most yeast packets have instructions on the back side of the packet for hydrating the yeast. Here is how I do it.
I add about a 1/8 cup of the cider to the cup. I then add an 1/8 cup of warm water to the cup. (about 85-90F)
For 1 gallon of cider I add 1/2 tsp of yeast. For 5 gallons I add the whole packet.
I mix it around and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
I ended up with and extra 1/2 gallon of cider so I hydrated the cuvee (left) and the bread yeast (right)
Notice the glass of my 10/5/21 vintage of red wine.
Step 9 - Pitching the Yeast
I pour the hydrated yeast into the carboy.
I add the rubber stopper.
Place my thumb over the hole in the stopper.
Shake like crazy. While this crazy shaking isn’t really needed for the yeast, it does help get some oxygen into the cider, which will help the yeast.
Step 10 - Add the Airlock
There are two fill lines on the airlock. I add enough Star San to reach these lines.
I add the cap to the AirLock, then insert it into the stopper hole.
Step 11 - Wait
11/23/21 Day 1
You want to place the cider in a dark place between 60F and 70F. The lower the temperature the longer it will take.
The cider started to bubble in about 2 hours. It could take as long as 24 hours depending on the temperature.
I have a furnace closet with a small heater that I keep at 70F. At 70F I’m look for the cider to go completely dry in a little over two weeks.
12/1/21 Update
Here you can see at the 1-week point, the sediment has started to drop out of solution.
I will keep an eye on it as I think it will be ready to move it into secondary.
12/8/21 Update
Both bottles have started to clear up and the activity on the airlock has really slowed down. I decided to give them a check.
I used a wine thief to pull some of the cider out and put into a cylinder so I could test the gravity. Note that you can also use a turkey baster as a wine thief. Just make sure it been sanitized.
Here are a couple Items I used.
I got a reading of 1.005 on the Cuvee yeast cider and 1.004 on the Fleischmann’s. Since I was unable to check the starting specific gravity due to the sediment, I can’t get an exact ABV. I do know these apples give about 1.064 when pressed so I will use that.
Thats about 7.7% to 8% depending on the calculator you use.
If you sanitize your hydrometer and test cylinder, you can return your cider back to the carboy. I like to give mine a taste so I will move to a glass for tasting.
Both of these were very good. While the Cuvee needs a little more clarification, the Fleischmann was pretty clear and tasted much better.
I decided to rack them both into a new carboy. Any extra would be placed in a small jar in the fridge allowed to settle out.
To rack them I used what is called an Auto Siphon. You place the siphon with the hose connected into the source. Place the other end of the hose in your target vessel and give it a pump or two.
Works very well. Notice the rubber bands that I added to keep the siphon from touching the sediment on the bottom.
This is the brand I am using:
Note that you will also need about 6’ of 3/8” tubing.
Well, that’s it. I will give a check in about a week or two to see how its clearing up.
Conclusion
Before closing I wanted to talk about what I did with the pulp that was left in the brewing bag.
I took the pulp and spread it on a fruit Leather tray and placed it in my dehydrator for about 2 days.
The dehydrated pulp.
Broken chips in vacuum sealed jars. What about the taste? It depends on the temperature that you dehydrate them at.
If you dehydrate them at a higher temperature of, say 160F. They will dry faster and have an apple pie kind of taste.
At lower temperatures more of an apple chip taste.