Anyone made apple cider?

whodunit · #1 10/15/04, 04:01 PM

This what we are going with right now, but any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

We juiced the apples using a juicer, which left a brown foam at the top of the gallon-size jar.

We scooped off much of the foam, then let the juice stand in the fridge.

The juice then separates itself into three levels, foam at top. juice in middle, sediment at bottom.

MIL likes to leave it three days after which the juice is siphoned off and canned to stop any more fermentation.

**Ross** · #2 10/15/04, 06:26 PM

We made hard cider in a carbouy much like you'd make wine. I think I'd add a kit dose of bentonite to bring up the PH next time but it still worked reasonably well. Perhaps a bottle of no preservatives added English cider (like Strong Bow or Gaymers) would introduce a better yeast too. Keep everything ultra clean and use javex liberally on your containers and bottles. If you're "canning" it you will likely lose the alcohol which may or may not suit you.

whodunit · #3 10/15/04, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross

We made hard cider in a carbouy much like you'd make wine. I think I'd add a kit dose of bentonite to bring up the PH next time but it still worked reasonably well. Perhaps a bottle of no preservatives added English cider (like Strong Bow or Gaymers) would introduce a better yeast too. Keep everything ultra clean and use javex liberally on your containers and bottles. If you're "canning" it you will likely lose the alcohol which may or may not suit you.

Thanks for the response!

I'm new to making cider, so a few of the terms you used I am not familair with. Could you please explain further?

carbouy

bentonite

javex

**Ross** · #4 10/15/04, 07:09 PM

Carbouy, maybe spelled wrong carboy? Any jug or bottle with an airlock, that lets CO2 bubble through a water chamber but keeps air out, to prevent spoilage.

Bentonite is an acid reducing clay actually. Has many uses from an animal feed suppliment to plugging un-used wells.

Javex, Chlorine or Bleach, sorry Javex is trade name for such.

whodunit · #5 10/15/04, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross

Carbouy, maybe spelled wrong carboy? Any jug or bottle with an airlock, that lets CO2 bubble through a water chamber but keeps air out, to prevent spoilage.

Bentonite is an acid reducing clay actually. Has many uses from an animal feed suppliment to plugging un-used wells.

Javex, Chlorine or Bleach, sorry Javex is trade name for such.

Thanks!