Author: Marshall Schott

Since realizing how simple hard cider is to make nearly 5 years ago, I tend to keep a keg on tap most of the time, especially since my wife actually drinks it. Using cheap store-bought apple juice, I’ve made numerous variations of hard cider– dry, sweet, dry hopped, fruited, and acidified. Each batch taking maybe 10 minutes to “brew” and costing around $30, I view hard cider as a fun and relatively safe ground for experimentation.

Back in March, my wife, Laura, and I had the pleasure of visiting New Zealand where I was a guest speaker at their annual homebrewers conference. As we toured the Wellington and Nelson areas, we made a bunch of brewery stops where it became very clear their hard cider game was a lot stronger than what we’re used to, a thrilling discovery for my wife who isn’t a big fan of beer. I can’t recall a single brewery or pub we went to that didn’t have at least 1 hard cider on tap, in fact most had multiple options to choose from. In general, the Kiwi ciders we tasted tended to be perceptibly sweeter and more full flavored than American ciders, though not cloying at all, just not nearly as wine-like as some of the dry craft ciders available in the states. Laura was particularly fond of Cloudy Apple from Mac’s Craft Beer Bar in downtown Nelson, a 4.3% ABV cider that was moderately dry with a pleasant tartness and assertive apple flavor. As a homebrewer with a wife who doesn’t much like beer, I jotted down some impressions in preparation for trying to build something of similar quality myself.

After a couple experimental batches, I felt like I was getting close to our desired goal, which was confirmed by how quickly those kegs blew. While those first few batches were left un-fruited, I thought something with a nice berry kick would be great for an upcoming neighborhood Christmas party I was voluntold to make cider for.

| Making Hard Berry Cider |

I know some view the use of store-bought apple juice for making hard cider as downright stupid, which is cool, to each their own, but it has worked great for me. I’ve made hundreds of gallons of hard cider using the stuff and love the results, especially considering how easy it is to make.

INGREDIENTS

5 gallons preservative-free apple juice

1 pack Danstar Belle Saison yeast

4 lbs frozen mixed berries

3 cans frozen apple juice concentrate

15 mL 88% lactic acid

0.5 tsp potassium metabisulfite (Campden)

2.5 tsp potassium sorbate

PROCESS

Wanting this cider to be beautifully clear in time for the party, I made it 5 weeks ahead of time using 5 gallons of the cheapest preservative-free apple juice the local grocery store had on the shelves.

I sanitized the nearest fermentation vessel before pouring the 5 gallons of juice into it.

Next, I dipped a pack of Danstar Belle Saison in some sanitizer then cut it open and poured the yeast on top of the juice in the fermentor.

Given my choice of a Saison yeast strain and the fact the temperature in my garage stays between about 60°F/16°C and 68°F/20°C this time of year, I left the cider to ferment on my workbench.

I noticed airlock activity less than 24 hours later and, as is typical when I ferment apple juice with Belle Saison, fermentation progressed somewhat slowly. The morning of the 12th day since pitching, the airlock still bubbling at a steady pace, I pulled the frozen mixed berries out of the freezer and placed them in a bowl to defrost– the bags leak and berry juice stains, hence the bowl.

Throughout that day, I’d intermittently squeeze the berry bag a few times to give the fruit a good mushing. Just after midnight, when returning from a wholesome evening at my neighbor’s bar, I dumped the fruit slurry directly into the fermenting cider. Fermentation activity kicked up by the following morning and continued for another 4 days, but I left it alone for an additional 3 days to ensure complete attenuation. Then, I added the potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite, used to halt any further yeast activity.

After adding the chemicals and giving the cider a gentle swirl, I placed the fermentation vessel in my chamber set to 32°F/0°C to cold crash. After 3 days in the cold, it was time to keg the cider. Having already melted the apple juice concentrate by placing it in the fridge a week prior, I poured their contents in the bottom of the keg.

This is also when I added 15 mL of lactic acid, which I’ve learned over multiple batches imparts just the right amount of tartness without becoming sour.

I started kegging by using my typical method of running the cider through a tube attached to the bottom valve into the keg via pin lock disconnects. However, what I failed to consider was that the uncrushed berries fell to the bottom of the fermentor and easily clogged the valve. Not an issue since I had a sterile siphon starter handy, which worked great.

Everyone coming to the party prefers their hard cider to be sparkling like soda, present company definitely included, so I placed the filled keg in my keezer and burst carbonated with 50 psi of CO2 for a full 24 hours before reducing the gas to 20 psi where it would remain. Even after just 2 days in the keezer, the cider was clear and well carbonated, though it was looking mighty fine after a week of conditioning.

| IMPRESSIONS |

It’s true and completely stereotypical that my primary impetus for making hard cider is to appease the non-beer-drinking people in my life, namely my wife and those of Jersey and Tim. I could sit here and write about how fantastic this berry cider was with its melted ICEE-like flavors punctuated by the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness, but we all know that’s not what matters.

I asked my wife if she’d be cool with writing up her thoughts on the cider, she said no, so I served her a glass and asked for her impressions.

It doesn’t taste like beer, so I like that. It’s gotta be crisp and not too sweet, but I like some sweetness, just not so much that it coats my mouth. I want to have more than one, and I could easily have more than one of these, it’s really good, probably my favorite you’ve made so far. I especially like that it’s a little more tart than usual.

And she did have another glass, which left me feeling pleased as pudding. Given the incredible experience of being in a gorgeous foreign country, I’m not sure anything I make will ever compare to what she had while in New Zealand, but it sure feels great knowing I created something Laura truly enjoys. Especially since it only took about 20 minutes to make!

During my last brew day, the cider having been on tap for 3 days, a couple buddies stopped by for a sample, one who had little experience with hard cider and the other Jersey. The former remarked that he wasn’t expecting the cider to be so easy to drink, as the only other examples he’d tried were either way too sweet or tasted like wine. Jersey just wanted more.

I’ve been making hard berry cider for awhile, most have come out great, but I think the dose of lactic acid really brings things to life and plan to experiment with even higher amounts in future batches. Regardless, whether one chooses to add fruit, acidify, ferment with ale yeast, or use unpasteurized juice, hard cider is delicious and definitely worth making!

I’ve receive questions often about my approach to cider making, particularly in regards to different flavors I’ve played with and tips for ensuring a smooth process. For the sake of clarity and breadth…

VARIATIONS ON A THEME

Tart & Hard Apple Cider

The first batch of hard cider I made upon returning home from New Zealand was my attempt to match the tartness of Mac’s Cloudy Apple. Relying on the same store-bought apple juice, I fermented it warm with a single pack of Saflager S-189 then, after adding the sorbate and metabisulfite, backsweetened with 3 cans of apple juice concentrate and added 10 mL of lactic acid at kegging. The finished cider maintained a slightly hazy appearance and tasted awfully close to the intended target. One neighbor even commented that it was her favorite batch I’d made to date.

Tart Cherry Hard Cider

Walking through Trader Joe’s one day, I saw a jar of 100% tart cherry juice and thought I’d try adding it to a cider I had fermenting at home. After sanitizing the jar, I poured all 32 oz into my fermentor toward the end of fermentation. Suffice to say the cider didn’t taste much like cherries at all. Then during a trip to Costco soon after, I noticed frozen tart cherries on the shelf and my wife suggested we try that out. At 3 lbs of fruit rather than 4 lbs, I was a little concerned, but in the end, it worked out beautifully. The frozen cherries gave the cider a pleasantly soft yet pungent cherry flavor that melded with the slight nuttiness from the apple juice and Saison yeast to create the impression of cherry pie. Absolutely delicious!

TIPS FOR MAKING HARD CIDER

If it’s clarity you seek in your cider, fining with gelatin does seem to work fairly well, despite what I’ve read to the contrary. That said, I only fine my non-fruited ciders, as even when using the less flocculant Belle Saison strain, the fruit seems to encourage the cider to clear up.

Fruit will eventually drop to the bottom of the fermentor, especially if one chooses to cold crash, which can make using bottom situated spigots a pain in the ass due to clogging (ahem). For this reason, I’ll be sticking to 6 gallon PET carboys when making cider henceforth since it allows me to keep the tip of my racking cane above the fruity trub layer.

Apple juice concentrate is dense stuff that will remain at the bottom of the keg unless adequately incorporated into the fermented cider. I developed the following simple approach after I pulled a half pint of straight concentrate the first time I tried backsweetening. After filling the keg, immediately seat the lid with a burst of gas then rock it back and forth for a good 3-4 minutes, turning it upside down multiple times, before placing it in the keezer. Hasn’t failed me yet.

Apple juice concentrate is also very sweet stuff that yeast can continue to ferment, even in cool environments. When I was first getting into cider making, someone told me that sorbate and metabisulfite weren’t necessary when backsweetening if the cider would be stored cool. I keep my keezer at 40°F/4°C, the lower end of recommended temperatures, and figured I’d make a batch sans chemicals a few months ago. After a week in the keg with 3 cans of concentrate, I noticed my cider not only began to look hazier but the carbonation was getting out of whack. Having never experienced this before, the only culprit I could think of was the lack of chemicals to halt yeast activity. I could be wrong, but for less than $1 per batch, I’ll stick with what I know works.

For those who don’t have the luxury of kegging, I’m really not sure what the best route is to accomplishing both backsweetening and carbonation. Adding the amount of concentrate I use to a cider without using the aforementioned chemicals will certainly lead to secondary fermentation, which if packaged too soon can produce bottle bombs. One possible solution is to package the cider still then use something like a SodaStream to carbonate at time of drinking. I can’t vouch for this because I’ve never tried it, but I have heard from folks who say it works pretty well.

If you have thoughts about this recipe or experience making hard cider yourself, please feel free to share in the comments section below!

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