Cider Buy & Cider Day

Hard cider recipe

1. Clean and sanitize your fermentation vessel, airlock, and rubber stopper.
2. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
3. Add 1/2 tsp StarSan to 1 cup water and pour it into your fermenter. Fasten the lid, insert the stopper and airlock, shake, then drain through the spigot. Some suds may remain—this is okay. Do not rinse.
4. Fill your vessel with fresh cider.
5. Crush and add 1 Campden tablet per gallon of cider, stir gently, then cover. Insert your airlock and fill it with sanitizer or water. Wait 24 hours.
6. Add yeast and 1 gram Fermaid K per gallon. Recover, replace the airlock, and top it off with sanitizer or water.
7. Active fermentation will usually start in about 12 to 36 hours. Ensure the airlock stays filled with fluid.
8. Allow 3–4 weeks for your cider to fully ferment and for the yeast to settle.
9. Using a spigot or siphon, carefully fill bottles to a half inch from the top.
10. For sparkling cider, add up to 8 carb tabs per 12 oz bottle or 10 per 16 oz bottle. Cap your bottles and allow 2 weeks to fully carbonate before refrigerating and drinking.
11. For still cider, allow a few days in the refrigerator before drinking.

For a healthy, low-sulfur fermentation, use yeast nutrient and sulfite your cider if you desire a “clean” fermentation. We recommend dosing your cider with 1 crushed Campden tablet per gallon, stirring, covering, and waiting 24 hours before pitching yeast. Then add 1 gram Fermaid K per gallon along with your yeast.