Do it yourself Cider Making

Do It Yourself- Cider Making

 

If you’re interested in creating your own delicious cider but don’t want to pay out for all the apparatus, there are ways to do so with minimal equipment, and the results are just as delicious! We’ve put together a quick and easy guide to help you make DIY cider- no expensive press needed.

Here’s what you’ll need:

-          Fruit (for this purpose, we’ll use apples for a traditional cider flavour)

-          Juicer (This one is inexpensive and works well!)

-          Sieves/Muslin Cloth

-          Funnels

-          Tubing

-          Demijohn & airlock

-          Campden Tablets (or similar)

-          Yeast

-          Bottles

-          Hydrometer (Cheap and effective- buy here!)

Step 1 – Prepare the Fruit

Chop down the apples to a size that is appropriate for your juicer, remembering to disregard any bad or bruised flesh. Pass through your juicer and use a fine sieve to remove any lumps, letting the juice drip through into a jug. It will separate (sediment at the bottom, juice in the middle and foam on top), so pour it through a muslin cloth into another jug or bowl to get the juice.

Step 2 – Begin Fermenting

Pour your juice into a demijohn that has been thoroughly cleaned with a campden tablet or similar to ensure it is free of germs and contaminants. Crush another campden tablet into the juice to kill natural yeast and add your own yeast after a day of fermenting.

To add the yeast, remove some juice and warm it in a microwave. Pour in yeast and stir, following the directions and then return it to the demijohn. Using your hydrometer, test the gravity of the juice. You’re going to want the hydrometer to read around 1.055.

Attach the airlock to the demijohn and leave it to brew. It will begin to brew within a day, and the juice will form a type of foam. Any air bubbles will escape through the airlock so don’t worry about those.

Step 3 – Fermenting Ends

If you weren’t already aware, creating DIY cider is a lengthy process! After around two weeks of fermenting, the bubbling will stop, though this varies depending on both yeast and temperature. At this point, the yeast will have used up all sugar available to turn it to alcohol. Add another crushed campden tablet to kill any yeast- you should notice the mixture beginning to clear.

Step 4 – Bottling

Your cider is now ready to be bottled. Before putting the cider into bottles, clean them with a campden tablet as you did with the demijohn in step 2. Using syphon tubing is a good approach for transferring cider from the demijohn into bottles.

Once bottles are full, you have a chance to taste the cider and see if it is just right or too dry. Adding artificial sugar to the bottles can help to improve sweetness. Don’t worry- it will not be affected by the remaining yeast as it is artificial.

Cider should be kept in the fridge and is best served chilled and should be consumed within two weeks, though it can be frozen and last up to a year.

Here at Vigo Presses, we have all the necessary equipment to create the perfect cider, apple juice, cordials and more. If you would like more information on cider making or some help picking the right equipment for you, get in touch with a member of the team by visiting our contact page or give us a call on 01404 890093.