Hard Apple Cider

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 liters fresh apple juice (no preservatives)
• 1/2-1 lb sugar (not more than 2 lbs)
• 1/2 teaspoon pectic enzyme powder
• 1 teaspoon acid blend
• 1/4 teaspoon grape tannin
• 1/2 teaspoon yeast energizer
• 2 campden tablets
• 1 packet all purpose wine yeast

Directions

1. 1

   crush and dissolve campden tablets in a cup of warm water and mix well with the FRESH apple juice in your primary fermenter.

2. 2

   Let stand over-night. Mix in all other ingredients except yeast making sure everything is dissolved, then sprinkle yeast over top of juice and cover with plastic sheet and ferment 3 to 5 days.

3. 3

   Rack (siphon) into secondary fermenter and attach air lock.

4. 4

   Rack again in 3 weeks.

5. 5

   When all fermentation is finished, rack into a clean vessel and add 2 oz of white sugar and gently stir well.

6. 6

   (I usually put the sugar into a bit of water and dissolve it first by boiling it in the microwave) When sugar is well mixed, bottle and age 3 months.

7. 7

   This will give you a crisp, carbonated hard cider.

8. 8

   * the more sugar you add, the more alcohol you will get, but the longer it will take to ferment. I would recommend from 1/2 to 1 pound per gal/4.5 l and not more than 2 lbs.