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Cider Digest #0832
Subject: Cider Digest #832, 25 October 1999
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #832 25 October 1999
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Suggested reading (NLSteve@aol.com)
Re: Cider Digest #831, 13 October 1999 (msf2@cornell.edu)
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Subject: Suggested reading
From: NLSteve@aol.com
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 22:14:43 EDT
Kevin asks:
<< I have been on this list for a while and readily admit I am in "over my
head". I know nothing about making cider. In an attempt to remedy this
situation would someone kindly steer me toward some "good" publications
on the process? >>
"The Art of Cidermaking" by Paul Correnty (Brewers Publications, Inc. 1995)
is a pretty unintimidating way into the hobby. Check your local homebrewing
shop (yellow pages under beermaking or winemaking supplies) or order through
a bookstore. The homebrewing shop can also be a terrific resource for
information -- even if the proprietor doesn't know much about cider, (s)he
will know about equipment, sanitation, etc. Good luck & welcome!
Steve
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Subject: Re: Cider Digest #831, 13 October 1999
From: msf2@cornell.edu
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 09:59:57 -0400 (EDT)
On 13 Oct 1999 cider-request@talisman.com wrote:
> Subject: Cider Digest - a simple matter of ignorance
> From: Fluffy Bunny <the.fluffy.bunny@juno.com>
> Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 23:08:24 -0500
>
> Hello All:
>
> I have been on this list for a while and readily admit I am in "over my
> head". I know nothing about making cider. In an attempt to remedy this
> situation would someone kindly steer me toward some "good" publications
> on the process?
>
> Thanking you in advance for any consideration you give this matter,
>
> Kevin
>
Kevin:
The folks on this list tend to get into the small, nit-picking details
about cider-making. If this was an automobile discussion list, the
discussions would be about adjusting engine timing, rack-and-pinion versus
power steering, and whether or not anti-lock brakes are safer than
standard brakes.
This is not to say that such discussions are not interesting, but they
don't help much when you just want to learn to drive!
Making cider is fun and easy.
Let me say that again: making cider is fun and easy.
You'll need the same equipment as for beer- or wine-making. Many such
kits are widely available. They should include:
1 7-gallon food-grade plastic bucket with airtight lid. The lid needs a
hole bored in it. This is your primary fermenter.
1 5-gallon glass carboy. This is your secondary fermenter.
Siphoning hose (flexible plastic tubing with a clamp-lock)
Racking cane (rigid plastic tube)
Water-lock (device used to release excess gas pressure from the chamber
without letting air back in)
Rubber stoppers for above-- one for the carboy, one for the bucket.
Hydrometer (device used to measure density of a liquid)
Bottle brushes
Bottle caps or corks
A supply of bottles-- beer bottles or wine bottles both work fine.
Bottle capper or corker
Sanitizing solution (household beach is cheapest and works fine)
The whole set-up should set you back about $50 - $75. This is a one-time
expense, unless you accidently break equipment.
Ingredients for five gallons of cider:
5 gallons of unpreserved sweet apple cider. Unpasteurized is
best, but pasteurized is OK. Be absolutely sure there are no
preservatives in the cider, particularly sorbates.
2 packets active dry brewers or wine yeast.
Procedure:
1) Wash and sanitize your plastic bucket with a bleach-water solution. I
use about half a cup of bleach per three gallons of water. Rinse with
plenty of clean water.
2) Pour your cider into the bucket. Open up the packets of yeast and
sprinkle them on the surface of the cider. Wait about five minutes, then
stir the cider vigorously with a sanitized spoon.
3) Put the lid on the bucket and attach the water lock.
4) Wait five days. You should observe the cider foaming up, the
water-lock "blurping", and the aroma of fermentation.
5) Wash and sanitize the carboy. Rinse with plenty of clean water.
6) Siphon the cider from the primary to the secondary fermenter. Leave
the sludge at the bottom of the primary. Attach the water lock.
7) Wait about a month. You now have hard cider. Bottle and enjoy!
Cheers!
- --Mike Ferdinando
msf2@cornell.edu
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End of Cider Digest #832
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