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Home , Apple juice, Cider, Fermentation lock, Mead, New England, Pectin

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What is hard cider? brought and cider- Hard cider refers to the making technology to the fermented beverage For most , the . made from the of word cider conjures up apples. Unfermented or images of freshly pressed During the colonial period, sweet cider is fresh juice. However, in all hard cider was the pressed . other parts of the world, the beverage of choice. It was word cider refers to the cheaper than and fermented, alcoholic Hard cider can range from could easily be made at beverage made from sweet to dry depending on every farmhouse. It wasn’t pressed juice. the type of apples and until the 1900’s that hard used and the length cider decreased in Hard cider, the American of fermentation. It can be popularity. Prohibition and term for the alcoholic pasteurized and filtered to the mass production of beverage, is a light-tasting, produce a draft hard cider, beer during the American slightly sweet with or left unfiltered as in led to approximately the same farmhouse hard cider. its downfall. Today, alcohol content as beer. however hard cider is Hard cider is typically Where did hard cider making a strong comeback made from a blend of originate? and there is increasing from bittersweet and awareness and culinary apples. Hard cider is believed to appreciation of this have developed from traditional beverage. Cider is produced in four making technology in the main styles: still cider is Basque country of northern The United Kingdom leads uncarbonated, sparkling Spain. Celts then spread the world in hard cider cider is lightly carbonated, cider-making technology production and New hard cider throughout the northern consumption, but the may be still or sparkling, coast of as they is catching but contains elevated traveled from Spain to up. There are levels of alcohol (over 8 England and . approximately 60 cider percent) and specialty hard manufacturers in the UK cider is made with added The European hard cider and approximately 30 in , honey, molasses, or industry flourished until the the U.S. Of the 30 in the . industrial revolution when U.S., about two-thirds thousands left their farms produce draft hard for cities and beer became and the remaining third the beverage of choice. produces farmhouse hard However, interest in hard ciders. cider continued among the American colonists who

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Hard cider produced in have more control over the England is generally more There are four basic cider processed. tannic and -like due to types of apples: sweet their use of ale yeast and apples include , Honey Cider Facts bittersweet apples. The , Delicious and cider made in the U.S. is Rome Beauty; acidic • Milder honeys should generally sweeter and apples are , be added to cider more -like. , Greening and because darker Pippin; aromatic apples honeys will overpower Honey’s advantages in include Macintosh and the apple taste. hard cider Russet and astringent apples are basically wild • A honey-flavored Honey imparts a sweet, apples and crabapples. cider with a majority of smooth, mellow taste and the fermentable pleasant floral scent to material coming from hard cider. It also NOTE: Honey adds 35 apples is a honey- increases the alcohol gravity points per pound flavored specialty content of the cider by of honey per gallon of cider. increasing the specific cider. amount of available • If the majority of for fermentation. Making hard honey cider fermentable material comes from honey Honey naturally raises the Cider making begins with then it is an apple- specific gravity of pressed apple selection. Most flavored . apple juice and imparts a ciders are a blend of juices smooth honey taste to hard from several . The specific gravity varieties. A typical blend of Once the apples have of fresh pressed apple apples would include been selected, they are juice is approximately approximately 50 percent milled or ground to produce 0.050. At this level, sweet apples, 35 percent apple pulp, called . fermentation of the sugars acidic apples and 5 percent The pomace is then present produces a hard astringent apples. As a rule pressed to obtain apple cider with an alcohol of thumb it takes 100 juice. Some brewers treat content of 6 percent. pounds of apples to make the juice, called , with However, contamination by 8 gallons of juice. sulfites to reduce yeast and bacteria is still and wild . Some possible. Therefore, many Milling and prefer to skip this step and manufacturers raise the The cider brewer must allow wild yeasts present in specific gravity of their decide whether to buy the juice to begin ferment. product to create a hard fresh pressed apple juice If fermentation with wild cider with a higher alcohol or press it themselves. yeast is not preferred, one content and longer shelf- When buying pressed to two Campden life. juice, the cider (potassium meta- manufacturer has no bisulphite) tablets per control over the types of gallon will kill all unwanted apples used and whether organisms. After adding preservatives have been sulfite, the juice should be added. Milling and pressing aerated for 24 hours before can be expensive and adding yeast to prevent its laborious, but brewers destruction.

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astringent apples are used, Fermentation action Once the juice has been and will not usually stops within two to pressed, the specific need to be adjusted. three months when acid gravity, pH and tannin level and alcohol levels build up must be checked with a Fermentation in the juice. After hydrometer and enough After honey has been honey should be added to added and any Honey Hints reach a specific gravity of adjustments have been To produce a more approximately 1.060. made, the juice is ready for alcoholic and dry honey However, the amount of fermentation. Cider cider, the honey added honey added depends on undergoes two different should be allowed to the preferred alcohol kinds of fermentation. The ferment to completion. content of the finished first is carried out by yeast However, the final cider. The more honey which have either been product will only have a added, the higher the added or are naturally slight honey flavor. To alcohol content will be. present. This fermentation produce a sweeter, less converts sugars to alcoholic and more honey The pH of the pressed and alcohol. The second flavored cider, juice should be in the fermentation involves the fermentation should be range of 3.9 to 4.0. To conversion of to shortened to prevent the lower the pH add malic and carbon entire consumption of acid (the principle acid in dioxide by lactic acid honey by the yeast. cider) and to raise the pH bacteria. add precipitated chalk. The correct level of acid is The temperatures essential because it necessary for primary and fermentation subsides, the balances the alcohol in the secondary fermentation are cider is left for the yeast to cider and helps protect it often different. settle and is either cold- from contamination. Tannin Temperatures for primary filtered, centrifuged or is found in crabapples and fermentation depend on simply siphoned to another is what gives them their the type of yeast used, bottle to separate the astringent taste. In cider it while secondary dormant yeast from the provides long-term fermentation should occur juice. Cider can be stored structure and a pleasant at temperatures below 55° in any type of bottle that dry taste. F (13° C). can be sealed with a cap or a cork. Capped bottles may The tannin level of the juice Many types of yeasts can be used to store still will need to be adjusted if be used to ferment cider. (uncarbonated) cider or the juice was pressed from Yeasts that add little cider that has been primed sweet apples such as character and flavor and do to become sparkling cider Delicious. One teaspoon of not mask the delicate apple (carbonated). Corked tannin powder for every taste are typically bottles are only used with five gallons of pressed preferred. Champagne still cider because the juice is needed when yeasts which are capable pressure that builds inside sweet apples are used. of converting more of the a sparkling cider would pop However, if the correct natural fruit sugars to the cork. blend of sweet, aromatic, alcohol and which do not acidic and impart flavor are often used The cider should be stored by cider manufacturers. for at least six months in a dark place to age. The

National Honey Board • (800) 553-7162 • www.nhb.org • Page 3 of 8 cider should be stored at Where to find more To create a sparkling 65 to 72° F (18 to 24° C) to information cider, a small amount of let the flavors mellow and sugar must be added to the edges soften. However, The Art of Cidermaking, by the cider before it is the length of aging Paul Correnty provides capped and stored. This depends on the style of step by step instruction on process is called priming. cider being made. Light, the production of cider. The To prime five gallons of sparkling ciders require honey cider recipes on the cider boil half cup of cane less time, while stronger following pages have been or corn sugar together ciders may take anywhere taken from Correnty’s book with a pint of for from three months to a with permission. five minutes. Let cool year to fully mature. If you have access to the before mixing with your Internet, two interesting cider. Then pour into a Web sites are: large container before

the cider. The

The Real Cider and sugar will activate

page the dormant yeast still (http://web.bham.ac.uk/Grafto alive in the unfiltered and nG/cider/homepage.htm), unsufited cider. With no and The Brewery page escape from the capped (http://www.brewery.org/brew bottles, the carbon ery/cm3/recs/11_toc.html). dioxide from the yeast will

be absorbed by the cider Also, a quick search on the to create sparkling Internet can provide you bubbles. with a wealth of

information.

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Honey Cider Formulas

Bit O’ Honey Cyser Gorman’s Robust Cyser

Ingredients for five gallons Ingredients for five gallons • 5 gallons fresh pressed sweet cider, tested • 5 gallons fresh pressed sweet cider, tested and adjusted for acid. and adjusted for acid. • 2 pounds clover honey (or enough to bring • 7 pounds mild honey (or enough to bring the the specific gravity up to approximately specific gravity up to approximately 1.150). 1.065). • 1 tablespoon ground . • ale or mead (honey wine) yeast starter. • 1 pack dried Epernay wine yeast or yeast culture. Procedure: Simmer the honey with a bit of cider over a low Procedure: flame until the honey warms and thins. Pour a Warm the honey with a gallon of cider over low gallon of sweet cider into a sanitized glass flame to thin it before adding it and the cinnamon to its shoulders with sweet cider. Pitch to the carboy full of sweet cider. Pitch the yeast (add) the yeast, top off with the remaining sweet or yeast culture and ferment as for the Bit O’ cider, and cover the top of the carboy with plastic Cyser recipe. Two things to note: wrap. Since ale or mead yeast is being used keep the cider between 65 and 75° F (18 and 24° 1. Epernay wine yeast is used because it has a C). high tolerance for alcohol. It will ferment more of the honey before settling out than Fermentation begins very slowly as the heavier will a low-tolerance beer yeast. honey settles, then works very rapidly as the 2. With such a large amount of honey, yeast feast on the large amounts of sugar in the fermenting this cider and achieving the blend. Wipe up and sanitize the overflow and top proper balance of tastes may take off and add a fermentation lock when the cider considerable time, maybe up to a year, so be settles. patient.

The procedures for cyser are identical to cider This cider will keep in a bottle for up to four with a notable exception: honey takes a longer years. time to clear and even longer time to ferment out and taste acceptable (at least 6 months).

The honey cyser will finish dry and have a lingering honey sweetness. Cyser may be bottled still and capped or corked, or may be made sparkling with the addition of a simple syrup of one-half cup sugar and two cups water and boiled for five minutes and cooled to five gallons of cyser.

Let the bottled cyser age in a cool place for at least four months before drinking.

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Ginger Honey Cider

Ingredients for five gallons • 5 gallons fresh pressed sweet cider • 3 cups cane or corn sugar • 2 cups clover or other mild honey • 1 to 4 ounces freshly grated • or ale beer yeast culture

Procedure: Dissolve the sugars and honey in one gallon of warmed cider and add to the other four gallons already in the sanitized carboy. Pitch the active yeast culture, fill the carboy to within two inches of the top and cover the opening with plastic wrap. Keep the carboy at room temperature until fermentation starts. Then carefully move the carboy to a cool place, below 55° F (13° C).

Primary fermentation at these temperatures will last at least one month, so remember to wipe down the carboy daily with sanitizing solution. At the end of primary fermentation, add the freshly grated ginger, top off the carboy with fresh cider, and attach a fermentation lock.

At this point, the cider may be left to ferment at cool temperatures. Secondary fermentation is characterized by a steady of rising bubbles that slowly subsides then cease when all the sugars have been converted. It will be clear and ready to bottle within two to three months.

It may take a few months for the flavors of Gingered Honey Cider to mellow after fermentation is completed. At bottling the ginger will still be sharp and not yet blended into the apple and honey base. This cider may be bottled still or made sparkling. Rack the cider into a sanitized five-gallon container and add a boiled and cooled solution of one-half cup sugar and one cup water before bottling and capping.

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Stokes Sensational Elderberry ’s Happy Honey Cider Cider This cyser is pale yellow and very clean with This is about as rich a cyser as one gets. The sweet apple and honey aromas. It is medium color is deep burgundy, the aroma is a wild weight and delicate in taste with a refreshing mixture of crushed berries and fragrant honey honeyed finish. This is a favorite libation of with apple peeking through. And the taste…big, Herbert Peach, blue ribbon winner in the Cider big, BIG! Berries and honey cascade down category at the 1997 Homebrew balanced by apple acidity and the tannin of the Competition. elderberries. The finish is rich and riotous and very long, in the end the elderberries give way to Ingredients for five gallons the kiss of honey. This is the first cyser made by • 5 gallons fresh pressed sweet cider at 75° F. Martin Stokes, an accomplished brewer and • 4 cups granulated sugar. cidermaker who won it all in 1994 as the AHA • 2 pounds clover honey. Cidermaker of the Year. • M&F dried ale yeast.

Ingredients for five gallons Procedure: • 4.5 gallons fresh pressed apple juice at 65° In a clean carboy mix together 1 gallon of the F cider, the sugar, and the liquefied honey then • 4 12-ounce cans Seneca swirl gently until dissolved. Pour in the remaining apple juice concentrate. cider. Rehydrate the dried yeast according to the package instructions and pitch. Attach water lock • 5 pounds clover honey. or blowoff tube and when yeast starts to work, • 16 pounds elderberry (these may be picked bring the carboy down to cellar so that it may fresh and frozen until needed). ferment at a temperature between 55° F and 60° • 1 tsp. yeast nutrient. F to maintain its fruity aroma. • ½ tsp. yeast hulls. • ½ tsp. liquid . Let the cyser ferment in a primary until only a few • 1 package dried champagne yeast, bubbles rise to the surface and the cyser starts rehydrated following package instructions. to clear (3 or 4 months), then rack into a clean carboy. The fermentation will slowly continue for Procedure: another month until all activity stops and the Roughly crush the berries and mix them together cyser is very clear. Bottle and enjoy now or bottle with 3 gallons of the cider (put the rest back in and age for further maturity. the fridge) and the other ingredients except the yeast in a wide food grade plastic fermenting bucket or stainless steel fermenter. Pitch the yeast and cover with cheesecloth to keep our critters. Ferment the berries until the specific gravity drops by half. Using a large mesh strainer, strain the floating berries out then rinse them with the remaining 1 ½ gallons of sweet cider over the bucket to catch all the juice. the cyser out of the bucket into a clean 5 gallon carboy and attach a water lock. Place in a dark and quiet part of the cellar and let the cyser finish fermenting until it drops clear, another 3 or 4 months.

At this time the cyser may be primed and bottled, or left to mature in bulk. Be aware that there is much that went into this cyser and it will take at least 8 or 9 months for the in the elderberries to mellow and the complex honey taste to develop. It is a good idea to make other, quicker maturing cysers for early drinking so that this one may be allowed to age gracefully…you will be glad you did!

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SELECTED HONEY FLORAL SOURCES

It All Depends Where the Buzzed! Type of Honey Distinguishing Characteristics Production

Acacia Honey Pale yellow color. Produced in California. Delicate flavor. Alfalfa Honey Light amber color. Produced extensively throughout Mild flavor and aroma. and U.S. Basswood Honey Water-white color. Produced from southern Canada to Strong “biting” flavor. Alabama and Texas. Buckwheat Honey Dark amber color. Produced in Minnesota, , Strong, slightly malty flavor. Ohio, Pennsylvania and as well as in . Honey Light amber color. Produced in eastern and Distinct fruity flavor. southeastern states and Canada. Clover Honey Color varies from water white to amber. Produced throughout the U.S. Mild, “classic honey” flavor. Eucalyptus Honey Varies greatly in color. Produced in California and . Generally strong flavor with very slight menthol notes. Heather Honey Reddish brown to deep amber color. Heavy- Produced in , New bodied. Bittersweet, aromatic flavor. and . Blossom Honey Light amber color. Produced in Florida, southern Mild, flavor reminiscent of the scent of California and southern Texas. blossoms. Sage Honey Water-white color. Produced in California and southwest Mild flavor. U.S. Safflower Honey Color varies from amber to dark amber with Produced throughout the western slight greenish cast. Mild flavor. U.S. Sourwood Honey Light amber color. Produced in the eastern areas of the Mild flavor. U.S. Tupelo Honey Light amber color with slight greenish cast. Produced in northeastern Florida. Mild, distinctive flavor. Very slow to crystallize. Mixed Wildflower Varied greatly in color and flavor. Typically Produced throughout the U.S. Honey strong flavor.

DID YOU KNOW? The average worker makes 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.

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