Hard Honey Cider What is hard cider? brought apples and cider- Hard cider refers to the making technology to the fermented beverage For most Americans, the New World. made from the juice of word cider conjures up apples. Unfermented or images of freshly pressed During the colonial period, sweet cider is fresh apple juice. However, in all hard cider was the pressed apple juice. other parts of the world, the beverage of choice. It was word cider refers to the cheaper than beer 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 yeast 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 drink with or left unfiltered as in industrial revolution 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 juices from bittersweet and awareness and culinary apples. Hard cider is believed to appreciation of this have developed from wine 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 England hard cider throughout the northern consumption, but the may be still or sparkling, coast of Europe as they United States is catching but contains elevated traveled from Spain to up. There are levels of alcohol (over 8 England and Ireland. approximately 60 cider percent) and specialty hard manufacturers in the UK cider is made with added The European hard cider and approximately 30 in sugar, honey, molasses, or industry flourished until the the U.S. Of the 30 in the fruit. industrial revolution when U.S., about two-thirds thousands left their farms produce draft hard ciders 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 National Honey Board • (800) 553-7162 • www.nhb.org • Page 1 of 8 Hard cider produced in have more control over the England is generally more There are four basic cider processed. tannic and ale-like due to types of apples: sweet their use of ale yeast and apples include Baldwin, Honey Cider Facts bittersweet apples. The Cortland, Delicious and cider made in the U.S. is Rome Beauty; acidic • Milder honeys should generally sweeter and apples are Northern Spy, be added to cider more champagne-like. Winesap, 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 sugars 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 mead. apple juice and imparts a ciders are a blend of juices smooth honey taste to hard from several apple cider. 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 pomace. 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 must, with However, contamination by 8 gallons of juice. sulfites to reduce bacteria yeast and bacteria is still and wild yeasts. Some possible. Therefore, many Milling and Pressing 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. National Honey Board • (800) 553-7162 • www.nhb.org • Page 2 of 8 astringent apples are used, Fermentation action Once the juice has been acid and tannin 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 ethanol 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 malic acid to shortened to prevent the lower the pH add malic lactic acid 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 Red 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 water for from three months to a with permission.