PK’s Small Batch Hard Cider

Not much tops a nice cold glass of home made hard apple cider on a hot Perth summers day. In this recipe I use a small 2L fermenting jar with a built in one way airlock. It makes just the right amount to share with a few friends over Sunday lunch.

As with my hard apple cider method, in a 5L demijohn, I don’t do a secondary fermentation and that means a flat beverage. I don’t mind and on the plus side I can simply take a jar that has been fermenting for about 4 weeks and chill it a few hours before I need it. No mess, no double handling and no decanting necessary.

Note: Please only follow this recipe if you are of a legal age to drink in your country. Don’t attempt this in an air tight glass jar, it will explode!

You will need:

Ingredients:
- 4 apples (I use unpeeled apples that are passed their best)
- 1 small lemon or lime
- ~6 raisins (to add some wild yeasts to the mix)
- chilis to taste, sliced (optional)
- 1 teabag (to add some extra tannins to the mix)
- ~ half a sachet of yeast (I use bread yeast)
- 1 cup raw sugar
- boiling water (to sanitise everything)
- cooled boiled water

Equipment
- a small bowl
- a fork
- a chopping board
- a long sharp knife
- a teacup
- a juicer for the lime
- a wet mixer
- a 2L fermenting jar with a built in one way airlock or similar

Steps:

Sterilise everything with boiling water. I fill the fermenting jar with boiling water and let it sit while I prepare everything else. When it is cooled somewhat I empty half of it out. I also run boiling water over the fork, knife, measuring spoons etc.
I also take some of the boiled water that has cooled to the point of being warm and get my yeast mix started. Bubbles let you know it is working.
You can either puree the apples or chop them into chunks and then add to the jar. Try both methods and see which one you prefer 🙂 . I don’t use the cores but I do use the skins.
Make a weak cup of tea and allow it to cool before adding to the jar.
Juice your lemon or lime and add the juice to the jar.
Add the 6 raisins, optional chilis and 1 cup raw sugar to the jar.
Top up the fermenting jar with cooled pre-boiled water, leave a bit of room at the top though for the bubbles to come.
Give it all a good stir with a fork and pop the lid down.
Leave the fermenting jar somewhere out of the way until it starts bubbling well and then find a nice, dry dark place for it for about 4 weeks. In Perth you won’t have to worry about keeping it warm enough to keep the fermentation going. Most of the 4 weeks is about letting the flavours mature post fermentation really anyway.