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

Steps:

  1. 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.20161105_101636.jpg
  2. 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.20160910_100622.jpg
  3. 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.20170812_082401.jpg
  4. Make a weak cup of tea and allow it to cool before adding to the jar. 20160731_153109
  5. Juice your lemon or lime and add the juice to the jar.
  6. Add the 6 raisins, optional chilis and 1 cup raw sugar to the jar.20160731_153214
  7. Top up the fermenting jar with cooled pre-boiled water, leave a bit of room at the top though for the bubbles to come.
  8. Give it all a good stir with a fork and pop the lid down.20170812_084558
  9. 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.

 

 

If you ask me, cloudy is good 🙂.

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Enjoy,

PK


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