381: DIY Cider Making for Beginners

Cider Making at home is a Perfect DIY

Cider Making is fun! If you are a cider fan who would like to try to make cider at home without breaking the bank, this episode is the perfect DIY project to start your journey.

New to Cider Making? Start Here!

In this episode:

• Simple steps to DIY cider at home
• Basics of how fermentation works
• Where to get your juice and what kind of apple juice should you use?
• Equipment needed to make a gallon of cider
• The process for both a "controlled" ferment and a wild ferment.

What you will need – to turn a gallon of apple juice into cider Apple Juice

By buying your equipment via the links provided, you provide a monetary kick back to Cider Chat at no extra cost to YOU. Win/Win

• Fresh pressed apple juice
  • Try to find a cider mill that has on hand fresh pressed juice! No cider mill close by? You can now buy apple juice via Amazon! This bottle below is 64 ounces so you will need 2 jugs to make one gallon.

A vessel for fermenting

• If you can buy a gallon of fresh pressed apple juice at the cider mill do so and use the jug that it can in to ferment. You will still need a drilled stopper and airlock. These two links will provide options for different size jugs. drilled stopper and airlock.
• You will still need a drilled stopper and airlock. These two links will provide options for different size jugs. drilled stopper and airlock.
• If you buy apple juice at a grocery store or online and you have to buy a few to make one gallon, you will need a single 1-gallon jug.
• Make sure to clean this jug before using. The final rinse should be hot, hot water. Leave enough room for the primary fermentation so that it doesn't bubble over. Always be careful with glass

The above jug is linked to Amazon (click on the 1-gallon jug link) and comes with all you need to start primary fermentation. It includes:

• Size #6.5 Drilled Stopper

• Airlock – The airlock helps release carbon dioxide (CO2) and keep out Oxygen!

Books on Cider Making

The Big Book of Cidermaking

Listen to episode 231: The Big Book of Cidermaking, with the Shockey

The New Cider Makers Handbook, Claude Jolicoeur

N/A Mentions in this chat

• Fermentis: SafCider™ Yeasts for your cider!
• Visit Idaho and taste the ciders! More info at https://nwcider.com/map
• Heritage Orchard Conference https://www.uidaho.edu/cals/sandpoint-organic-agriculture-center/conference