Hard Cider

Mark W. · Sep 17, 2013

Anyone else enjoy this fall classic? Any good recipes?

Cue P. · Sep 17, 2013

Nanny state regulations require cider producers to pasteurize their cider now which kills most of the bacteria that would allow it to ferment. You now have to either press your own or find a farm willing to sell un-pasteurized cider either by permit or with a waiver to get "raw" cider.

GeneMO · Sep 17, 2013

My cousins use to take an old cider press to the local old threshers show. They would sell raw, apple squeezins to the crowd.

not sure if they do it anymore. Might look to the local Amish or Dutch stores scattered around.

Gene

Jim in Ma. · Sep 17, 2013

The most important part is to use the rite type of apples.

Part Time Pete · Sep 17, 2013

My family has a cider mill in the nannyest of all states (NY)
We can't sell unpasteurized cider, but we can press customers apples for them. Been a busy year - more apples than I've ever seen.
A farmer I worked for when i was a kid would mix 50lb of sugar and 6 quarts of pineapple juice in a 50 gallon barrel of cider, and put a working bung on it. Would be ready around easter time.
Pete

60 acre hillside · Sep 17, 2013

When I was in the military in the Tidewater area of Virginia a couple fellow went out in the Shanandoah (spelling?) Valley and brought back a couple gallons and I never saw such wild drunks.

hopadoe · Sep 17, 2013

Oh yeah! Getting ready to pick apples and fire up the press. My press does about 10 gals. at a time. No apples last year from freeze but 2011 made 3 50 gal. barrels, 3 15 gal. carboys & froze 100 qts fresh. All barrels different, wild yeast, 1-30lbs cane sugar,1-50lbs raw sugar. All turned out well.(very high alcohol). Even no sugar added barrel would give 6%. I really liked the raw sugar added. It takes 8 hrs. to press a barrel.
But it is a lot of fun. Let me know if you have any questions.
Hey also, to make this tractor related we use a Massey 150-to haul them from the orchard.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 17, 2013

They had the raw cider freshly squeezed at Elnora tractor show couple weeks ago.Had a label said not inspected by Health Dept& not pasteurized, drink at own risk. Dang good stuff. But yes, large scale production of cider has to pasteurize to be legal. By the way, those White River Valley boys put on an absolutely great show,wish had taken picture of that triple engine Farmall M. Any one get a picture of it ?

Anonymous-0 · Sep 17, 2013

This may be the next best thing, these days:

RECIPE: Apple Pie "Moonshine"

Ingredients:

1 gallon apple juice
1 gallon apple cider
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2-1/2 cups brown sugar
9 cinnamon sticks
1 liter 190-proof grain alcohol [Everclear]

Directions:

In a large boiling pot, combine the apple juice, the apple cider, the white and brown sugar, and the fresh cinnamon sticks. Bring contents to a boil, and then remove from heat and allow to return to room temperature. Once mixture is at room temperature, stir in the 190-proof grain alcohol.

Store in sterile Mason jars, adding one cinnamon stick to each jar. Store in a cool dry dark place for a minimum of 2 weeks.

This batch will make about 9 quarts.

old · Sep 17, 2013

Biggest problem now days is finding it that has no preservatives and has not be heated etc. Years ago all I did was take a swig of it out the bottle then let it sit a few weeks and just that would let it get hard but have not found any you can do that with in 20 plus years

CH(upstate,NY) · Sep 17, 2013

My cousin just made a batch of that. He added vanilla vodka also. Pie ala-mode.

WV2CYL · Sep 17, 2013

I live in the Shenandoah valley and one of the large orchards here have gone into the hard cider business. They just got 300K fron Va. to promote it. Used to be Showalters orchards in Timberville, Now they are using some fancy name and have a big operation going,selling bottled hard cider by hundreds of cases. They work with various vineyards doing wine tastings etc.

jackbrit3 · Sep 17, 2013

I make about 8/ 5 gallon batches a year. I kill the wild yeast with a few campden tablets (potasium metabisulphite ) After a few days I add champagne yeast. I add 2 lbs of white cane sugar to a few, 2 lbs, dark brown sugar to a few and on the ones that will be ready later in the year 1.5lbs honey and a pound of dark brown sugar. I then force carbonate it.

wilson ind · Sep 17, 2013

sure that wasn't triple F20s if M I missed that one.

Flyin Farmall · Sep 17, 2013

anyone have a recipe? I have tons of apples this year,I dont know what to do with.

Paul from MI · Sep 17, 2013

I make some every year. General recipe is sterilize your equipment with campden tablets to get rid of stray bacteria. Then mix cider and sugar(2-1/2# sugar to 1 gallon cider), wine makers yeast, and pectin compound(available from winemakers supply store). After about 12 weeks kill all fermentation with more campden tablets and use a clarifier(available at winemakers supply store) to clear your cider. You may need to "rack" it a couple of times to get a nice clear product.

Paul from MI · Sep 17, 2013

I make some every year. General recipe is sterilize your equipment with campden tablets to get rid of stray bacteria. Then mix cider and sugar(2-1/2# sugar to 1 gallon cider), wine makers yeast, and pectin compound. After about 12 weeks kill all fermentation with more campden tablets and use a clarifier(available at winemakers supply store) to clear your cider. You may need to "rack" it a couple of times to get a nice clear product.

Hard Cider

Mark W.

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Cue P.

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GeneMO

Well-known Member

Jim in Ma.

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Part Time Pete

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60 acre hillside

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hopadoe

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Anonymous-0

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Anonymous-0

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old

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CH(upstate,NY)

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WV2CYL

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jackbrit3

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wilson ind

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Flyin Farmall

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Paul from MI

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Paul from MI

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