Recipe talk:Hard Cider

What? We're becoming Erowid?

Anyway... If one "seals" the container with a condom (no lube) it would allow for the expansion of the CO₂ while making sure no mold or other pathogens got in.

I ain't no chemist and I do not know the effects of ethyl alcohol on PET, but I'd go with glass/condom over a really sturdy PET container. CЯacke® 17:03, 7 November 2007 (EST)

Or a glass demijohn with a gas trap in the top - available @ your local health food shop or chemist's suppliers. Susan^purr 17:33, 7 November 2007 (EST)

So -- how much would this raise the alcohol content by? And what does it start at?--Bob^{bing up} 17:16, 7 November 2007 (EST)

Overnight fermentation? I'd guess about 0.5% by volume, maybe less. Give it a week you might see something approaching 5%. CЯacke® 17:45, 7 November 2007 (EST)

As a West country buyh, I'm glad to see an article about the golden nectar on this site. What about scrumpy though? Totnesmartin 18:11, 7 November 2007 (EST)

• I meant "seal" as in the lid being put back on tightly. Using a condom or means for CO₂ to escape means the end result will be flat. If that's what you want, go for it. No risk of explosion, so its safer.
• Glass is dangerous as it can usually hold on average of about 5 PSI, with some of my hard cider cases to be close to 14 PSI, three times the limit. I doubt they'd sell PET1 containors for fermenting if there was some kind of effect, but I never figured why everyone says PET1 or PET2 (bottling buckets are usually PET2; you can ferment in them).
• The alcohol content goes from 0.3% to 0.5%, based on temperature that yeast performs best at and the amount of oxygen inside. It starts at 0% alcohol, that's what yeast is for. :P
• Never even heard of scrumpy before. :P Norseman^Wassail! 23:31, 26 November 2007 (EST)

I'm sorry but I'm a bit confused by you statement "it starts at 0% alcohol" - presumably if you start with store-bought cider it already has an alcohol content of several percent. Or is store-sold cider in the US just apple juice? --Bob^{bing up} 05:26, 27 November 2007 (EST)

I was confused first! Me! This one!

Apple cider is just flavored apple juice in the US. I had no idea what you meant, but here, cider has no alcohol. If it did, I wouldn't be making hard cider probably. I'm quite sure one could use regular apple juice, but I've never thought to try it yet. I guess I should just edit it a bit to clarify. Norseman^Wassail! 21:40, 28 November 2007 (EST)

Your cider is normally non-alcoholic!!!? My word, what an unusual people you are. It's most certainly alcoholic in the UK and in Spain.--Bob^{bing up} 03:16, 29 November 2007 (EST)

And Normandy (which is where English cider probably originated). Totnesmartin 06:19, 29 November 2007 (EST)

Around here, it's only barely alcoholic - .5-1% or thereabout. And it's carbonated. --AKjeldsen^Godspeed! 07:22, 29 November 2007 (EST)

I thought you were the apostle of carbonated drinks? Or is that only beer?--Bob^{bing up} 11:31, 29 November 2007 (EST)

Oh, I don't mind it. But I won't pretend it's anything other than a soft drink - nor proper "cider" IMO. --AKjeldsen^Godspeed! 13:07, 29 November 2007 (EST)

Well, you can buy alcoholic cider in the US, but it's called "hard cider." (Woodchuck's Hard Cider is the most popular.) Researcher 14:51, 29 November 2007 (EST)

This article has a pro-american bias

Cider in Ireland and England is the name given to fermented fruit (usually apple, sometimes pear) drinks. It is always carbonated. And drunk by teenagers. Please remove this conservative bias and tell the whole story. airdish 07:26, 29 November 2007 (EST)

It ain't always carbonated, & pear "cider" is perry. I have a long anecdote re cider/perry drinking in the late 60s in Bromyard, Herefordshire. Shan't bother y'all wit it now. Susan^{purrrrr ...} 13:14, 29 November 2007 (EST)

Hard cider my arse

Given the general definiton of 'hard cider' is that it contains alcohol how does chucking a bit of yeast in apple juice and leaving over night even quality? I know our transatlantic cousins have a reputation of getting drunk on a half of shandy and a sniff of the barmaid's apron but still... Surely it's just as easy to go to the shop and buy a can of Apple Tango.

Anyhoo.. Here's my stupidly easy recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 x 5 litre bottle of supermarket own brand spring water in a large plastic bottle.
• 4 x 1 litre cartons of supermarket own brand apple juice (the dirt cheap 'value' stuff is as good as any).
• About 1/4 to 1/2 bag of sugar.
• Champagne yeast.

Method.

• Pour water down drain or drink it if you're very very thirsty and retain bottle.
• Pour apple juice in to now empty 5 litre bottle.
• Dissolve sugar in 3/4 litre of hot water, cool and add to bottle.
• Prepare yeast and add to bottle.
• Loosely shove a big ball of sterilised cotton wool in top of bottle(pouring boiling water over it is good enough).
• Loosely cover top of bottle with a tinfoil hat.
• Leave until fermentaion stops.
• Drink.
• Fall over.

You don't need to faff about with locks or condoms or anything like that. The cotton wool and foil will keep the nasties out long enough for CO2 to form which will keep the beasties out on its own.

The amount of sugar you add will determine whether it's pleasantly drinkable around 5 - 6% or virtually undrinkable 13%+ tramp-juice that tastes like crap but gets you very pissed very quickly.92.40.21.41 (talk) 16:28, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

An excellent BoN! Scream!! (talk) 16:58, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

Thank you Scream!! for twas I that posted that (I'd had too much cider to remember my login) Would it be in order for me to C&P that in to the article? Oh to hell with it... I'm going to do it anyway :) ^{— Unsigned, by: Longdog / talk / contribs} 17:04, 24 November 2013

"1/4 to 1/2 bag of sugar": how big (or how heavy) is the bag? I have no clue how big a "bag" of sugar is in your part of the world. Please let me know so I don't [die] from this.