Cider/Cyser Making Day 0
Part 1: Equipment and Ingredients
I’ve been wanting to make a hard cider for a long time now. There was a great article in Craft Vol. 1 called “Cider Rules” that I loved. I have lots of beer brewing buddies that inspired me to ferment something. It was only a matter of time.
I finally took the plunge last week.
On Thursday, I went with my friend Adam (who has beer brewing experience) to Great Fermentations in Indianapolis. The owner, Anita, helped walk me though buying the basic equipment and ingredients.
On Saturday, I bought cider and honey from the farmer’s market, then went home and got started.
Here’s what I had:
Equipment list:
-5 US gal. glass carboy
-1 universal bung (stopper)
-1 airlock
-1 6 US gal. brewing bucket
-1 bottling spigot for bucket
-1 big spoon
-1 30” racking cane
-5’ 3/8” tubing
-24 750 ml glass champagne bottles
-24 champagne stoppers
-24 champagne wires
-1 small bottle of Iodophore
-1 LC thermometer for carboy
Ingredient List:
-5 US gal unpasteurized apple cider (Butera Family Orchard, Lafayette, IN)
-5# pure honey (Adams Honey Farm, Bringhurst, IN)
-White Labs WLP775 English Cider Yeast
-yeast nutrient
-Campden tabs
-1# of lactose I might add depending on sweetness at end
Pictures and notes from days one through three to come…
