This is a repost from a thread i made on zoklet, hope you guys like the recipe.
Hi, thought you guys might like my quick and easy hard apple cider recipe, so I'm sharing it here.
1. First we are going to make our yeast. We are capturing wild yeast from the air. This can lead to really good results, or some sour ones. Anyways get one organic apple, and don't wash it. Skin the apple and put it into an empty seltzer water bottle, that has been sanitized with a little bit of bleach and the rest water. Fill this bottle half way with 100% apple juice, and make sure there are no preservatives in it (ascorbic acid, or vitamin C is okay). Now leave this in a warm dark place. Check back the next day, and feel if the bottle is hard. If it is that is a good sign. Release the pressure by slightly unscrewing the cap, and while doing this take a whiff, it should be a pleasant yeasty smell with and apple smell also. Do this everyday for about a week or two. If you smell anything sour, throw it away. For this reason it is a good idea to do a couple bottles with different apples and find the best one. When this is done your yeast is ready.
2. Next you will set up your fermentation vessel. For a small batch, you can use the bottle that your apple juice came in. Otherwise, use a 5 gallon bucket. Before you start, sanitize your bucket and all of your tools, again with bleach and water. If you have an airlock, attach it to the lid of your bucket, by cutting a hole in it and attaching it to a cork and cork the hole. If not cut a small hole in the lid, and put a line of sanitized tubing into, making sure it is sealed. Lead this tube into a glass of water or vodka. Do the same if you're using your apple juice bottle.
3. Pour ~4 gallons of your apple juice into your bucket. Add brown sugar, table sugar or corn sugar, if you'd like to change the specific gravity to make a higher alcohol content brew. Add in your yeast liquid and give it a good shake. Put the lid on your bucket or bottle, and connect the airlock. Let this sit in a dark warm place. For a sweeter, less alcoholic drink wait a week. Adjust the time for your taste up to about a month, any longer than that and your getting into wine territory, and you'll be waiting much longer.
4. Time for bottling. With another sanitized tube, siphon your cider from the bucket into more empty, sanitized seltzer bottles. If you want it carbonated, add about a teaspoon of sugar. Close the bottles, wait about a week or two and refrigerate. Your homebrew cider is now ready to drink, enjoy your tasty refreshing beverage.
So that's it guys, I hope you enjoy it. If you guys make it, tell me how it went or if you altered anything. Any questions just ask here!
