How to Brew Hard Apple Cider from Start to Finish Using Apples

[@solosailorsv8065]

Excellent IPM without rushing (Information per Minute)

[@Maryannecheesman]

We are into the second fermentation now, thanks to your fabulous wealth of information! How special will it be to have our farm apples into cider for the holidays!

[@colmocinnseala88]

Thank you from Ireland

[@CristinLarkin]

Hi from Ireland. Great video. Thanks :)

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Howdy my friend from across the pond !

[@CristinLarkin]

FYI HuwsNursery recommended you. I'm about to make cider for the first time.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Glad Huw was able to connect us!! Good luck my friend!

[@HuwRichards]

Great video! We have been busy making cider here too!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

fantastic my friend! i have been a little too scared to try the natural yeast like you do! one day I might lol

[@robertwilliams1473]

great video my tree I planted 17 years ago produced 12 bushels, so I have a bit to produce this year. Using a garborator to mash.

[@nadinesoussi7352]

Beautifully presented thank you .

[@ennuikitty]

Yay! Now I can make apple shine.

[@kyours.5694]

So if this gets chucked into a still it will still taste like apple

[@OneYardRevolution]

Very interesting, Stephen! I bet it tastes good too!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I'm not going to brag but it tastes pretty good to me :)

[@ericsmith-lh7lx]

very informative

[@WallyTony]

I came from the other guys link. Thanks for doing this.

[@leejones7341]

Outstanding video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@hansgonzales5556]

I am new n this. I am making apple cider from fresh apples. When I was in London I bought a finning kit. It has kieselsol (A) and gelatine (B). My cider is in the secondary fermenting. I would like to clear it becuse it is so cloudy. Will I get a sparkling cider if the gelative has preservative?. Thanks very much for your help.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

How I clear my batch is I add pectic enzyme with the first campden tablets that seems to clear mine up. I have not used the finishing kits on cider before. You can also try racking one more time that helps clear my wine.

[@therapy10199]

Cheers from Camrose. I'll be following this method for the 50 kilos of apples I harvested today. I see we shop at the same supply store.

[@soldixon3987]

Thanks mate. I watched your first video then pickef the apples from my tree in the gardenand put them through the juicer , I got loads of pulp on top and I think I will strain the pulp through a pair of stocking all in all I got 25 letters its a eating apple I have some hopes growing at mine to so I think I will add a bit of hope tea to bitter it up . I thought this video is so good well done mate its the best cider vidio on you tube :) keep up the good work

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

+Sol Dixon Thank you my good friend! What also works with less effort is simply giving it a run off tube so as it bubbles up it goes through the tube to a receiving container. you will have to rack it a few extra times but overall far less work. Did you by chance catch the episode I did a few weeks ago on my new 149 year old Cider mill?

[@clarenewz]

Thanks for the video. Can you tell me, the collection tube you have your hydrometer in, does it have a name, or do you have a link you could share? Intrigued how it works.

[@tomaustin8866]

The tube is similar wine pipette but wider. I wondered the same thing

[@ldzmn]

It's called "The Thief" It's a wine / beer thief from Fermtech that you can put hydrometer inside

[@clarenewz]

@@ldzmn thanks I tracked one down, nice invention!

[@mippieadventures]

Really nice!

[@rockyhill_homestead]

I came here from Huw's channel! Great video! Thanks!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Thanks my friend! Glad you came over!!

[@raimonds6719]

great video. do you have idea how to make cider from quince juice?

[@dantepillon]

Hi I'm doing this right now, but I'm just wondering, what's the point of waiting an additional 2-3 weeks after adding the sugar in and fermentation has stopped?

[@devonunruh4172]

First time brewing here! I'm confused about which container (bucket vs carboy) holds which phase of fermentation (first vs second). I plan on using a starter, placing all my yeast in a gallon of my cider to sit over night and carbonate. At that point, do I add it and my other four gallons of cider to the bucket or do I add them to the carboy? And do I add my alternative sugar before or after primary fermentation.

[@jasoncoyle8894]

Sorry total newbie just wondering what exactly I add along with the campden tablets at the start is it pectalase and yeast nutrient, and extra sugar then wait 24 hours ...

[@Gardeninggirl1107]

wow! excellent tutorial, I loved watching the steps. I never knew the process, thanks for showing how to do it.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I'm glad you enjoyed it my friend !

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

With Thanksgiving here for Canadians and a few weeks out for the US there is nothing like some hard apple cider to go with the festivities!! Check out this easy how-to. #hardapplecider #thanksgiving #brewing #applecider #brew kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXvYf5Z5r5x4gcU

[@MarkSM]

Good morning Stephen. Very good info in the video.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Thank you my friend !

[@tj21bem]

What is that juicer/processor appliance that you used at 1:18?

[@rosarj5583]

I followed your 2013 recipe, this batch is currently sitting in the secondary fermentator. Sampled it this morning and it is a bit sour and does not seem to have much alcohol content. Is there anything I can do to salvage it? I’m thinking of adding more sugar and fermenting it again. Suggestions welcome, thanks!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Addition of sugar if it's not to far along will increase the alcohol. You can also back sweeten it like the 2014 video. If you want it carbonated add a bit of sugar into the bottles and let fermentation Happen in there ;)

[@FancyFarmOFFICIAL]

great video

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Thank you.

[@nate00720]

I added yeast two days ago, now I am cleaning up all the overflow from carboy. should I have left in primary bucket until the specific gravity dropped, then added to carboy? thanks for the video

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Nope just replace the airlock with a tube and put one end in the cork and the other in a glass half filled with water. Then it can overflow but your not losing the digestion of sugars into alcohol which can only happen when you exclude oxygen.

[@daddykirbs]

It's good to have friends with good information! I'm looking to do this project this year. Do you have a preferred brand of equipment like the airlocks and such?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I am glad you enjoyed the video. It was a lot of fun to put together and drink after ;) I actually recommend trolling buy and sell websites for the equipment you need. Brand is not super relevant for brewing. I got a few kits for 1/5 the new price after having been used once!

[@grandmananners]

Thank you very much! I live in Brooks, Alberta and I love your videos!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Howdy from Fort Sask !! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice comment !

[@MrWilariba]

excellent video

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Thank you my friend !

[@hansgonzales5556]

Hello Stephen, could you tell me the brand and model of your cold press juicer used for to juice the apples. Thank you

[@apoorvatendolkar]

Awesome video...!!! will definitely try this :)

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Apoorva Tendolkar Fantastic! let me know how it goes!

[@subwoofer]

silly question, but do you need to pasteurize the apple cider before the fermentation process? I am researching on how to do this for my first time.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Nope the tablets manage the existing bacteria.

[@cooljingmoney]

excellent job, thank you

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Thank you Cool !

[@pffffannerr]

Dude, I'm so trying this out!

[@spencerbuckoll431]

Could you tell me which juicer you used? I'm looking for one with a longer out spout to attach the brewing bag to.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I just used a cold press juicer

[@spencerbuckoll431]

Got it, thanks. Also was hoping you could tell me what size brew bag you used?

[@carterreynolds9129]

Could you list out all the stuff what I would need to buy other than my 1 Gallon Carboy I already have? I'm new to this and haven't made a batch I've liked yet. Comes out way too strong or too yeasty every time.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Carboy, primary fermenter, campaign yeast, sugar, apple juice, airlock, brewing spoon. Usually your local brew store or place you can buy equipment will have full kits :) Follow my 2014 hard apple cider video and you will do well.

[@carterreynolds9129]

what do you mean by primary fermenter? What if I used the carboy as the primary fermenter? You mean like a bucket, right?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Yup the bucket :)

[@soldixon3987]

your second video is so pro , I just wish I had seen this one to put thr sleev on the end of the juicer , never mind . thank for this video up date you legend.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

+Sol Dixon Sorry mate I put cards and annotations on the first one so people could hop over and see the improved method.

[@ottawadigs]

how long does the cider stay good in a bottle and whats the best way to preserve it ?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

ottawadigs clean equipment is the best way to preserve it! I dont add anything else and mine stays good for up to a year.

[@babygorilla4233]

Is there anything wrong with using a pressure cooker to sterilize and mash the apples? Me and my friend who makes mead tried it, and to our surprise, when we opened the pressure cooker, the apples had lost all structure and were basically a bloody sause? My first brew is that sause in a 5 gallon bucket filled 1/3 apple mash to 2/3 water, which simmered with cinnamon and chopped oranges for about an hour and a tablespoon or two of yeast. I sealed it up with a DIY airlock tossed some old honey in and marked the date. This process so far seems okay? It should work but I'll be wanting to refine it before I start brewing in the 55 gallon drums I picked up for cheap.

[@SouthpawDavey]

Nice my apple is is blooming in October in Switzerland what's that all about?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I'll be getting to this question in an ask stephen !

[@SouthpawDavey]

***** Cool Its the first time its done that. I will be waiting to see what its about but dont Forget Chris and I need to know about that coconut thing too lol ;-) Cheers Dave.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I'll get to that one too lol.

[@Myproitsolution2007]

I used an organic pasteurized apple cider with no preservatives from a Whole Foods store. It was all that I could find. It's been about 5 days, and I must say it kind of smells a little funky. It's not exactly like rotten eggs but it's similar. Is this normal? I don't want to waste my time. The bummer would be that I wasted $50 getting the wrong stuff.

[@matthewsteel4496]

it looks more in depth than i though what powders do i need ?

[@mysterysaxoman]

Great video! But why do you need to do a second fermentation? And should you also transfer the yeast laying on the bottom of the carboy when you transfer the cider into a second carboy?

[@kurtroxursox12]

The yeast on the bottom of the carboy is dead yest my friend, don't need it in your final batch :)

[@feralkat9370]

@@kurtroxursox12 Strange. An Italian YTer says to keep that sediment in the fridge to be used to ferment a fresh batch, so it can't be 'dead'.

[@RadioNul]

I simply throw yeast into apple juice, works every time. No tablets, enzymes, nutrients or extra sugar. I drink the final product flat, I sweeten it to taste upon drinking by putting a tablespoon or two of apple juice into my glass before pouring in the cider. I prefer the apple sweetness to stevia.

[@bougedela8643]

I was gonna say, you do you but don't serve me scrumpy with stevia or we gonna fight on sight

[@jgt41984]

Great video what brand of juicer are you using?

[@robertwilliams1473]

I made nitro cider last year and it was sweeter than Co2 and has better head retention.

[@GoFishingOrGoHome]

how do you stop the second fermentation in the bottle

[@justinritter5746]

Do you have to do anything to stop the carbonation or it will stop before the bottle explodes?

[@whiteangelbw5987]

Please clarify for me, you use imperial gallon measurement for 5 gallons is 23 litres, but then you use US measurement 1 gallon is 3.8 liters. What measurement system am I supposed to be following?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

It’s called the confused Canadian system :)

[@shawnprovencal8395]

Question- Would I add fruit/fruit juice after the 2 weeks and its time to rerack or back sugar? Then If I do would there be an extra step because of the new sugar added? If so how long would the fruit sit in Carboy? Also if I added fruit extract at that point would anything be different besides the taste? Thank you and very informative video! Cheers from Sturgeon County!

[@3577]

Will the bottles be more likely to explode the longer you let sit? I'm afraid if I add some priming sugar and let my bottles sit for say 2-4 months they'll explode when I open them. Will the carbonation intensity increase over time or be limited by amount of priming sugar I add?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

+David A nope the heist after the initial carbonation die and won't continue to ferment

[@3577]

+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable Thanks for the reply, I also was wondering, how hazy can we expect the sparkling cider to be? Is there anyway to clarify after bottling and fermentation? Cold crashing maybe?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

it clears up after the second rack. All of my cider is clear with no filtering or cold anything ;) glad I can help!

[@peter2814]

Your video showed pectic enzyme being added twice, added 24 hours before brewing with the crushed Campden tablets and also with the yeast nutrient . Is this right and why? Also yeast nutrient was added 24 hours before brewing and champagne yeast was added just before brewing commenced. Why was this?

[@SouthpawDavey]

Steven No lol I do not need this info OK still looking for the wine but eating jam;-) But a strange thing happened today my apple tree is putting out blooms in October what is that about? No swallows and coconuts in that Q. Great info mate where I am working next week have some real old apple trees that are waisted the apples are also good eating I have had one ore two every day. Yum Yum ;-)

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

It's a common oddity of Apple trees. As it would happen I was talking to my grandfather about it. Not sure what caused it but hey it's nice to have the flowers in the fall. My friend the older apple varieties are great for cider :) I'd love to see a brewing video from you man!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

It's a common oddity of Apple trees. As it would happen I was talking to my grandfather about it. Not sure what caused it but hey it's nice to have the flowers in the fall. My friend the older apple varieties are great for cider :) I'd love to see a brewing video from you man!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

It's a common oddity of Apple trees. As it would happen I was talking to my grandfather about it. Not sure what caused it but hey it's nice to have the flowers in the fall. My friend the older apple varieties are great for cider :) I'd love to see a brewing video from you man! The

[@PeterClarke55]

I have been informed on several instances when talking about sterilising equipment for home brewing that Sodium metabisulphate does NOT kille bacteria that is likely to cause problems with a brew.What is your view on this opinion? Enjoying your videos.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

it does a good enough job. For the most part brewing is forgiving as the brewing process itself outcompetes other bacteria and sterilizes itself with the alcohol.

[@PeterClarke55]

Have you read "How to brew beer" by Greg Hughes? Then turn to page 47 and read his opinion on sodium metabisulphate. Good for wine not good for beer.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

that is good to know. Ill find that book and take a read!

[@JohnDoe_88]

How sent me over. Great video appreciate it.

[@allisonschexnayder3176]

Thanks so much for an updated video! I'm doing my batch this weekend with our braeburns. Did the brewing bag work well to strain your juice? Or did you still have to re-rack afterwards?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

it worked very well . A press is much better but I dont have the space for one ;). You will have to rack it anyways to go from primary to secondary and that should be enough to clear the sediment

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

All questions are welcome. I left it in the primary for 24 hours then transferred :)

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

It will go away in a day or two :) I don't have the best sense of smell but my wife only complains a day or two in :) once its sealed and fermenting usually its gone quickly ;)

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Fantastic ! It's my pleasure ! I really enjoy helping out !

[@barneytwidale4017]

@@AlbertaUrbanGarden i must be doing something wrong because I found the press to yield way less juice. Half way down the press there were still bug chunks of apples not pressed.

[@returnofthemelvin3456]

can it be drank the second day if just using apple juice and sugar and yeast? all i have to do is, separate it right?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

It takes some time regardless of juice source.

[@phxtonash]

I use cheap apple juice because cider is expensive. I do not have apple trees.Just add sugar or my homemade maple syrup, yeast either from brewing store, or bread yeast will work in a pinch

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I'm going to play around with simple ciders like you do this winter ! It should be a lot of fun!

[@kickapoogianboi6971]

I have something brewing for you, Steve. It’s nice and sultry

[@micb182]

I didn't understand how much time I need to wait after the primary fermentation. If I want to carbonate in the bottle directly ? 2 weeks in the glass carboy and after the transfert , how much time do I wait ? Thanks !

[@eggyboi1217]

micb182 You don’t need to wait at all. The only reason you switch out the carboy is to separate the layer of dead yeast at the bottom from your cider.

[@micb182]

Oh and after the transfer you can immediately bottled ! Thanks

[@MIgardener]

I would probably just let it go and make apple cider vinegar ;)

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Lol

[@infinitetransit2899]

Omg mi gardener my lord and my soul! God bless you

[@hansgonzales5556]

Hi Alberta, I wish a Happy New Year. Fortunately I am on holiday for 2 months and I will enjoy making some apple cider. I was watching your videos and I realized you are an expert in garden as well. Many years ago I was working in a laboratory where I used to do differnd kind of chemical analysis for soil, water and plants. Unfortunately, in my country I can't get pectin enzyme to clarify my cider and it looks very brown and I have to bottle with this colour. By the way, I left the cider sweetener with honey in the bottles for one week but when I opened it, my all cider went out and the bottle kept empty. It was too much sparkling like champagne. My bottles were closed with crown caps The cider needed more time in the bottle or what was wrong? I am afraid If I left more time it can explote. I will apreciate your help. Thank you very much.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Hans Gonzales By putting the honey in there the yeast can continue to ferment and with out an airlock the carbondioxide builds up in the bottle. What you can do is lower the temperature of all of the bottles to 1-2 degrees Celsius and then try again. If you still have an issue try opening a bottle letting it sit for awhile and then re-cap and store cool. Not having the pectic enzyme is not an issue. it just helps make your end product look pretty nothing else ;) I really do enjoy gardening and growing what I use in the brewery ;)

[@TheOneZenith]

I do love a good hard cider. Do you use champagne yeast in all your brews?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Mostly lol. my brew shop has some but I don't know enough about them. This does not need to age as long as red wine ;)

[@TheOneZenith]

Cool. I'm still just research the strain and getting advice at my local brewing supply store. I'm on the fence about yeast strains. Someday I'm going to run two batches exactly the same, except for the yeast, and see how much of a difference it makes. How many brews do you usually run at a time?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

4-5 lol. I have been using different ones in the past and some make a huge change in alcohol and taste lol no have fallen to laziness lol. I'd love to hear what you find out.

[@TheOneZenith]

If I end up doing it, I'll keep track of it on our farm Tumblr. It'll probably be something simple, like a wine from concentrate, that I brew up as one big batch and split in two before pitching the yeast. Apple juice is inexpensive right now, so maybe I'll snag a few preservative-free gallons.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Lol I plan on doing that too

[@jameshawkins9343]

Hello, nice video here. Is there someone I can e-mail or message for some info ref this as I have some fresh cider ready to be made. Its with regards to the measurements in the video. Thanks James

[@psylent777]

What range should the final gravity fall into? Just as close to 1.000 as you can get? My OG was 1.050 which I believe gets me around 5% abv. Great video, keep up the good work!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Off the top of my head I dot remember. It's in my brewing book. I think mine came in around 6% or just under

[@psylent777]

***** Sounds about right. Can't wait for it to be ready, got 5 gallons going in primary right now and a single gallon waiting to be bottled. Just in time for the holidays!

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Mine are ready and they are so good :) I'm saving mine for Christmas now :)

[@manojchaudhary4900]

Plz make a video about banana beer & show all process.

[@JoeFeser]

Sample one bottle per day until it is optimal :)

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

***** seems to be a good frequency for me too!

[@projectamerica3638]

Growler size bottle per day?

[@Myproitsolution2007]

What kind of Apple are you using in this video?

[@BrokenTablesPodcast]

Quick note: If you are adding honey, this is no longer "CIDER" it is now a "CYZER" Mead/Cyder hybrid. Happy brewing.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Thanks my friend for the info! I have learned through this video that there seems to be quite a regional dialect around brewing cider that is different between Canada and the US. I find it quite interesting. On a more recent note I have need adding home grown grapes juice to my apple to create this beautiful flavour pallet. Is there a proper name for that ?

[@danicaluna-digiacomo7325]

why do I have to kill the wild yeast?

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

The wild yeast are fine it's the other bacteria that can sour the batch. The wild yeast also produce inconsistent results.

[@HectorPerez-tb8hn]

Huw Richards recommended you ).

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Huw is great !! Thanks for coming over !!

[@danieljames7003]

Huws Nursery Sent Me Here

[@elysejoseph]

If you need volunteer tasters, I'm in ;)

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Come on over in a few weeks and your more then welcome lol

[@E2Anime]

Does not have to be difficult.. most difficult thing ever.

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

Stevia??! No thanks! Thank you though for the vid!

[@cRnVNu]

"A real Mare drinks, Hard Cider." -Gilda The Griffin

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Well then ;)

[@mariemurtagh5467]

Gabby

[@praytothedevil5392]

what do you want?

[@staling2010]

Huw sent me.

[@vegannursepractitioner9629]

Sent by HuwsNursery

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

Thank you my friend HuwsNursery is a great guy! hope you enjoy my channel!

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you very much Vegan Nurse Practitioner

[@dibyendumukharjee8822]

Great video Stephen. Unfortunately, in my place though one is allowed to booze to his death, he can not brew. It is illegal. Does it make any sense? Its big money for the government. Totally Hippocratic. Anyhow buddy, cheers to your hard cider & enjoy another in my name.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

I will tip one back for you my friend ! There are many differing liquor laws in some areas your not allowed to brew at home even in canada! A total bummer !

[@methowcider]

Ugh! Saying Hard Cider is as stupid as saying Hard Beer or Hard Wine! If you really want to put a Four letter word in front of Cider, make it REAL CIDER!

[@feralkat9370]

Agree. Americans tend to complicate things. Really irritating all the 'cider' vids I had to watch to get the real deal which were in fact just boiled apple juice. Then there's geographically-challenged Columbus' 'Indians', the very name 'America' which was also a mistake, etc. etc. but too egotistic to revert to the correct version. Lol

[@gellum]

I think I'll sell my apples and buy cider in the supermarket. Too many steps and chemicals.

[@arzus4]

28.3 grams per 3.8 liters :D This made me laugh out loud :) Next time you can just translate 2tbs/gallon to 1tbs on 2 liters, I guess it should roughly do :) Great video, of course!

[@johnbarrett5229]

This sure ain't the way people have made it for thousands of years. Less science. More nature. But thanks for trying.

[@noidontmindtherain2166]

What the correct way then I really want to make cider I get our ancestors had no access to this fancy dandy science thingys but I need correct information as of how I can make apple cider myself I am 21

[@Lordosvk]

So many chemicals... Dude

[@pumpkineater_69557]

You lost me at Stevia no thanks.

[@AlbertaUrbanGarden]

It’s an optional step however with more Hardy apples your cider will be fairly tart unless you use another method to carbonate.