Dry Cider

Classification: cider, Woodpecker cider, Blackthorn cider

Source: Mark A. Fryling (mfryling@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu), HBD Issue #1435, 5/28/94

First of all let me say that the quality of the finished product depends heavily on the flavor of the cider that you start with. Being here in Ohio we dont really get the best cider apples so the quality is probably not quite up to what you can get in New England. I hear that Northern Spy is one of the very best cider apples. That said though, any good quality, fresh, unpasteurized cider will make a perfectly acceptable hard cider.

Ingredients:

5 gallons cider
good quality wine yeast ( (I find Lalvin 71B-1122 Narbonne to be excellent)
3/4 cup corn sugar (priming)

Procedure:

Simply pitch a good quality wine yeast (I find Lalvin 71B-1122 Narbonne to be excellent) into your fresh, unpasteurized and unfiltered cider. Rack after 1 week and bottle with corn sugar (3/4c for 5 gal) when the cider is crystal clear.

- Note #1: My experience is that cider has a SG of 1.040 - 1.055 so the resulting hard cider will be in the 5% abv range.

- Note #2: Some folks like to kill off the wild yeast with bisulfite before pitching their wine yeast, but I find that this is unnecissary and leads to unplesant residual sulfur taste.