Much like home wine making, there are two options to the homebrewer for making cider.
The first option is to use a cider ‘kit’, which takes no more effort than the wine or beer kits. This is merely a case of diluting an apple concentrate in a sterile container, pitching in the yeast supplied, and when the fermentation is complete syphoning the cider off its sediment and into a keg or bottles.
The second option is to make cider from fresh apples. This is certainly a more involved method but is incredibly rewarding, especially if you have your own apple tree(s) or know someone who has. Follow the link below for our in-depth guide to cider making, or look under 'Cider Making - Books' in the left hand column.
Necessary equipment for making Cider from apples: Cidermaking book, Steriliser, Pulpmaster or some other form of crusher, Fruit Press, 25 litre Fermentation Bucket (preferably two) with a grommet in the lid to take an airlock, pH testing equipment, Hydrometer, Syphon Tube, Thermometer, Mixing Spoon, Chemicals as required (Which may include Sweetener, Malic Acid, Campden Tablets, Cider Yeast, Yeast Nutrient, Tannin, Pectolase.)
