Experiments in Homemade Hard Apple Cider (How-to Included)

A few weeks ago, I posted about my research into brewing hard apple cider at home and on the cheap. I continued to look into it, and promptly made a batch that just finished maturing. I tried the first bottle earlier this week…and, it’s really good.

I used champagne yeast, which cost 74¢ and a $4.50 gallon of local, preservative-free apple cider, for which I got nearly a gallon of homemade hard cider. Lowballing it, I got 110oz for $5.25. Compare that to $8.99 (on sale) for a six-pack of Woodchuck (72 oz total) at my local grocery store.

My results are perfect in a Snakebite, and plenty tasty on their own. It’s tasty, but maybe a little weak in the alcohol department. Next time, I think I’ll add a cup or two of sugar to up the fermentable sugars, the ABV%, and the overall sweetness, while still keeping the dryness from the champagne yeast.

I shared my full how-to on the Readymade blog, so please check it out there!