Making Hard Cider

Last fall, we made our first batch of hard cider. It is dry, fizzy, and reminds me of drinking Bulmer's from the tap in Ireland.

This year, we gathered with friends for another cider-pressing party. We came away with fresh cider as well as a carboy full of future hard cider. Here's our hard cider-making process. We're on step 4.

Supplies
5 gallons of Cider
5 Camden Tablets
Champagne yeast
2 Carboys
Air lock
Plastic tubing
Pop-top bottles



8 Steps to Hard Cider:

1. Sanitize carboy and then pour in fresh pressed cider (or juice from the store).

2. Add one camden tablet for every gallon of cider and let sit for 24 hours. Sanitize the airlock, add water to the reservoir, and use it to plug the carboy.

3. Add champagne yeast (follow directions on package).

4. Let the cider sit and ferment until the air lock stops bubbling.

5. Siphon the cider into the second carboy, leaving the yeast and other solids behind.

6. Let sit for another couple of months.

7. Bottle! Add a teaspoon of sugar to each 500 ml bottle in order to add carbonation. Siphon cider into bottles.

8. Let sit for 2 weeks and then