# Homemade hard cider **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938 "2011-09-28T22:52:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938/41 "2017-02-05T05:54:53Z")
How much apple juice concentrate to prime 5 gallons of cyser? Don’t need answer fast but sometime in the next month. I racked by cyser off to a secondary and just letting it sit in my cold garage for a while. I also have a [Graff](http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=117117)that is starting to ferment. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2017, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938/42 "2017-02-05T05:57:24Z")
I usually use one small can of apple juice concentrate for a 5 gallon batch. That should give you a nice nose, some sweetness in the front end and a decent (but not excessive) amount of carbonation (after some time.) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938/43 "2017-04-10T06:19:09Z")
So, my first batch of cyser was okay. 2 gallons of Apple juice, 4 pounds honey and 4 gallons total volume with Nottingham Ale Yeast. Bottle Carbonated like beer with corn sugar. It’s drinkable but unremarkable. Somewhat sour/not sweet. Any thoughts on big changes for my next batch? Like should be a lot more honey, less honey, etc? I bottled a ~8% ABC mead a week ago but haven’t tried it yet. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938/44 "2017-04-15T06:11:35Z")
One bump. My first bottle of cyser must have been unremarkable because I’ve had two more that are quite tasty. Lightly carbonated with a slightly sweet, slightly apple taste. Definitely going to make another trip to Costco and do this one again. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2017, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938/45 "2017-05-21T08:29:04Z")
Second try on the cyser. I did 5 gallons total, 2 gallons of apple juice, 5# of honey and Wyeast 02 English ale yeast (plus some yeast nutrient), and primed with apple juice. Net net, it’s too sweet. I think it fermented out all the way but didn’t do a hydrometer reading. 02 is about the lowest attenuating yeast out there. Next time I’ll go back to the Nottingham Ale yeast as it attenuates more yet leaves a light amount of sweetness. I’ve got a 5 gallon batch going with 2 gallons of Costco cranberry juice (it’s actually cranberry mixed with apple juice), my house ale yeast (my experimental mix of 02, Windsor, Nottingham, Scottish Ale, and cask yeast), and 5# Costco honey in the fermenter. I like this cyser thing and will keep after it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938/46 "2017-05-21T15:32:20Z")
I find cranberry to be nice in cider, as it gives it some astringency/tannin. I think it’s Whole Foods that has some pure cranberry concentrate (no sugar, liquid form). Try that if you get a chance. Looks like it’s called Lakewood Orgamic. But spendy at around $13 for a 12.5 oz bottle, but it’s supposed to be the equivalent of 1.5 quarts of cranberry juice. Works nice in a 3-gallon batch to add some complexity to the cider. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938/47 "2017-05-21T22:02:32Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > What you want is unpasteurized, unfiltered apple cider. Add a nice champagne yeast and leave it alone for a month. Enjoy! Zakly. The only time I’ve ever gone down this delightfully inebriated road, I was visiting [Museum Village](http://museumvillage.org/) in Monroe, NY. ( At the time I lived about 3/4 mile from it ). In the autumn it is great fun to watch the employees crush and press apples right in front of you. The fresh juice runs down the angled wooden trough and is gathered and bottled. Easy peasey. I bought a few half-gallons and set 2 aside to “go hard”. God it was tasty. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938/48 "2017-05-22T04:52:27Z")
wrong thread brainfart. never mind [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-hard-cider/597938.md?page=2)