Cider Making Kit - Complete Guide to Make Cider from Extract
How to Make Cider at Home:
Cider is a refreshing, crisp beverage that’s perfect for those long, hot summer days, and the great news is, it’s incredibly easy to make at home! Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced homebrewer, making cider at home allows you to tailor the flavor to your exact liking, experiment with different ingredients, and ultimately enjoy a delicious homemade brew.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process step-by-step, covering everything you need to know about the equipment required, the ingredients to use, and tips for enhancing your cider’s flavor. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about making cider at home.
The Advantages of Brewing with Extract or Concentrate Cider Making Kit
Before diving into the process, it’s worth understanding why using concentrated apple extract is an excellent choice for home cider makers. Traditional cider-making requires fresh apple pressing, which can be labor-intensive and necessitates specialized equipment. By using concentrate, you can bypass these time-consuming steps and jump straight into the fermentation phase. This approach is not only faster and more convenient but also delivers great-tasting cider. Whether you’re new to cider brewing or an experienced enthusiast, brewing with concentrate allows you to create high-quality cider easily while maintaining control over the flavor profile. It’s an efficient and enjoyable way to produce cider you’ll be proud of without needing extensive equipment.
Equipment Needed for Making Cider
Before you start, having the right equipment is key to ensuring a smooth and successful brewing process. For cider brewing, you’ll need the following essential items:
1. Fitted 30L Fermenter (or 15L Fitted Fermenter)
A fitted fermenter is a fermenting vessel that comes equipped with an airlock, grommet, tap, sediment reducer, and a stick on thermometer. It’s essential to have a fermenter that’s fitted with these components to ensure proper fermentation and an easy bottling process. The fermenter size depends on the volume of cider you wish to produce, with common sizes being 30 liters for larger 23L batches and 15 liters for smaller 10L batches.
2. Paddle for Mixing
You’ll need a paddle for stirring and mixing your ingredients, particularly when adding cider wort or juice and yeast to your fermenter. A sturdy plastic or stainless-steel paddle will do the trick.
3. Measuring Tools
A hydrometer will help you measure the gravity (density) of your cider wort before and after fermentation. This allows you to calculate the alcohol content of your cider. A thermometer is also necessary to monitor the fermentation temperature, which plays a key role in the quality of your cider. How to use hydrometer.
4. Bottling Equipment
If you’re bottling your cider, you’ll need bottles (preferably glass), caps or crown seals, and a capping tool to seal your bottles after filling. If you plan on kegging your cider, make sure you have a keg system, including CO2 gas and a refrigeration unit to maintain freshness.
Cider Making Kit: Browse Our Signature Starter Kits
If you’re just starting out, investing in a cider starter kit is a fantastic way to begin your cider-making journey. At Aussie Brewmakers, we offer a range of cider starter kits designed to suit different levels of experience. The best part? Each of our signature starter kits includes everything you need—not just the equipment, but all the ingredients as well—to produce your first 23L of cider at home. This means you can get started immediately without having to purchase additional ingredients separately.
Here’s an overview of our cider starter kit options:
- Basic Kit– For those just getting started, this kit provides everything you need to brew your first batch of cider.
- Premium Kit – Includes upgraded equipment for more control over the brewing process and bottling.
- Deluxe Kit – Contains premium ingredients and gear for those who want to produce high-quality cider.
- Ultra Kit – Designed for enthusiasts who want to experiment with advanced temperature control. Set and Forget mode.
These kits make the cider-making process easy and convenient, giving you all the tools and ingredients to craft your perfect cider from start to finish.
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Home Brew Apple Cider Kit – Deluxe – FREE FREIGHT Australia Wide
$172.00 Add to cart -
Home Brew Apple Cider Starter Kit – Basic – FREE FREIGHT Australia Wide
$145.00 Add to cart -
Home Brew Apple Cider Starter Kit – Premium – FREE FREIGHT Australia Wide – Superior Deal!
$197.00 Add to cart -
Home Brew Apple Cider Starter Kit – Ultra (Temperature Control) – FREE FREIGHT Australia Wide
$295.00 Add to cart
Cider Wort Concentrate or Juice Extract
The base of your cider is the apple wort or juice. You can either use fresh apple juice or an extract cider kit, which provides a concentrated form of the juice.
At Aussie Brewmakers, we carry three popular cider kits, each offering its own unique characteristics:
- Morgan’s Apple Cider 1kg Kit: This all-natural product produces 20 liters of fantastic apple cider. It’s perfect for those looking for a traditional apple cider with a crisp, dry finish. You can brew it with 1kg of dextrose for a lighter flavor or use cider enhancer to add more body and complexity. The finished cider will be dry, similar to popular commercial brands like 5 Seeds Crisp Apple Cider.
- Mangrove Jack’s Cider Kit: If you want more flavor variety, Mangrove Jack’s offers a range of exciting options beyond just apple cider. Their kits come in various fruit flavors, including pear, passionfruit, mango, raspberry, blueberry, and more. These kits produce up to 23 liters of light, refreshing cider and come in cold-filled Duo-pack foil pouches to retain the delicate flavors lost during traditional pasteurization.
- Black Rock Apple Cider Kit: A sparkling cider with a superb refreshing taste and a light golden color, this kit is made from premium pip fruit orchards. It produces 23 liters of cider with the taste and clarity demanded by homebrewers. The kit includes apple juice concentrate, New Zealand artesian water, and a premium dry brewing yeast sachet located under the lid.
Table summarizing the key extract cider kits, including Morgans, Mangrove Jack’s, and Black Rock:
| Cider Kit | Description | Volume Produced | Flavours | Ingredients Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan’s Apple Cider 1kg Kit | A traditional apple cider with a crisp, dry finish, similar to commercial brands like 5 Seeds Crisp Apple Cider. | 23L | Apple | Apple juice concentrate, instructions (yeast sold separately) |
| Mangrove Jack’s Cider Kit | A versatile cider kit with multiple fruit flavor options, produces a light, refreshing sparkling cider. | 23L | Apple, pear, passionfruit, mango, raspberry, blueberry, and more. | Juice concentrate, cider yeast, instructions |
| Black Rock Apple Cider Kit | A sparkling cider with a superb refreshing taste and light golden color, made from premium New Zealand pip fruit. | 23L | Apple | Apple juice concentrate, New Zealand artesian water, yeast |
Cider Yeasts
Yeast is crucial for fermentation, where sugars are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The type of yeast you choose will affect the final flavor of your cider. We recommend:
- SafCider AB-1 5g: A versatile yeast suitable for various cider styles.
- SafCider Crisp 5g: Produces a cleaner, crisper cider.
- SafCider Tutti Fruitti 5g: Adds a fruity, sweet character to your cider.
- SafCider Sweet 5g: Perfect for those who prefer a sweeter cider.
- Mangrove Jack’s Cider Yeast M02 ($8.75): This high ester-producing cider yeast imparts wonderful flavor depth, revealing the full fruit potential. It makes exceptionally crisp, flavorful, and refreshing ciders. It’s suitable for brewing all types of cider and ensures a robust, full-bodied result.
By selecting one of these yeasts, you can craft a cider that matches your desired flavor profile and style. Whether you’re looking for something crisp and clean or fruity and sweet, there’s a yeast to fit every preference.
Other Additives and Enhancers for Cider Making Kit
- Cider Enhancer: Want to take your cider to the next level? By simply swapping out dextrose for cider enhancer in your regular cider recipe, you’ll achieve a far superior end result. This enhancer includes fermentable and non-fermentable sugars, giving your cider a fuller body, better flavor, and a more balanced mouthfeel.
- Dextrose or Lactose: Used for carbonation and sweetness adjustments. If you prefer your cider on the sweeter side, back-sweetening is required.
- Cider Yeast Nutrient: Although not absolutely required, yeast nutrient can be beneficial for promoting a healthy fermentation. Apple juice on its own lacks some of the essential nutrients that yeast need to thrive. By adding a small amount of yeast nutrient, you can help prevent issues like stuck fermentations and unwanted off-flavors, ensuring a smoother brewing process.
How to Make Cider at Home: Step-by-Step Process
Now that you have all the necessary equipment and ingredients, let’s walk through the cider-making process.
Step 1: Clean and Sanitize Your Equipment
Proper sanitation is critical when making cider. Before you begin, ensure that all your equipment, including the fermenter, paddle, and bottles, are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized using a no-rinse sanitizer.
Step 2: Prepare the Cider Wort or Juice
Pour the cider wort into the sanitized fermenter. If you are using a cider making kit like Morgan’s Apple Cider 1kg or Mangrove Jack’s Cider or Black Rock Cider, follow the instructions on the kit. For this kit, you’ll dissolve 1kg of dextrose or cider enhancer in warm water before adding the cider concentrate to your fermenter.
Step 3: Pitch the Yeast
Once the cider wort is in the fermenter, sprinkle the yeast over the surface. If you’re using SafCider yeast or Mo2, there’s no need to rehydrate it beforehand—simply let it dissolve on top of the cider wort. If you’re using yeast nutrient, now is the time to add it, as this will help ensure a healthy fermentation. Once added, seal the fermenter with the airlock and grommet to begin the fermentation process.
Step 4: Ferment the Cider
Allow the cider to ferment for about 7 to 14 days, depending on the temperature and the specific yeast you’ve used. It’s best to ferment cider at a temperature between 18-24°C. During fermentation, the airlock will bubble as CO2 is released, indicating that fermentation is actively taking place.
Step 5: Monitor Fermentation
Use a hydrometer to check the specific gravity of your cider regularly. The target final gravity for dry cider is around 1.0002, which indicates that most of the sugars have been fermented into alcohol. For Morgan’s Apple Cider, the original gravity (OG) should be around 1.0034, and the expected ABV is 4.8%.
Step 6: Back-Sweeten (Optional)
If you prefer a sweeter cider, you’ll need to back-sweeten it. You can do this by adding a non-fermentable sweetener like lactose or maltodextrin, especially if you’re bottling. This prevents further fermentation, which could cause over-carbonation in the bottles. If you’re kegging your cider and force-carbonating it with CO2, you can sweeten it with regular apple juice to taste and refrigerate immediately to halt further fermentation.
Step 7: Bottling or Kegging
Once fermentation is complete, you’ll need to bottle or keg your cider. If bottling, add priming sugar to each bottle to encourage carbonation. Seal the bottles using a capping tool and allow them to carbonate at room temperature for 1-2 weeks before transferring to the fridge.
If you’re kegging your cider, transfer it to a keg, carbonate it with CO2, and refrigerate immediately.
Why Not Just Use Store-Bought Juice and Yeast?
While it’s possible to buy apple juice and yeast separately, the benefit of using a dedicated cider extract kit lies in the quality of the ingredients. Most store-bought juices are formulated for sweetness and mass-market appeal. They are often too sweet and lack the complexity needed to produce a full-bodied, robust hard cider.
Store-bought juice is typically filtered and treated to appeal to consumers who drink it fresh. While this is perfect for your morning glass of juice, it’s less than ideal for cider-making, as the process requires a juice concentrate with a richer flavor profile. On the other hand, cider ingredient kits are formulated specifically for brewing hard cider, ensuring the juice provides the depth of flavor necessary for producing a satisfying final product.
The Benefits of a Hard Cider Ingredient Kit
There are several advantages to using a cider ingredient kit:
- Guaranteed Quality: A cider ingredient kit gives you the right type of juice, ensuring a balanced, great-tasting hard cider. The juice concentrate is crafted to enhance the cider’s body and flavor, creating a more authentic taste than what you’d get from supermarket juice.
- Simplified Process: For beginners and even intermediate brewers, one of the most significant benefits of using an ingredient kit is simplicity. You won’t have to worry about selecting the right juice or yeast on your own. The kit comes with everything pre-packaged and ready to go.
- Consistent Results: Each batch of cider you make from a kit will have consistent results, meaning you’ll get a similar flavor and alcohol content every time. This consistency is hard to achieve when you’re sourcing your own ingredients.
- Customizable Alcohol Content: Most cider kits include instructions to add additional sugar, allowing you to control the alcohol content of your brew. Whether you want a light, refreshing cider or something with a stronger kick, you can adjust your recipe accordingly.
A Great Starting Point for New Brewers
If you’re new to brewing cider, using an ingredient Cider Making kit is an excellent way to get started. The first time you brew a batch using a cider kit, you’ll be able to follow the provided instructions and focus on the brewing process itself without worrying about ingredient selection.
Once you’ve gained more confidence and experience, using ingredient kits for future batches remains a convenient and reliable option. You won’t need to navigate the complexities of sourcing juice concentrates or selecting the right yeast. Instead, you can continue to enjoy the simplicity and quality of cider kits, whether it’s your first batch or your fiftieth.
In short, ingredient kits remove the guesswork and allow you to focus on brewing. They ensure you’re using top-quality juice and yeast, which is crucial to creating hard cider that’s full-bodied, flavorful, and ready to impress.
So, whether you’re just starting out or looking for a reliable way to make multiple batches, a cider making kit is the perfect solution for crafting delicious hard cider at home.
If you are ready to take it to the next level, try to make your sider from fresh apples.
