Mike's Easy Hard Cider

Super easy hard cider, very drinkable and smooth body, slightly tart.

NOTES:
No boiling required.

For yeast, I use 1/2 packet of Lalvin 71b-1122, so I often do two gallons to use the whole packet. Try different yeasts and see what you like, if you want to.

Indian Summer Apple Cider contains Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as a preservative, so it has no affect on yeast fermenting. Any other cider using ascorbic acid would have similar results. Don't use a cider with potassium sorbate, it will kill your yeast.

DIRECTIONS:
Pour the cider into your sanitized primary fermenter. I used 1 gallon glass jugs and did 2 gallons at the same time. Use a sanitized funnel if you're afraid of spilling.

Leave some room at the top of the jug, but you don't need to leave a lot of room, as there won't be a tremendous krausen like with beer.

Drop the raisins in, anywhere from 15-25 is fine.

Add 1/2 packet of Lalvin 71b-1122 yeast per gallon.

Seal with a sanitized airlock and wait for 2-3 weeks, or up to 6 weeks. When you get beyond 8 weeks, you might have more yeast characteristic come out in the cider.

As fermentation occurs, the airlock will bubble and the cider will be cloudy.

The hard cider is ready when the cider is nice and clear golden color, and the yeast has settled on the bottom of the fermenter.

Bottle like beer, with your preferred level of carbonation. I typically use 0.8oz per gallon of dextrose, or 1 carbonation tab per bottle if I'm feeling lazy.

This cider purposely has a low alcohol content. I find it quite drinkable and smooth, a bit tart like a granny smith apple. You can ratchet up the alcohol by adding brown sugar or more sugar if you like, but I prefer my cider to have a lower ABV. Removing the 3oz of cane sugar (table sugar) would reduce this to about 4% abv and also makes a very tasty and easy drinking hard cider.