Types Of Bottles For Cider:
If you prefer a still cider, any bottle will work great. However, a carbonated cider requires a cap that will be able to contain the pressure.
Beer Bottle with a crown cap:Any standard non-screw off beer bottle can be used as long as it is free of defects and has been properly cleaned and sanitized. New metal crown caps can be purchased from any brewing shop or online homebrewing store. These caps will also require a capping device to crimp the metal caps onto the bottles. The metal caps have a plastic ring on the inside that forms a tight seal on the bottle.
Growlers with a screw cap:Growlers are my personal favorite because I generally dont pour just one pint of cider. Bottling hard cider in half-gallon growlers also means fewer bottles are required, which means less work!
While growlers can be purchased at a brewing supply store, I collected mine from microbreweries and the occasional thrift store find. Most growler bottles use a 38mm screw cap that comes in both reusable and single use. Also, these screw top bottles do not require any additional capping devices!
Swing Top Bottles:Swing top bottles, also known as Grolsch style, are a vintage bottle that most commonly comes in a 16oz or 1 liter size. The simple swing top cap design is self-sealing and does not require a capping device! Swing top bottles also add a touch of style to your homemade hard cider and are great for first time cider makers.
Minor Source Of Vitamin C
Hard apple cider is not a good source of most vitamins. Some brands do contain larger amounts of vitamin C, however. One that features 16.9-ounce cans of hard apple cider provides about 6 percent of the recommended daily allowance of the nutrient for a healthy adult following a 2,000-calorie diet, or approximately 4.5 milligrams per serving. Don’t rely on low-nutrient beverages like hard apple cider to fulfill your required daily intake for essential vitamins.
Mike’s Hard Lemonade Calories
As mentioned above, there are 228 calories in an 11-ounce bottle of “hard lemonade malt beer alcoholic beverage” according to the USDA’s National Nutrient Database. The USDA doesn’t mention any names, but Nutritionix does, estimating the caloric content of Mike’s at 220. The light version of the product delivers much less, about 100 calories.
The original version of the product has 33 carbs, 32 of which stem from sugar content. Go light, and you’re looking at just 4 grams of carbs and sugars, something you might want to consider if you’re on a keto or other low-carb, low-sugar diet.
Beware of going “Harder,” though. Mike’s Harder Black Cherry Flavor delivers a whopping 400 calories stuffed into that 11-ounce bottle, along with 46 grams of sugar. If that’s the flavor you’re craving, consider the flavor’s lighter harder version, which steps you back to 150 calories with 13 grams of sugar and 15 carbs.
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What Is Hard Cider
Hard cider is simply apple juice that has been fermented by yeast. Fruit juice contains sugar that yeast consume to make alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Hard cider can be made from either store-bought apple juice, or by pressing the juice from apples. Obviously, it is a much simpler process to produce hard cider from apple juice bought from a store. However, once you get comfortable with producing cider this way and would like to get creative, hard cider made using a press is very satisfying.
When most people hear hard cider, they generally think of Angry Orchard, Ace, or Woodchuck. These ciders are generally back-sweetened with additional sugar/apple juice. This makes them very sweet beverages, too sweet for many consumers!
It is important to keep in mind that hard cider can made to be as sweet or dry as you would like. If a yeast is able to consume most of sugar in the juice, it will taste drier.
I, personally, am not a fan of your mass produced, super sweet, hard cider. However, I absolutely love a well made cider on the drier side.
Bottom line here, if youve had one of these ciders and havent loved them, you may still find some cider you truly enjoy.
On the other hand, if you like how these backsweetened ciders taste, Ill walk you through how to do this as well!
If you would like to learn even more about cider making, I highly recommend this book!
Keto Hard Apple Cider
One of the questions I see the most regarding keto diets is what you can drink as far as booze. The short answer is that beer is out, hard liquor is in, and wine are sort of provisionally in. I say provisionally because it really comes down to the style in which they wine is made. It runs a continuum from keto-busting sweet to totally bone dry. Hard cider is much the same situation, but there are few if any options as far as keto hard apple cider in stores.
So, why is that? I think there is an excellent answer, but for that answer to make sense, we need to talk a little about wine.
There is a lot of terrible information out there attesting to varieties of wine being keto or not. All varieties of grapes can be made into wines of varying sweetnesses by adjusting the point where fermentation is halted, leaving varying amounts of what is called residual sugar.
The best way to know exactly how much sugar you are consuming is do a little research online. Many makers now publish residual sugar information on a wine tech sheet. Here is an example sheet for J Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, which has a residual sugar amount of .2g/100ml, or 1.5g for the entire bottle.
So, wine is fermented grape juice. Hard apple cider is fermented apple juice. Why are there lots of really dry, keto-friendly wine and little in the way of keto hard apple cider?
So, I did what I always do. I said, Screw it. Ill make my own.
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Austin Eastciders Brut Super Dry Cider
4.2% ABV
This tart, ultra-dry offering from Austin Eastciders sparkles like champagne. Go aheadmake mimosas with it, because the orange peel aroma and citrus notes add something champagne cant. The vintage can brings the cool factor, but its whats inside that counts: This 100-calorie cider has just 2 grams of sugar.
How Much Sugar Is In Cider
Considered by many to be the ultimate summer drink, it really is hard to beat a nice cold cider on a hot day. Often synonymous with festivals and other outdoor events, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who wont enjoy a glass of cider this summer – especially as the UK has the world’s highest per capita consumption, as well as being home to the worlds largest cider-producing companies.
But with summer edging closer and the days getting warmer, you may be starting to wonder just how heavy on the waistline this great British classic is, and whether any more forgiving alternatives are available. Lets take a look.
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What Is The Difference Between Beer & Cider
Cider vs. Beer: Ingredients
Is cider gluten-free?
Beer lovers know that beer is made from malted barley , hops, water and yeast. While it is common for brewers to add fruits to their ingredient list, ciders never contain malted barley or other grains which results in most ciders being gluten-free and safe for celiacs to consume. You can find apples/apple juice/apple cider, yeast, and sugar in most hard cider ingredient lists.
Beer vs. Cider: Flavour
What does cider taste like? Does cider taste like beer?
Beer and cider really differ when it comes to flavour. Because cider is made from fermented apple juice, it results in a sweeter taste when compared to a classic beer style. Some ciders are described as being dry, while others are described as being a mix between apple juice and white wine.
Beer has more variety when it comes to flavours as there are many different styles.
Cider vs. Beer: Alcohol Content
Can cider get you drunk?
The alcohol content in beer and hard cider are generally similar. Commercially sold hard ciders usually range as low as 3% to as high as 8%. Be careful with those dry ciders, because typically the drier the cider; the higher the alcohol percentage. Because there are more styles of beer, its alcohol content can vary, but common beer styles often range between 4% and 10%.
According to the Food and Drug Regulations in Canada, cider cannot contain less than 2.5% or over 13% alcohol by volume.
Beer vs. Cider: Calories & Sugar Content
Could I Have Accidentally Made 19% Cider By Adding Too Much Sugar
First time I’ve brewed anything and I thought i’d start as simple as possible, so I just got some granulated sugar and apple juice from concentrate. 2L of apple juice, Champagne yeast, and 2 cups of sugar . I measured my starting density to be 1.21 , and after 2 weeks fermenting at about 22C in a PET demijohn I have a density of 1.06.
I calculate this to give me an ABV of 19% roughly.
This seems to be too high to be accurate, so I wonder if anyone has any suggestions above and beyond just ‘your hydrometer isn’t working’ as to what’s happened? Does this sort of measurement sometimes indicate the cider is unsafe to drink or anything like that?
EDIT: All measurements were done at room temperature of 20-25C
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Hard Apple Cider Recipe
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Hard Apple Cider Recipe
Originally published September 14, 2011, Updated on 10/27/20
This Hard Apple Cider Recipe is fun and easy to make, and highly customizable. Make your Hard Apple Cider from apples, or purchased cider!
After a long, overly hot summer… man, did it ever feel good to wake up to 44 F / 7 C!
At this point, we lost our entire summer to the tornado – it happened May 22, and we’ve been busting our butts ever since. Any outdoor activities have been long hours of removing debris, hauling bricks, or construction. Sunburns all around, a heat stroke… Yeah, I’m about ready to commit the summer of 2011 to the books – complete write off.
Even before this … Summer of our Discontent … Ive always loved and looked forward to fall.
I LOVE fall. I love the smell of the air, the feel of it against my skin, the colors… everything. I love being able to go outside without worrying about the possibility of overheating.
I love that fall means that winter is right around the corner. It’s like this perfect, happy, and drawn-out reward for surviving summer. And, you know… that goes DOUBLE, this year!
Before moving to the US, I used to go apple picking almost every fall. Oh, I miss Ontario apples – Mutsu apples were my absolute favourite, and nothing here compares. Anyway.
It was actually an abundance of apples at our last home – in Minneapolis – that led to our home brewing hobby.
One: Obtain Ingredients And Equipment
The most important ingredient is, you named it, apple juice!
I would highly recommend getting an organic apple juice in a one gallon glass carboy, such as this example.
The reason for this is, the glass vessel that it comes in will function as your fermentor, and you will not have to buy this piece of equipment separately! If you are unable to find apple juice in a container like this, you can buy a separate fermentor, like this one.
You will also need a rubber stopper and airlock. An airlock is filled with sanitized water or vodka and will let carbon dioxide escape without allowing anything into your cider.
These do come in some different sizes, so it is ideal to go to your local homebrew store to obtain the correct size, or you can measure and purchase online.
Then, you just need yeast! I will go into more detail regarding yeast choice towards the end of the article. I would recommend using a yeast made for making beer, cider, wine, or champagne. A common and easy-to-use choice is a beer yeast called Safale S-04. However, most beer/cider/wine/champagne yeasts will work well.
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Tiny Little Bubbles The Basics Of Carbonation
The first thing that you will notice after adding your yeast is the little bubbles that begin to form around the top of the liquid. In a day or two, this bubbling will be blooping out of your airlock at a rate of more than one bloop per second. Of course, if you added more sugar, you are going to get more bloops. The more sugar that is in there, the more the yeast can eat, and the faster they will reproduce. More sugar = more yeast = more bubbles = more alcohol. The amount of time it takes to get the yeast going is also dependent on the temperature of the juice. With the Nottingham yeast it is recommended to keep your brew room fairly cool 55 65F. Some cider makers try to slow it down even further by using lager yeasts that like even lower temps around 40 50F. What you want is a room that you can control the temperature so that you dont get wild swings. Slow and steady wins this race, for sure.
If you are seeking a finished hard cider that will be fizzy instead of still , you have three options for obtaining good results:
- Corn sugar This will give you those tiny little effervescent bubbles. OR
- 1/8 cup dextrose per gallon of cider. OR
- 1/2 tsp. dextrose added into EACH PINT BOTTLE as you bottle. OR
- 3/4 cup dextrose for 5-6 gallon carboy .
We will talk much more about all of this on the Rack and Bottle Page.
Clean & Sanitize All Brewing Equipment
To make sure your;apple juice doesnt become compromised by funky bacteria or mold, it is very important to carefully clean and sanitize your brewing;equipment. Start by washing your equipment with a brewing cleanser such as PBW by Five Star.
Once your equipment is clean, its time to sanitize! The easiest way to sanitize equipment is to use a no-rinse,;food-safe sanitizer such as Star-San. Simply mix one fluid ounce with five gallons of water and soak your equipment in the solution. The nice thing about using this sanitizer is that no rinsing;is required. Quick and simple!
Make sure to use Star-San on anything that will come in contact with your cider such as the carboy, spoons, siphon, etc. The Star-San solution is also effective for about 30 days after mixing so dont;pour it down the drain just yet!
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How To Make Cider
Cider expert Gabe Cook gives a step-by-step guide creating homemade cider, including tips on selecting apples, extraction and fermentation.
Many people have an apple tree in their garden. It may be one that they have planted themselves for ornamental purposes, or an older tree of an unknown variety. But how often is the fruit of this tree actually put to good use?
Sometimes the incentive isnt there, especially if the apples are too sharp or bitter to eat. Frequently, however, in our hectic lives, this fruit lies unwanted, rotting on the ground or providing food for the birds and the beasts.
Well, why allow perfectly good fruit go to waste when you can enjoy its wonderful fermented bounty? Cider-making is essentially an easy process that can be done in the comfort of your own home.
You just need a few simple pieces of equipment to turn a wealth of unwanted apples into their ultimate form glorious cider.
Cider Vs Beer: So Which Is Healthier
Cider does have an edge over a beer in a few comparisons, especially when you’re drinking craft cider that hasn’t been mass produced. Purely from a health perspective, ciders do seem to have a lot more going for them, but lets be honest – you arent going to be drinking ciders because theyre healthy. Youll be drinking a beverage of your choice because of the taste and overall experience. So do just that! Pick one which you love and drink in moderation.;
P.S. we have a superb infographic on the health benefits of ciders right here. Check it out!
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Cider Vs Beer: Is Cider Healthier Than Beer
04 Dec, 2019
While cider and beer isnt the first thing that comes to mind when someone talks about healthy beverages, but some research does indicate that drinking the right types of cider and beer does minimise the impacts of booze on the body. Now, with cider being the other preferred choice for low-ABV drinkers, it begs the question – is cider healthier than beer?;
The average Brit consumes a staggering 3.5 million calories over a lifetime – in alcohol, a study has found.Research revealed in a typical month, they will enjoy eight pints of;beer or cider, nine glasses of wine and three glasses of bubbly, racking up 4,918 calories in the process.So taking in UK’s consumption, and with both beer and cider;so popular;it’s so important to;understand why the health aspect of these beverages are so important.;