Here at our house, in the Big Easy, we like to doing things for ourselves, if we can. My boyfriend just loves home brewing craft beers. I'd like to think that I help a little in his endeavors. (though he would probably tell you otherwise!!)
This is a very easy way to home brew cider beer. Pictured is a small one gallon glass jug. You will need a rubber stopper, a plastic airlock, priming sugar, a gallon of apple cider, and wine or champagne yeast. We purchase all our brewing supplies locally at Brewstock, however there are many online brewing supply stores to choose from. The yeast packet will specify how much yeast to use per gallon, and just pitch the yeast accordingly! Be sure to sanitize all your brewing supplies before using them, as fermented beverages can become contaminated easily. A brewing supply store will also sell a one-step sanitizer that does not require rinsing.
A day or so after you pitch your yeast, you will notice that the yeast is kicking ass inside of that glass jug, bubbling things up like crazy! The reason you need an air lock is to allow the oxygen to escape the bottle. If you chose to brew without an airlock, your carboy would likely explode due to all the pressure. The bubbling is caused by the yeast feeding on all the sugars in the cider.
After a week of fermentation, you can bottle your hard cider. If you already have brewing supplies, you can bottle your cider in glass bottles after adding your priming sugar. You can also use old wine bottles, or even liquor bottles, if you're one of those people who loves to keep all their Jack Daniel's bottles. ;) Let your bottled cider age for another couple of weeks, and voila! You have made your very own hard cider!
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