How Do You Make Cider?

cider flight

One question every adult beverage enthusiast has asked at one point or another is, “How do you make cider?” Another common question: what’s the difference between cider and, well, juice?

Here at Z&M, we’re always experimenting and finding new ways to use local ingredients to maximum effect. That’s why our Twisted Vines are branching out. Beginning in Fall of 2021, we’re in the hard cider business (don’t worry, we’ll keep bringing you the Twisted wines you love!).

Don’t get us wrong, we’ll always love wine. However, there’s nothing quite like a cider on a crisp autumn night. Even better, when you’re drinking Z&M, you know you’re supporting your neighbors, since our ingredients are locally-sourced. Come join us at our Lawrence vineyard or our Leavenworth winery for a tasting.

In recognition of our exciting additional passion project, we’re going to treat you to an explanation of what exactly cider is, as well as how it’s made!

What’s the Difference?

First, let’s look at how cider is different from juice and beer. 

We’re talking here today about hard cider, which many people confuse with beer because it often appears on beer lists. However, they aren’t quite the same.

apple cider

While they’re both fermented, cider comes from fruit. Beer is made from malt and hops, which don’t typically appear in hard cider (although sometimes you can find cider containing hops).

Before the 20th century (and in other parts of the world even today), the word “cider” were synonymous with “hard cider.” Today, the apple cider you can find in most grocery stores refers mostly to fresh-pressed apple juice, with the fermented variety being alcoholic, with an alcohol content that typically lands between 4.5% and 7%, although higher alcohol content ciders are available. 

Within the cider family, there are two different kinds, sparkling and still.

How To Make Hard Cider

Now, we don’t want to give away all of our Twisted secrets. However, we can give you a general idea of how to make hard cider.

You’ll need the following:

  • Fresh juice
  • Yeast
  • A sanitized, airtight container
  • An (optional) wine fining agent
  • Bottles

Once you’ve got all those things handy, you’re ready to get started. 

For your fresh fruit juice, you have the option to purchase the juice, or to press it yourself from fruit. Be sure to test and treat unpasteurized juice!

You’ll need to add yeast to your juice in order for it to ferment. However, pay attention to the smell. A sulfrous burning match/rotten egg smell means you haven’t added enough yeast, and you’ll need to add more.

Next, give yourself three weeks. Your cider-to-be will need two weeks to ferment and an additional week for the yeast to settle.

What about that wine fining agent we mentioned on the ingredient list? It can help clarify your cider if that’s what you need, since it will get rid of any excess proteins or tannins. Examples of wine fining agents include pectin and gelatin.

cider barrels

You’ll want to let your wine age in sanitized containers that don’t have any headspace (room for oxygen). When you’re ready to put your cider into bottles, add a little bit of sulfite to avoid the yeast returning to life and making problems. Sparkling cider enthusiasts should add priming agent to the bottles to achieve the desired effect. 

Hard Cider at Z&M

Hard Cider Label

Harvest time is a big deal for winemakers. We’re blessed with lots of flavorful produce both at our vineyard and in the surrounding area, and we wanted to find new, exciting ways to make the most of this bounty.

Finally, at the end of the day, our customers are the apple of our eye. We just like meeting new folks, and we know not everyone is a big wine fan. We hated to think that there was a whole segment of people we weren’t getting to join us either in Lawrence or Leavenworth!

So we had to come up with a way to get different people in the door.

We’re always so excited to share our new ideas with our customers and social media followers. If you’ve always been meaning to come check us out but you’re not a big wine drinker, or you just like to try something new, come see us at our Leavenworth winery or Lawrence vineyard and tasting room for a tasting of either our Twisted Hard Cider or our Twisted Wines!

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