Ok.  If you live anywhere close to apple country, or even have access to a store or market with fresh apple cider this is so, SO easy to make.

We took a trip to one of the local cider mills (Mark and I  went to school with the family who owns the place, so we're partial to their cider) and Honeycrisp apples were being pressed that day.  We bought 4 1/2 gallons of cider, and some cider doughnuts for the kids and brought the haul back home. 1/2 gallon went in the refridgerator for later, and the other 4 got to sit out on the table until they came to room temperature.

Once they were at room temperature, we put them into a 5 gallon glass carboy, pitched a package of yeast in with them, and sealed the whole thing up with an airlock.




Now we wait!

Seriously guys, it's that easy.  In about 2-3 weeks the bubbles will settle down in the carboy and the cider will be ready to drink just like this OR it can be bottled for another 3-4 weeks to make it drier and to create some great carbonation.  The longer it ages, the drier it'll become.   Last year's batch was crisp, clean and very dry.

We're intending to do another batch of late season hard cider when the Russet apples are ready.  That will most likely be around late November and we MAY spice that one for the holidays with Mulling Spice.

Enjoy!