cider brewing newbie

Tony87 · Oct 20, 2013

First of all, hi everyone, this forum has taught me quite alot already from just reading. However there are a couple of things that various websites and forums seem to disagree on and i wonder if anyone with personal experience can help me out.

I have a couple of wheelbarrows full of various sorts of apples and plan on making cider. i have a method to pulp the apples and also access to a press in order to get the juice. I also have several brewing buckets, with lids - but no airlocks on them. I have been told by several people airlocks arent needed for bucket brews as even with the lid on the CO2 will still escape fine, however ive also been told that i need the cider in glass and it MUST be airlocked???

My main question is, can i brew the cider in large (lidded) buckets? it will simply be apple juice, cider yeast and a little sugar (to sweeten it)

Also, after the cider has fermented in the buckets (and settled) is it possible to siphon the liquid into a PLASTIC 1ltr bottle with screw cap along with a teaspoon of sugar in order to create some fizz? or does it HAVE to be glass bottles?

dennisking · Oct 20, 2013

Hi and welcome, not a cider maker myself but with my beers I have never used an airlock.

Tony87 · Oct 20, 2013

Thanks dennis, think im just going to go with my brewing bucket with the lid on, then transfer to bottles once the fermenting has stopped.

oldbloke · Oct 20, 2013

It's the same strength as beer, the process is much like beer (except there's no mashing of the grain, or hops)
A bucket with lid to stop stuff falling in is fine, they rarely seal perfectly, so the gas gets out. If you do get one with a good seal, just loosen it slightly whenever it gets taut to let a bit of gas out.
Dunno who says the cider /must/ be in glass, have they never seen a Somerset cider farm? You don't get many 120litre glass vessels.
As with beer, PET bottles are fine. Cider likes a little more sugar than ale, up to 2tsp/litre. I prime mine at just under 1 tsp per 500ml bottle. /Maybe/ it won't keep quite as long. Just be sure it was a bottle intended for something fizzy.

AlliDelta · Oct 20, 2013

I have a coopers fermenting vessel and it has no airlock. The lid just sits on top and my first 3 brews have gone fine.

As for bottling plastic will be fine also safer than glass which can explode if the fermenting hasn't stopped when you bottle your brew! Tesco sell the coopers plastic bottles for less than a tenner for 24. Just make sure your ferment is finished by testing after the 7th day once you get the same result 2 days on the trot its good to bottle. Or keg.

Good luck!