What is Hard Cider? Cider, apple cider, soft cider, and hard cider are terms that can often be confusing because their use varies by region or context.  Additionally, there are lots of closely related beverages which are sometimes hard to differentiate from hard cider.  So what is hard cider anyway, and how does it impact our goal of making hard cider? United States vs. Rest of the World The understanding and definition of hard cider varies through the world.In the United States:Apple juice:  Non-alcoholic drink made from apples, typically filtered and sometimes sweetened.Cider, apple cider, or soft cider: Non-alcoholic beverage made from apples, typically unfiltered and unsweetened.  For more information, check out the article on the difference between apple juice and apple cider.Hard cider: An alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the juice of apples.And in most of the rest of the World:Apple juice: Non-alcoholic drink made by crushing fruit, typically apples.  Comes in clear, cloudy, still and sparkling.Cider: An alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the juice of apples.For the remainder of the article, and throughout my site, I will use the term hard cider.  If you are from outside the United States and believe it is simply called cider, I apologize. Beverages Related to Hard Cider Ok, so now that you know a bit about 'what is hard cider', let’s look at some other beverages that are like hard cider, but are different enough to have their own name and category.  As you will see, there is a lot of gray area as there is overlap in some terms and concepts.  Some of what comes next is my opinion, but I believe it to be generally accepted by most of the homebrewing community. Apple Wine Apple wine is very closely related to hard cider; so much so that it’s hard to clearly differentiate between them.  Generally, the biggest difference between hard cider and apple wine is the alcohol content. Hard Cider is typically in the range of 4-6% ABV whereas apple wine is in a higher range of 8-14%.  Is there some magic number where a hard cider becomes an apple wine?  No.  Do I believe someone who tells me they made a ‘hard cider’ with 12% alcohol?  No, they made an apple wine.Generally, I consider 8% to be a reasonable cutoff point.  Anything higher than that, and I have a tough time calling it a cider. Cyser (Apple Mead) Before understanding what cyser is, you need to know what mead is.  Mead is a variation of wine that uses honey as the source of sugar.  It’s typically made by combining honey, water, and some other flavorings (typically fruits or spices), then fermenting it by adding yeast.  Cyser is that same thing, but using apple cider (or juice) instead of water.So, cyser is mead that uses apple juice instead of water.Again, the lines aren’t always crystal clear between hard cider and cyser.  If you add 3 pounds of honey to a gallon of apple juice and ferment, that is clearly cyser.  If…

Fruity Cider:Enhance Your Cider with Fruit Using fruit other than apples in hard cider is common and adds great additional flavor.  Some of the more common fruit selections are pear, cherry, peach and pineapple.  Other options include mixed berries, blueberry, mango, blackberry.  However, there is nothing stopping you from using other options, or mixing them to find a great combination. This page will give a general overview for how to use fruit in making hard cider. Forms of Fruit to Use in Hard Cider Depending on the fruit, it may be available in standard grocery stores year-round, or you may have to get more creative or be more patient to get what you want.  In general, the commonly used options are: Fresh Fruit Using fresh fruit is a popular option.  It could be store-bought or bought from a fruit stand or farmers market.  Of course, you could also use fruit you have grown yourself.  Many people are most interested in a specific fruit because they may have easy access to an abundance of it.The downside to using fresh fruit is that it may not be available year-round and could be expensive if purchased in high quantities.  Using fresh fruit does require you to pasteurize it (see below).  Fresh fruit can be used whole, pureed, or juiced. Frozen Fruit There are a wide variety of frozen fruits available year-round.  Many grocery stores stock these and many consumers use them for smoothies or thaw and used in standard recipes.  This option allows you to store it for longer, buy it year-round, and doesn’t require pasteurization.  For best results, freeze and thaw the fruit several times before using to help release the juice from the pulp. Syrups/Pie Mix Syrups or canned pie mixes can also make a great option.  Typically, these are very high in sugar and have a very strong fruit taste making them perfect for flavoring a hard cider.  Although you may not be able to find all types of fruit in this format, if you do, it will likely be very affordable. Canned Fruit While not the best option, you can also use canned fruits to flavor hard cider.  They are sometimes the easiest option as they are cheaper and more readily available and many of the other options.  If used, you should consider whether to use the liquid the fruit is packed in.   If it’s packed in water or light syrup, it could dilute the sugars and you might want to leave it out. Frozen Juice Concentrate Frozen concentrate can be a great option, because you don’t have to add a lot of water to get the fruit flavoring and sugar.  However, be sure that you are using a product that would be 100% juice if reconstituted.  Otherwise, you will get the sugar content, but not much fruit flavor. Concentrated Artificial Flavoring Concentrated artificial flavorings are relatively common in all types of homebrewing and you can often find them in a variety of flavors at a homebrew store.  You'll want to add these…

Best Beer Brewing Blogs While there are a lot of resources available for learning how to brew beer at home, there are few that I find the most helpful.  Have a look at four of the best brewing blogs out there, each run by very knowledgeable and passionate homebrewers. The only thing more impressive than Josh’s beer brewing credentials is his ability to write knowledgeable and engaging posts on many aspects of the beer brewing process.  Beer Simple is all about “simple tips for brewing, drinking and sharing beer, without the nonsense”.  The blog is separated into a section on brewing and a section on beer culture, with a great archive that shows all the posts since the blog started in 2015.Josh is obviously very passionate, knowledgeable and skilled in making beer, and the homebrew community is lucky to have him share his experience via the blog.  Give his blog a read where simple doesn't mean 'basic' or 'compromised', but a "return to the essential simplicity and joy of beer and brewing" Mike and John are just a couple of Brew Dudes, who happen to author a detailed blog fueled by their passion for homebrew.  The site is filled with hundreds of posts, and among the most popular these posts on primary fermentation and secondary fermentation.  You could also take a peek at their great beer recipe page for tons of great beer recipes.  If you need a break from reading, check out their Youtube channel for a more visual take on their content. These guys really know what they are talking about and it's always great to read or watch what they are up to!  Brulosophy is a brewing blog run in partnership with the American Homebrew Association that believes “they who drink beer will think beer”.  With content written by a group of contributors, the blog covers a variety of brew related topics.  Many of the posts are very detailed and provide a lot of great information to their readers.  The site even has a brewing podcast.  For more information, head on over to the Brulosophy Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/brulosophy).One of the differentiating factors for this blog (other than the larger number of contributors) is their long and detailed list of methods.  There are detailed pages with lots of pictures on many phases of the brewing process, including fermentation, kegging, and cleaning (to name a few). The Mad Fermentationist (aka Michael Tonsmeire) has a very long and detailed set of posts and recipes that span more than a decade!  This precision and detail not only affirm his title of ‘mad fermentationist’ but also give his readers all they need to brew great beer.  Michael has a brewery called Sapwood Cellars and is the author of the book American Sour Beers.  If you are just starting out, starting with his blog post on the most common mistakes a new homebrewer makes is a great place to start.In a space where a lot of people and sites come and go, Michael has been brewing beer and writing about it for a long time.  In addition to his book, he has published many articles in…