Beer Church March 17th @ 1PM: Make Your Own Hard Cider

An event description from Tucker Tomlinson:

Interested in home brewing but unsure how to start? Confused by mash
schedules and monitoring? Well I have the Beer Church for you! This
Sunday I’ll be running a cider making workshop, which will show you
how to make 1 gallon batches of cider in your own kitchen. Each
attendee that wants to participate should leave with a 1 gallon jug of
precursor potent potables, and instructions for its care and use.

The plan will be to start around 1PM at PS1. We will make a quick stop
at Jewel for anybody that hasn’t picked up juice or spices. Then we
will head over to Brew and Grow to pick up some fermentable sugars and
equipment. Then it’s back to PS1 to mix up some delicious concoctions.

all the required items to participate can be purchased at the event,
but participants should consider bringing the following:

  • 1 gallon of fruit juice.
  • 1 or more spices to complement the juice
  • a 1 gallon fermentation vessel: this can be the jug your juice came in.
  • Some tips:

  • A 1 gallon milk jug makes a fine fermentation vessel, just make sure
    to clean it completely before bringing it.
  • If you want a glass vessel, Whole foods frequently sells unfiltered
    apple juice in 1gal glass jugs. This is where I got most of my cider
    fermentation jugs because you get a nice jug and juice for the same
    price as the glass jug alone would cost elsewhere. Brew and Grow also
    has empty glass jugs that will work great.
  • I will bring a spice grinder, so whole spices are encouraged.
  • When considering spices there are two good routes to follow: 1)
    common flavor profiles: if you make apple cider with the standard
    complement of apple pie spices you have a very nice drink that tastes
    like the holidays. 2) Think weird and exciting; I like to try new
    things (so far cranberry juice and black pepper is my favorite), but I
    recommend keeping it simple. Try one spice per batch at first to see
    how the flavors meld, If you like it then make another batch with
    additional spices.
  • Honey can be added to your cider rather than fructose. The yeasts
    will consume some of this but it will still lend a more complex,
    heavy, flavor than the basic sugars. Honey can be expensive, and while
    Brew and Grow has honey at an OK price, you might find a better price
    somewhere else.
  • If you have more questions, get on the Beer Church mailing list and ask! We have several knowledgeable folks who can give you all kinds of helpful advice.

    Nitty Gritty

    Event Host: Tucker Tomlinson
    Date: 3/17/2013, 1PM
    Location: Pumping Station: One, 3519 N Elston, Chicago IL
    RSVP: Please post to the beer church mailing list or otherwise notify Tucker Tomlinson that you are attending so he knows how many people to plan for.
    Requirements: Be 21 or older, and that’s it! You don’t have to be a Pumping Station: One member to participate.

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