Cider making

scoot1on1

Ok I do like the odd glass of cider and I stumbled across a site on how to make your own cider with just apple juice and yeast. Great!! Now on that site some of the users make their cider in 5ltr water containers (tescos etc), so off I went to Tescos bought water, apple juice and yeast.
Now this is where I am stuck, If I drink the water do I then need to sterilize the container or can I just dump the apple juice in, and if I need to sterilize it what can I do this with as I have no sterilization tablets or the like.

Thanks in advance
Jon

Hanoijane

Alcohol kills unwanted bacteria anyway, so you could take the risk and see what happens. By sterilizing first, you are fairly sure to remove any unwanted bacteria etc which would taint the flavour before your cider gets going.

You can sterilize with boiling water (careful now). Not surprisingly homebrew shops sell suitable chemical stuff. You can use sodium metabisulphite which they add in commercial baking, or buy Iodophor which is supposedly biodegradable.

Which web site were you reading?

scoot1on1

Thanks for that this is the site & the recipe

http://www.homewinemaking.co.uk/cgi/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=recipe;action=display;num=1103122390;start=0

Hanoijane

Thanks - let us know how you get on.

Anastacia

That looks really good. I am going to try it although all the questions from people who already understand wine & beer making put me off a bit.(in the link)

I'll report back at some point if i am sober enough!