How we make cider - Mill Farm Cider

How we
make cider

Making cider involves fermenting apple juice, which transforms the sugars in the juice into alcohol. Here’s a basic guide on how we make cider:

Choose your apples: We have a variety of apple trees to get a good balance of flavors. Using a mixture of sweet, tart, and acidic apples. These are grown in different orchards accross the farm.

Prepare the apples: Once the apples are ready and picked, the apples are washed thoroughly to remove any dirt or pesticides. Only the best apples make it through our picking process. Then the apples are cut into small pieces, discarding the stems and seeds and pressed.

Extract the juice: There are several methods to extract juice from apples. The goal is to obtain fresh apple juice without any solid pieces.

Fermentation: We then pour the apple juice into a clean and sanitized fermenting vessel.

Monitor fermentation: The vessels are stored in a cool, dark place with a temperature between 50-65°F (10-18°C). Fermentation usually starts within a few days and can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to complete. This is monitored very closely.

Rack the cider (optional): After the initial fermentation, we transfer the cider to a secondary fermenter, leaving behind any sediment. This step helps clarify the cider and improves the flavor.

Age the cider: We allow the cider to age for a few more weeks or months to develop its flavors further. We store it in a cool place. The longer we age it, the more complex the flavor profile will become.

Bottling: Once we are satisfied with the flavor and clarity, it’s time to bottle the cider. Using sanitized bottles and siphon the cider from the fermenter, leaving behind any sediment.

Difference between making cider at a brewery and the process of making cider at home:

Scale. The scale of production is much larger at a brewery than at home. This means that there are more specialized equipment and processes involved.
Control. At a brewery, there is more control over the quality of the ingredients and the fermentation process. This is because the brewery has access to a wider variety of ingredients and can use more specialized equipment.
Regulations. Breweries are subject to more regulations than home brewers. This is because breweries are producing alcoholic beverages for sale, while home brewers are producing alcoholic beverages for personal consumption.