Apple Wine & Apple Mead: From Orchard to Glass

Apple wine – simple & delicious

Apple wine, also known as cider, is one of the most accessible homemade drinks. It doesn't need any exotic ingredients – just apples, some yeast and patience.

Apple wine (cider) – basic recipe for 5 liters

Ingredients:

• 5–6 kg mixed apples (the more sour, the better the cider)
• Sugar as needed (depending on the sweetness of the apples, approx. 200–500 g)
• 1 packet of cider or champagne yeast
• 1 Campden tablet
• Water to top up

Process:

1. Wash the apples, cut out bad spots, press or grate and squeeze out the juice.
2. Pour the juice into the fermentation bucket, add the Campden tablet, wait 24 h.
3. Rehydrate the yeast and add it.
4. Ferment for 1–2 weeks at 15–18 °C (cooler = better aroma).
5. Transfer to a demijohn, clarify for another 4 weeks.
6. Bottle – for a sparkling wine, add a little sugar (approx. 6 g/l).

Apple mead – apples meet honey

A special variation: apple mead combines apple juice with honey instead of sugar. The result is more complex and aromatic.

Ratio: 250–400 g honey per liter of apple juice (depending on desired sweetness).

Don't boil the honey – stir it in lukewarm so the aromatic compounds are preserved.

Tips for better cider

• Mix several apple varieties – e.g. Boskoop (acidity) + Elstar (sweetness) + crab apples (tannins).
• Ferment cold at 12–15 °C for a finer aroma.
• Mature cider after 3–6 months is hard to beat.

Variations

• Pear cider (Perry): just like apple cider, but with pears.
• Ginger cider: let fresh ginger ferment along – gives a fiery note.
• Spiced apple wine: let cinnamon, cloves and star anise steep in the bottle.