How to Make Cider at Home: A UK Guide to Fermenting Your Own Apple Cider

Why Make Cider at Home?

Home cider making is one of the most rewarding and accessible fermentation projects you can take on. Unlike all-grain brewing, you don't need a mash tun or a complex brew day — just good juice, the right yeast, and a little patience. And with British apple varieties producing some of the finest cider-making fruit in the world, there's an undeniable satisfaction in turning a garden harvest (or a bulk buy of fresh juice) into something genuinely special.

Whether you're aiming for a crisp, dry farmhouse cider or a sweeter, sessionable fizz, understanding the process in a bit more depth will take your results from drinkable to outstanding.

Choosing Your Juice: Fresh, Pressed or Bought?

The quality of your cider starts with the quality of your juice. Your main options are:

• Freshly pressed apples — The gold standard. If you have access to a mix of bittersweet, bittersharp, and dessert apples, blend them for complexity. Traditional West Country and Herefordshire varieties are ideal, but most garden apples will produce a decent cider.
• Cold-pressed juice from a local press — Many community orchards and farm shops offer juice pressing services in autumn. Unpasteurised juice is best for live fermentation, though it comes with more variable wild yeast activity.
• Pasteurised apple juice from a supermarket or supplier — A completely reliable option year-round. Look for juice with no preservatives (especially no sulphites or ascorbic acid listed as a preservative — ascorbic acid/vitamin C is fine). Bramley and Cox blends work particularly well.

To Sulphite or Not to Sulphite?

If you're using fresh-pressed juice or wild apples, adding a Campden tablet (potassium metabisulphite) at roughly 1 tablet per 4.5 litres will suppress wild yeast and bacteria before pitching your chosen yeast strain. Wait 24 hours before pitching. With pasteurised juice, this step is optional but still useful as a precaution.

Yeast Selection: The Biggest Variable in Cider Making

Yeast choice defines the character of your cider more than almost any other decision. Key options include:

• Dedicated cider yeasts (e.g. Mangrove Jack's M02, Lalvin 71B) — These are designed to preserve fruity apple character, attenuate fully, and produce clean, balanced ciders.
• Champagne or wine yeasts — Very high attenuation means a bone-dry finish. Good for traditional farmhouse styles, but you may need to back-sweeten before serving.
• Ale yeasts — A dry English ale yeast can work well if you want a slightly fuller mouthfeel and some residual body. Not traditional, but produces approachable results.

Avoid bread yeast — it attenuates poorly and produces off-flavours at cider fermentation temperatures.

Fermentation: Temperature, Nutrients, and Patience

Cider ferments best between 15–20°C. Cooler fermentation (closer to 12°C) slows things down but rewards you with a cleaner, more aromatic result. Key fermentation tips:

• Add yeast nutrients — Apple juice is relatively low in nitrogen compared to wort or grape must. A small addition of yeast nutrient (DAP or a blended nutrient) early in fermentation reduces the risk of stressed yeast and off-flavours like hydrogen sulphide.
• Don't rush it — Primary fermentation typically takes 1–3 weeks. After visible activity slows, rack into a secondary vessel and allow the cider to clear for at least another 2–4 weeks.
• Monitor your gravity — A hydrometer or refractometer lets you track progress and confirm fermentation is complete before packaging.

Sweetness, Clarity, and Back-Sweetening

Fully fermented cider is almost always very dry. If you prefer a sweeter result, your options are:

• Back-sweeten with non-fermentable sugar (e.g. xylitol or erythritol) — Works well for still or kegged cider.
• Add sweetness just before serving using apple juice concentrate or a simple syrup, then consume quickly.
• Use a wine-style stabiliser (potassium sorbate combined with sulphite) before back-sweetening in bottle-conditioned cider — this prevents re-fermentation, though it will produce a still cider.

For clarity, cold crashing and the use of finings such as bentonite or isinglass will drop your cider bright within days.

Packaging: Still, Sparkling, or Kegged?

Cider works beautifully in a range of formats:

• Still cider — Bottle or keg directly after stabilising and clearing. Ideal for drier, more complex farmhouse styles.
• Bottle-conditioned sparkling — Prime with a small, measured dose of sugar (around 6–8g per litre) and allow to condition at room temperature for 2 weeks before chilling.
• Force-carbonated in a Cornelius keg — The most controlled method. Carbonate to approximately 2.5–3 volumes of CO₂ for a lively, refreshing finish.

Shop at BrewCo

Everything you need to make outstanding cider at home is available from BrewCo. Browse our dedicated cider making collection for juice, yeasts, nutrients, and equipment. Looking to ferment or package more efficiently? Explore our full range of homebrew equipment, including fermenters, hydrometers, kegging kits, and more. Based in Halifax, West Yorkshire — and shipping across the UK.