Real Cidermaking on a Small Scale: An Introduction to Producing Cider at Home

Make real hard cider at home with fresh apples, practical guidance, and time-honored cidermaking methods!

Real Cidermaking on a Small Scale teaches you everything you need to know about making hard cider at home from any kind of apple, and even pears! Rooted in a rich tradition that stretches back hundreds of years, this easy-to-understand guide shows how to turn fruit from your backyard or the local supermarket into delicious cider for year-round enjoyment.

Authors Michael Pooley and John Lomax walk you through the full cidermaking process, from understanding apples and building your own cider press to washing, milling, crushing, pressing, fermenting, blending, storing, and serving. You will also find troubleshooting advice, recipes for drinks and flavorful marinades, tips for preserving pure apple juice you do not want to ferment, and instructions for making pear cider, aka perry.

• Learn the complete home cidermaking process from apple selection to fermentation, blending, storing, and serving
• Build your own cider press and understand the tools and steps needed for small-scale production
• Use fruit from your backyard or the grocery store to make hard cider at home with confidence
• Make more than cider with guidance on preserving apple juice, making cider vinegar, and producing perry
• Solve problems and refine results with troubleshooting help, glossary terms, hydrometer use, pasteurization and stabilization, maloactic fermentation, and cleaning and sterilizing wooden vessels
• Enjoy the rewards year-round with recipes, practical instruction, and a fully indexed reference you can return to again and again

From the backyard to the kitchen, this 112-page guide makes cidermaking approachable, social, and rewarding for anyone interested in traditional craft, home fermentation, and the pleasures of fresh apple cider. Whether you are just getting started or ready to deepen your knowledge, Real Cidermaking on a Small Scale provides the practical foundation to help you make, store, and enjoy your own cider with family and friends.

Michael Pooley and John Lomax have been cidermakers for more than twenty years. During this time, their teaching courses and demonstrations of the craft at venues throughout the UK have acquired a national reputation. In this comprehensive book on the subject, they have combined their experience and expertise to produce a clear accessible text for both the amateur and the would-be professional cidermaker.