Cider Making
CIDER MAKING
Crush it, press it, bottle it. Cider making turns a pile of apples into your very own brew, and you get to boast about it for weeks.
Cider making is the craft of turning apples into an alcoholic drink by crushing them, pressing out the juice and letting yeast ferment the natural sugars. As the yeast works, it turns sugar into alcohol and gives off bubbles of carbon dioxide. It's one of the oldest drinks around, and it's surprisingly easy to start at home with a few simple bits of kit.
Traditional cider makers sort apples into four groups. Sweets are low in acid and tannin. Sharps bring bright, tangy acidity. Bittersweets are rich in tannin, which gives body and a dry, slightly furry finish. Bittersharps have both tannin and acidity.
Many of the best ciders blend different types for balance. Plenty of home cider makers use a mix of eating and cooking apples, and it still tastes great.
First the apples are washed and crushed, or milled, into a chunky pulp called pomace. The pomace goes into a press, which squeezes out the juice. The juice is then poured into a fermenting vessel, often a glass or plastic demijohn. Yeast is added to get fermentation going, and some makers add a little sugar for a stronger or fizzier cider. An airlock on top lets gas escape while keeping air and bugs out. Once fermentation finishes, the cider is drawn off the sediment and bottled.
It's properly hands-on. Your Activity Leader shows you how to feed apples into the crusher and work the press, and then the juice starts flowing. You'll find out why yeast and sugar are added, how to keep fermentation under control and what to look for once your cider starts bubbling. Then you fill your own vessel, fit the airlock and label it. The rest of the magic happens at home.
Patience is the secret ingredient. Fermentation usually takes a few weeks, depending on the temperature and yeast, and many cider makers leave it longer to mellow. Keep it somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight, and watch the bubbles slow as it finishes. Resist sampling too early. Future you will be grateful.
DO I NEED ANY EXPERIENCE?
No. Cider making is hands-on and beginner-friendly, and your Activity Leader explains each step.
IS CIDER MAKING SAFE?
A manual cider press can pinch or trap fingers, and spilled juice can make the ground slippery. Keep your fingers clear of the press and crusher while they're being worked, and only operate them as your Activity Leader shows you. Do not reach into a press while it's moving, and watch your step around wet ground.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CIDER AND APPLE JUICE?
Cider is apple juice that has been fermented by yeast, turning its sugars into alcohol. Fresh pressed juice that hasn't fermented is simply apple juice.
CAN I MAKE CIDER FROM PEARS?
Yes. Fermented pear juice is called perry, and it's made in much the same way.
Cider Making at Camp Wildfire
35 Credits
last time
Camp Wildfire
- 2026
You might also like Beer Tasting, Pickling and Wine Tasting.
Excited? Us too!
See if tickets are on sale and get ready for a weekend like no other.