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How to make hard cider at home from juice or apples

How to make hard cider at home: preservative-free juice or fresh apples, Campden, yeast, 65–75°F fermentation, stable gravity, carbonation and sweetness.

Updated November 2026 · 7 min read

Hands folding a press cloth over apple pulp in a wooden cider press
Photo: Joe Mabel (originally posted to web by Joe Mabel on Flickr ), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The short version
  • How to make hard cider at home: preservative-free apple juice, a cider or wine yeast, a sanitized fermenter with an airlock and a few weeks.
  • Skip juice that lists potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate; those preservatives are there to stop yeast.
  • The AHA’s tutorial: pitch at about 65–75°F (18–24°C), primary 2–4 weeks, package only after stable hydrometer readings.
  • Cider ferments dry. For sweet cider, stabilize before backsweetening or keep it cold in a keg; sweet bottle-conditioned cider is how bottle bombs happen.
  • Fresh-pressed, unpasteurized juice usually gets a Campden tablet per gallon and a 24-hour wait before the yeast.

How to make hard cider at home is mostly a matter of choosing the right juice. Apples bring the sugar, the acid and much of the flavor; yeast turns the sugar into alcohol in a few weeks. You can start from store-bought juice in a 1 gal jug, a 6 gal kit, or apples from an orchard and a press.

This guide follows the American Homebrewers Association’s cider tutorial and Penn State Extension’s cider resources, with maker data for cider yeasts. Penn State notes that hard cider needs the same equipment as beer, though the process is closer to winemaking. We summarize published methods and listings; we did not make these batches.

Choosing juice: store-bought, kit or fresh-pressed

Three ways to start a cider

Start fromProsWatch out for
Store-bought juice✓ Easy, consistent, already pasteurized✗ Avoid labels with potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate; vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is fine
Cider kit✓ Concentrate, yeast and instructions in one box~ Some kits need added sugar (Cider House Select lists 2 lb dextrose)
Fresh-pressed apples✓ Most flavor control; blend sweet, sharp and bitter apples~ Unpasteurized: usually sulfite and wait 24 hours
Unfiltered orchard cider✓ Fresh flavor~ Ask if it is preserved or UV-treated; check the label

Source: AHA cider tutorial; Penn State Extension; kit listings

Wooden crates full of red apples
Fresh apples for pressing.Photo: Marc-Lautenbacher, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Juice labeled with potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate has been preserved against yeast and mold. Sorbate works by stopping yeast from multiplying, which is exactly why winemakers add it before sweetening, so a fresh yeast pitch usually struggles in it. Choose juice that lists only apple juice, with or without ascorbic acid.

Pressing your own

Penn State’s cider pages cover fruit choice: acidity, sugar and tannin all shape the finished cider, which is why cider makers blend varieties. A small screw press handles a few gallons; a grinder and double-tub press is the step up for orchard-scale weekends.

How to make hard cider step by step

  1. Clean and sanitize

    Wash with an unscented cleaner, then sanitize anything that touches the juice. AHA lists this as step one.

    Five Star Star San Acid Sanitizer, 32 oz
  2. Fill the fermenter

    Add the juice your recipe calls for, leaving headspace for foam. A 1 gal glass jug or a PET carboy works for small batches.

    North Mountain Supply 1 gal Fermenting Jug Starter KitFerMonster 6 Gal Wide Mouth PET Fermenter
  3. Treat fresh juice

    For unpasteurized juice, many cider makers add one crushed Campden tablet per gallon and wait 24 hours before pitching, the same timing extension wine guides use. Pasteurized store juice can skip this.

    LD Carlson Potassium Campden Tablets, 1 lbCraft A Brew Campden Tablets (Sodium Metabisulfite), 50 ct
  4. Take a gravity reading

    Measure a sample with a hydrometer and do not pour it back. You need the starting gravity for the ABV calculator.

    SOLIGT Triple Scale Hydrometer & Glass Test Jar Kit
  5. Pitch the yeast at 65–75°F

    AHA: make sure the juice is in your yeast’s range, typically about 65–75°F (18–24°C). Mangrove Jack’s M02, for example, lists 9 g per 23 L (5 gal) and 54–82°F (12–28°C). Add nutrient if your recipe calls for it.

    Mangrove Jack's M02 Cider Yeast, 9 gFermentis SafCider AB-1 Dry Cider Yeast, 5 g (3-pack)Cider House Select Premium Cider YeastLalvin EC-1118 Wine Yeast, 5 g
  6. Seal, airlock and aerate once

    Fit the airlock, shake for a few minutes at the start, then avoid splashing to prevent oxidation.

  7. Primary fermentation, 2–4 weeks

    Hold a steady temperature away from big swings. When airlock activity slows, AHA suggests racking to a secondary with little headspace, or skip straight to packaging.

  8. Age until clear

    A few weeks to several months, per AHA. Cider clears and softens with time.

  9. Confirm it is finished

    Package only after the hydrometer reads the same on two or three days, usually near or below 1.000 for a dry cider.

  10. Package

    Bottle with priming sugar for a dry sparkling cider, or keg and force carbonate. AHA: bottled cider needs a few weeks, kegged cider a few days.

A glass carboy and jugs of juice fermenting on a kitchen counter
Juice fermenting in glass on a kitchen counter.Photo: Tim Patterson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

How strong will my cider be?

Cider strength depends on the juice’s starting gravity. Apple juice varies by variety and season, so measure yours. The chart shows what the standard formula, ABV = (OG − FG) × 131.25, gives for a few starting gravities fermented down to 1.000.

Approximate ABV by starting gravity (FG 1.000)

Standard formula used by the ABV calculator

OG 1.045: 5.9%5.9%OG 1.045OG 1.050: 6.6%6.6%OG 1.050OG 1.055: 7.2%7.2%OG 1.055OG 1.060: 7.9%7.9%OG 1.060
Source: ABV formula (OG − FG) × 131.25, GarageBrewer ABV calculator

Kits state their own target; Cider House Select lists about 5.2% ABV and BrewDemon’s Forbidden Fruit about 4.5%, per the makers. Homemade cider is often stronger than a commercial pint, so count it in standard drinks: one US standard drink is 14 g of alcohol (NIAAA).

Know what’s in the glassHomebrew is often stronger than commercial beer. One US standard drink is 14 g of alcohol: 12 oz of 5% beer or 5 oz of 12% wine. Brewing and drinking are for adults 21 and over; never drink and drive.Source: NIAAA: What is a standard drink?

Dry, sweet, still or sparkling?

Yeast eats nearly all the apple sugar, so cider finishes dry and tart. You have four honest options:

A tasting flight of four ciders on a chalkboard tray
Cider from dry to sweet in one tasting flight.Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Dry and sparkling: bottle with priming sugar once the gravity is stable. Use the priming sugar calculator and stay within standard bottle limits.
  • Sweet and still: stabilize with potassium sorbate and sulfite, then add juice or sugar. Method in stabilize and backsweeten.
  • Sweet and sparkling: stabilize, sweeten, then keg and force carbonate (keg chart). Sorbate stops new yeast growth, so it cannot be bottle conditioned.
  • Sweetened at serving: keep it dry and add a splash of juice in the glass.
The bottle-bomb trap

Adding juice or sugar to unstabilized cider and then bottling it gives live yeast fresh sugar in a sealed bottle. Pressure keeps rising until the glass fails. Never bottle sweetened cider unless it has been stabilized, or keep it in a keg in the fridge.

Avoid bottle bombsBottle only after the gravity reads the same 2–3 days in a row, measure priming sugar with a calculator, use standard bottles only to about 3 volumes, store them in a closed box at room temperature and refrigerate once carbonated.Source: BYO carbonation priming chart
Sulfites and sensitive guestsCampden tablets and potassium metabisulfite add sulfites. Commercial wine at 10 ppm or more must say “Contains sulfites”; home wine is not labeled, so tell sulfite-sensitive guests (often people with asthma).Source: TTB: sulfite declaration

Cider styles in the BJCP guidelines

If you want to enter competitions or just name what you made, the BJCP 2025 Cider Style Guidelines group ciders into Traditional (C1: Common, Heirloom, English, French and Spanish), Strong (C2: New England, Applewine, Ice Cider and Fire Cider), Specialty (C3: Fruit, Spiced and Experimental) and Perry (C4). A first batch from store juice usually lands in Common Cider. See homebrew clubs and competitions.

Beyond apples: perry, cyser and fruit cider

The same method works for pears (perry, BJCP C4), which can taste softer and sometimes keep a little natural sweetness. Fruit ciders (C3A) add berries, cherries or other fruit to apple juice, usually after the main fermentation so the fruit aroma survives. Spiced ciders (C3B) add cinnamon, ginger or other spices late in aging; start with less than you think. Apple juice fermented with honey is a cyser, which the BJCP files under mead (M2A); see how to make mead.

Whatever you add, remember that fruit brings fresh sugar. Let it ferment out and confirm stable gravity before bottling, or stabilize first if you want the fruit sweetness to stay.

Common hard cider mistakes

  • Preserved juice. Sorbate or benzoate on the label usually means a stuck start.
  • Bottling on a schedule. Bottle on stable gravity, not on a date.
  • Backsweetening without stabilizing. The most common cause of cider bottle bombs.
  • Too much headspace in secondary. Cider oxidizes easily; use a vessel close to the volume.
  • Fermenting hot. Warm, fast fermentation can smell of sulfur and taste harsh; hold your yeast’s range.
  • Not sharing the sulfite note. If you used Campden, tell sulfite-sensitive guests.

Who should make which cider?

If you have a kitchen and a grocery store, start with a 1 gal jug of preservative-free juice or a 1 gal kit. If you have a kegerator, a 5 gal batch gives sweet sparkling cider on tap. If you have an orchard nearby in September and October, a press opens up blending. More in the wine, cider, mead and kombucha hub.

Federal rules let a household make up to 100 gal of wine (including cider and mead) a year with one adult, or 200 gal with two or more, for personal or family use only and never for sale (27 CFR 24.75). See is homebrewing legal for the details.

Gear picks for this guide: best hard cider kits and best wine yeast.

ABV calculatorWork out ABV from OG and FG with the standard and high-gravity formulas, hydrometer temperature correction,…Priming sugar calculatorHow much corn sugar, table sugar or DME to prime homebrew: CO2 volumes by style, residual CO2 from the…Keg carbonation chart and PSI calculatorKeg carbonation chart and calculator: regulator PSI by beer temperature and CO2 volumes, with an altitude…

Questions

Can I make hard cider from store-bought apple juice?
Yes, as long as the label lists no potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate. Pasteurized juice with only ascorbic acid added works well.
How long does it take to make hard cider at home?
AHA’s tutorial gives about 2–4 weeks of primary, then a few weeks to several months of aging; bottled cider needs a few more weeks to carbonate, kegged cider a few days.
What temperature should cider ferment at?
Within your yeast’s range, typically about 65–75°F (18–24°C) per AHA. Mangrove Jack’s M02 lists 54–82°F (12–28°C).
How do I make my hard cider sweet?
Stabilize it with potassium sorbate and sulfite, then add juice or sugar, and keep it still or keg it. Sweetened, unstabilized cider in bottles can explode.
Do I need Campden tablets for cider?
Not for pasteurized store juice. For fresh, unpasteurized juice many cider makers add one per gallon and wait 24 hours before adding yeast.
How strong is homemade cider?
Usually around 5–8% ABV depending on the juice’s gravity. Measure the starting and final gravity and use the ABV calculator.
Is cider covered by homebrew laws?
TTB treats cider as wine, so the 27 CFR 24.75 household limits apply: 100 gal a year with one adult, 200 with two or more, and no sales.

Sources

  1. AHA: How to make cider
  2. Penn State Extension: Beer, hard cider and distilled spirits production
  3. BJCP: 2025 Cider Style Guidelines
  4. Lum Eisenman: Stabilizing sweet wines
  5. BYO: Carbonation priming chart
  6. 27 CFR 24.75: Wine for personal or family use (Cornell LII)
  7. NIAAA: What is a standard drink?