This creates a crisp, naturally carbonated alcoholic beverage with an ABV of roughly 5-7%.
1 gallon of 100% apple juice/cider (unpasteurized, with no preservatives like potassium sorbate)
1 cup brown sugar (for a higher alcohol content)
1 packet Champagne yeast or Ale yeast (like SafAle S-04)
Optional:
1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, and 10 raisins (for natural yeast nutrients and flavor)
Sanitize:
Sanitize your brewing equipment (glass jug, airlock, funnel) thoroughly.
Mix:
Warm about a half-gallon of your apple juice in a pot (do not boil) and stir in the brown sugar until dissolved.
Combine:
Pour the mixture into your 1-gallon brewing jug, add the optional spices, and top off with the rest of the cold apple juice, leaving 2 inches of space at the top.
Let it cool below 90°F (32°C).
Pitch Yeast:
Add your yeast, cap the jug tightly, and shake vigorously for 1 minute to aerate.
Airlock & Wait:
Fit your jug with an airlock filled halfway with water. Place it in a cool, dark place to ferment for 2–3 weeks until bubbling stops completely.
Bottle:
Transfer the liquid into pressure-resistant bottles. Add a teaspoon of cane sugar to each for carbonation, seal them, and let them sit for 2 weeks before drinking.