Crider (Cranberry Cider)

This is really based on something from Pat Mack and his home brew caps.  The caps are great.  Really simple and clever.  The change from the sweet syrupy cranberry goo to a lovely delicate crider is a real treat, and this was the first home made alcoholic beverage I’ve made that I have truly enjoyed drinking.  It is a lovely colour too!

Tools

  • sterilising solution
  • large fizzy drink bottle (I used 2l)
  • funnel
  • A home brew cap – these are great, kudos to Pat Mack. (You could just put a lid on until just tight then undo it until you hear a hiss with a firm squeeze).

Ingredients

  • wine making yeast or cider yeast or bakers yeast (I used wine yeast)
  • enough cranberry juice to fill your bottle (I used Ocean Spray)
  • 2 heaped desert spoons of caster sugar per litre of your bottle

Method

  1. Clean everything as well as you can – follow the instructions on the cleaning packet – don’t melt the bottle by using too hot water from the kettle!
  2. Using the funnel, pour the sugar and cranberry in to the bottle
  3. Shake the bottle until the sugar is dissolved
  4. Add a pinch of yeast – you don’t need much at all – a few tens of yeast balls is enough
  5. Leave somewhere to ferment.  (Mine took 5-6 days to show signs of starting at about 20 degrees)
  6. Four days after there are clear signs of fermenting, stick it in the fridge.   (You know it has started when there are five spots of bubbles on the surface of the bottle as the carbon dioxide bubbles up from the little bumps at the bottom of the bottle.  Mine took 10 days to reach this stage).
  7. 2 days later drink and enjoy.

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