Dry English Cider
Traditional dry English cider uses tannic bittersweet and bittersharp apples (Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill, Dabinett, Foxwhelp), almost never available outside specialty orchards. Substituting a blend of cooking apples plus a tannin addition (or a tea-bag steep) approximates the style. The resulting cider is bone-dry, tannic, and savory — closer to a light red wine than to commercial American cider.
Ingredients
| 1 gal | Mixed-cultivar apple cider (bittersweet + sharp blend) |
| 5 g | Wine yeast (71B) or English ale yeast |
| 0.25 tsp | Yeast nutrient |
| 0.3 g | Potassium metabisulfite |
Equipment
- 1-gallon glass carboy
- Airlock
- Hydrometer
Steps
- Day 0
Test SG
Note OG; expect 1.045-1.060. Bittersweets give traditional tannin.
- Day 0
Sulfite + wait
Add k-meta. Wait 24h.
- Day 1
Pitch yeast
Add nutrient sparingly (cider needs less than wine), then yeast.
- Day 1-21
Primary
Ferment cool — 55-60°F if possible — to dryness over 14-21 days.
- Day 21-75
Rack + age on lees
Rack to secondary. Age 4-8 weeks; English style benefits from light oxidation.
- Day 90
Bottle
Bottle still or lightly carbonated with priming sugar. Drink within a year.