How-To!

Extract Beer Brewing Instructions!

Wine Ingredient Kit Instructions!

Kegging Instructions!

Basic Yeast Starter Instructions!

Cider House Kit Instructions!

Hard Cider Instructions!

Soda Making Instructions!

Country Wine Instructions!

Hop Water Instructions!

Kombucha, Kvass, & Kefir Instructions! (Courtesy of Mary Margaret Ripley!)

Hop Rhizome Care Sheet & Growing Guide (Courtesy of Aroostook Hops)

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EXTRACT BEER BREWING INSTRUCTIONS (5-GALLON BATCH)

Instructions - Word Doc.

PLEASE NOTE: You are about to brew your own beer. AWESOME.

Beer is made from 4 primary ingredients: malted barley, hops, yeast, and water. Malted barley gives the beer its sweet taste; hops complement the sweetness with bitterness (and other various aromas/flavors); yeast converts the sugars into alcohol; and water lets you pour it all into a pint glass.

In extract brewing, your base malted barley grain has already been mashed into a thick syrup or dry powder, thus removing a complicated and time-consuming step from the process. Your brewing process will consist of steeping adjunct/specialty grains for added flavor, aroma, and body/head retention; boiling your malt extract; adding hops on a schedule for a total of 60 minutes to achieve desired levels of bitterness, flavor, and aroma; adding your boiling wort to cold water; and finally, adding the yeast. You will likely need 90 minutes or more to brew a batch of beer.

OK then. You will need the following:

*Brewpot, the bigger the better. Should be able to hold at least 4 or 5 gallons. Lobster pots are great, whether stainless steel or enamel.

*Long spoon, plastic or stainless steel, to stir your wort while brewing.

*Thermometer, to measure the temperature when steeping grains and adding yeast.

*6.5-gallon plastic brew bucket, with lid and airlock.

*Hydrometer, to measure the specific gravity (density) of the wort before adding yeast.

*The willingness (and patience) to sanitize everything that comes in contact with your beer. (Star San is our sanitizer of choice: a no-rinse, acid-based option.)

Let’s Brew This:

    • Add 2 gallons of water to your brewpot. (If you are a brewing a partial mash kit and can fit 3 gallons of water in your brewpot that will help – but is not necessary.) Using a turkey burner or stovetop, bring water to approximately 150°F (measure temp w/ your thermometer). Make sure the water is not boiling at this point.
        • Add crushed adjunct/specialty grain to grain sock, tie at top, and place sock in 150°F water. Put lid on brewpot and kill the heat. Let grain steep, like tea, for 15-20 minutes. (Do not boil these grains. Boiling adjunct grains can extract unwanted tannic characteristics.) IMPORTANT: If you are brewing a partial mash kit, you must steep your grain for 45-60 minutes at 150°F!
            • Remove grain sock, and bring water up to a boil. Dissolve all malt extract (liquid and/or dry) in boiling water, stirring well so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom. If your recipe uses extra dextrose or dry malt extract, add those at this point as well. OPTION: If your recipe calls for a late extract addition, save the suggested amount of extract until the end of the boil.
                • Once all extract is dissolved, you may get a “hot break”: this is when the liquid begins to foam and quickly rises to the top of the brewpot. Keep an eye on things at this point – you’ll need to control your heat to help the hot break recede and fall back into the boil. This may take a few minutes.
                    • Once the hot break is over and you have a steady rolling boil, start a 60-minute timer. (If you don’t get a hot break after about 5 minutes of boiling, just move on.) Add hops based on the schedule in your instructions/recipe – typically bittering hops go in for the entire 60 minutes, while flavor and aroma hops are added between 30 and 59 minutes into the boil. When you have 15 minutes left on the clock, toss in the pack of Whirfloc tab or Irish moss, which will help clear out your beer. (Please note: Not all beer kits contain Whirfloc or Irish moss.)
                        • Shortly before the 60 minutes are up, prepare your fermentation bucket: clean and sanitize a bucket, and fill it with 3 gallons of cold water. REMINDER: If your recipe calls for a late extract addition, don’t forget to add the remaining extract at the end of the boil!
                            • At the end of the 60 minute boil, pour the boiling wort from your brewpot into the water in the fermentation bucket. If necessary, add more cold water so that the total amount of liquid is slightly above the 5 gallon mark. Your wort will get properly “aerated” during the pour.
                                • Take a hydrometer reading to get your starting gravity. Sanitize your hydrometer, and simply float it in the wort in your bucket – record the number where the hydrometer meets the top of the liquid. As a rule of thumb, 5 gallon beer batches that use 6 lbs. of malt extract should have a hydrometer reading in the neighborhood of 1.045-1.055. (If you’re using more extract, you should have a higher reading.) All approximate starting and final gravity readings can be found on your instruction sheet.
                                    • Now it’s time to add the yeast. Make sure the wort in your bucket is at least under 80°F before you add yeast. If you need to cool your wort down to a proper pitching temperature, options include setting your bucket in an ice bath (or outside in a snow bank if it’s winter), or investing in a copper-coil wort chiller. Sprinkle (or pour if liquid) the yeast on top of the wort, and do not stir. Add the lid tightly to your bucket, along with a sanitized airlock (filled to the halfway mark with vodka or sanitizer). Congratulations, you’ve just made beer. Now be patient.

                                      Fermentation:

                                        • After 7 days of fermentation (which, by the way, should be taking place in a warm room unless you’re making a lager), you should rack (transfer via siphon) the beer from one bucket to another. This is necessary to get your beer off the dead yeast cells, helping to promote clarity and flavor. Open your bucket lid: there should be signs that fermentation occurred (BUT if bubbles and foam remain on top of the liquid, it is likely that fermentation is still happening, so close it up and wait a few more days for these next steps. It is also helpful at this point to take another hydrometer reading; your beer should be very close to the expected final gravity listed on your recipe.) Using your siphon, rack your beer into a sanitized bucket, being careful not to stir up the thick layer of sediment on the bottom of the primary bucket. Cover your secondary bucket with a sanitized lid and airlock, and put it away for another week.

                                          Bottling:

                                            • After another 7-10 days in secondary fermentation, your beer is likely ready to be bottled. Open up the secondary fermentation bucket, and take another reading with your hydrometer to get your final gravity. Your recipe will give you a ballpark number for where you want to be – if your reading is much too high, put the lid back on and get the bucket in a warm place so that fermentation can resume and finish.
                                                • Sanitize your bottles. SANITIZE YOUR BOTTLES.
                                                    • Once more, rack your beer from the secondary bucket into a clean and sanitized bucket. Dissolve 5 oz. (about ¾ - 1 cup) of dextrose (corn sugar, or priming sugar) in a pint of boiling water, and add to beer as it is transferring over.
                                                        • Using your siphon, fill each bottle to the very top (the siphon will displace enough liquid when removed from each bottle). Cap each bottle.
                                                            • Put your bottles in a dark, warm place so that they can carbonate. You’ll need about 10-14 days for the beer to carbonate, and typically another 10-14 days for the beer to properly age.

                                                              Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor:

                                                                • Stick the bottles in the fridge. When properly chilled, pour your beer gently from the bottle into a glass, being careful not to disturb the fine layer of yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. (Leave the last ¼” of yeasty beer in the bottle, so as not to cloud up your beer too much – you’ll get a handle on this as you brew more and more.)
                                                                    • Finally, taste that delicious homebrewed goodness. Cheers!

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                                                                      WINE INGREDIENT KIT INSTRUCTIONS (6-GALLON BATCH)

                                                                      Instructions - Word Doc.

                                                                      The wine ingredient kits we carry make fantastic wine – that is, when you don’t follow their rushed instructions. Why do they rush the winemaking process? Who knows. But after reading this handy sheet of instructional amendments, you’ll know more – and knowledge ain’t just power, it’s the secret ingredient in home winemaking.

                                                                      OK then. You will need the following:

                                                                      *6.5-gallon plastic brew, with lid and airlock.

                                                                      *Long spoon, plastic or stainless steel, to stir your must (unfermented wine).

                                                                      *Hydrometer, to measure the specific gravity (density) of the must before adding yeast.

                                                                      *The willingness (and patience) to sanitize everything that comes in contact with your wine.

                                                                      Let’s Brew This:

                                                                        • Throw away the isinglass/chitosan packet (the clear goo) and the Winexpert instructions. Add roughly 2 gallons of warm water to your sanitized fermenting bucket.
                                                                            • Add packet of bentonite to water, and stir well. (Despite its cloudy appearance, bentonite actually helps clarify your wine.)
                                                                                • Add bag of grape juice to water, stirring constantly. The more you stir, the more oxygen you add to your must – and yeast loves an oxygenated must.
                                                                                    • Add more warm water until you hit the 6-gallon mark. (If you are making an Island Mist or Orchard Breezin’ kit, it is important to also add approximately 3 lbs. of dextrose (corn sugar) to your must. The dextrose will increase your starting gravity, and make a better wine.)
                                                                                      • Take a hydrometer reading to get your starting gravity. Sanitize your hydrometer, and simply float it in the must in your bucket – record the number where the hydrometer meets the top of the liquid. As a rule of thumb, 6-gallon wine batches should have a hydrometer reading in the neighborhood of 1.070-1.090. (Though some Selection and Eclipse kits will start as high as 1.100.)
                                                                                          • If your kit includes oak chips/shavings or grape skins, add them now.
                                                                                              • Now it’s time to add the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the must, and do not stir. Add the lid tightly to your bucket, along with a sanitized airlock (filled to the halfway mark with vodka or sanitizer). Congratulations, you’ve just made wine. Now be patient.
                                                                                                Fermentation:
                                                                                                  • After at least 4 weeks of fermentation (which, by the way, should be taking place in a warm room – 65-75°F), you must rack (transfer via siphon) the wine from one bucket to another bucket (or to a glass carboy). This is necessary to get your wine off the dead yeast cells, helping to promote clarity and flavor. Open your bucket lid: there should be signs that fermentation occurred (BUT if bubbles and foam remain on top of the liquid, it is likely that fermentation is still happening, so close it up and wait a few more days for these next steps). Using your sanitized siphon, rack your wine into a sanitized bucket or carboy, being careful not to stir up the layer of sediment on the bottom of the primary bucket. Cover your secondary bucket with a sanitized lid and airlock, and put it away for another few weeks.
                                                                                                      • After at least another 2 weeks of fermentation, once again rack your wine into another bucket or carboy. At this point you’ll want to take your final gravity reading with your hydrometer. Your hydrometer should read 1.000 or less – if it does not, your wine has not finished fermenting and needs more time. If your hydrometer reading is fine, add your final stabilizers and clarity/fining agents: metabisulphite and sorbate. (If your kit comes with an F-pack -- a smaller flavoring or sweetening reserve pack -- you should add that at this point as well. We typically add our F-pack first to taste, and then add the stabilizers.) Stir well, then cover again with lid and airlock.

                                                                                                          Bottling:

                                                                                                            • After another 2 weeks in fermentation, your wine is likely ready to be bottled. Sanitize your bottles, and using your auto-siphon, fill each bottle to the very top (the siphon will displace enough liquid when removed from each bottle). Cork each bottle.
                                                                                                                • Store your bottles in dark, cool, temperature-stable place if possible. Leave your bottles standing upright for at least 3 days after corking. After that waiting period, bottles can be stored on their side. Try to wait at least one month after bottling before you taste your wine – it will continue to improve with age, especially after the three-month mark.

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                                                                                                                  KEGGING INSTRUCTIONS

                                                                                                                  Instructions - Word Doc.

                                                                                                                  Used Corny Keg Ball-Lock 5 gal.

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                  PLEASE NOTE: You are about to keg your own beer. AWESOME.

                                                                                                                  So you wanna keg your beer, eh? Tired of cleaning, sanitizing, filling, and capping 48 bottles every time you brew? Yeah, we thought so. Here are some easy instructions to help demystify the kegging process – and guarantee you ready-to-drink homebrew virtually overnight.

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                  OK then. You will need the following:

                                                                                                                  *Keg, often a reconditioned 5-gallon soda keg (Cornelius and Firestone are the popular brands), though sometimes a brand-new stainless steel model;

                                                                                                                  *Co2 tank, typically 5 lbs. or larger, used to carbonate and dispense your beer;

                                                                                                                  *Faucet, either a black plastic “party tap” style or a wall- or fridge-mounted stainless/chrome tap;

                                                                                                                  *Gas and liquid disconnects, used to push gas into your keg and push beer out;

                                                                                                                  *Tubing and clamps, to piece all the parts together and prevent beer and/or gas from leaking.

                                                                                                                  Let’s Keg This:

                                                                                                                    • Clean and sanitize your keg. Recommended products are PBW (to clean) and Star San (to sanitize). DO NOT use chlorine- or bleach-based products, as they will pit your keg, rendering it impossible to sanitize in the future.
                                                                                                                        • Siphon beer into your keg, avoiding splashing and leaving as much sediment behind as possible.
                                                                                                                            • Put your lid on, sealing your keg up tightly. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT ATTACH YOUR BLACK LIQUID DISCONNECT OR FAUCET UNTIL AFTER THIS PROCESS IS COMPLETE. (Don’t worry, we’ll let you know when.)
                                                                                                                                • Now it’s time to purge oxygen (leaving oxygen in your keg will eventually spoil your beer). Purging is done different ways depending on keg style:
                                                                                                                                  • If you are using a Cornelius style with a relief valve in the center of your lid, connect your Co2 tank at 10psi. and pull up on valve for 10 seconds.
                                                                                                                                  • If you are using a Firestone style without a relief valve in the center of your lid, connect your Co2 tank at 10psi. for a moment – then disconnect gas and push down on poppet valve in center of gas post to relieve all pressure in your keg. Repeat this step 5 times.
                                                                                                                                    • Now that you’ve purged the oxygen, it’s time to carbonate your beer. Connect your Co2 tank and turn up the pressure to 30psi. Vigorously rock the keg back and forth for roughly 3 minutes. You want to hear gas hissing into the keg while you’re doing this, and you want to be tired by the time 3 minutes is up.
                                                                                                                                        • After you’ve rocked the keg, disconnect your gas and turn your pressure down on your regulator. (You can even turn your regulator/Co2 tank off at this point.) Now you wait – don’t worry, though, it’s not as bad as waiting for bottles to carbonate. Simply give the beer about 24 hours to absorb the Co2 – a colder spot will help the beer absorb Co2 better. If you’re using a keg fridge, let it sit in the fridge for the 24 hours. Otherwise, you can place it in the basement or anywhere in your house where temps run a bit cooler.
                                                                                                                                            • After 24 hours have passed, it’s time to try your beer! BUT FIRST, you must bleed off all the pressure remaining in your keg. For Cornelius kegs, simply pull up on your relief valve until all the gas has escaped. For Firestone kegs, push down on the poppet of your gas post until all the gas has escaped.
                                                                                                                                                • Now, reconnect your gray gas disconnect, turn on your tank, and increase to 5-8psi. Then attach your black liquid disconnect and faucet, and pour a pint! The first pour may be a bit foamy, but this should improve over time. And remember, beer will condition in your keg just like it does in bottles – so letting it sit for a few weeks tends to only make it better.

                                                                                                                                                  What do I do if my beer is overcarbonated?

                                                                                                                                                  Gently rock your keg twice, then release all pressure as you did in step #7. Sometimes this needs to be repeated multiple times over the course of a day. Also, the lower your tank pressure when serving, the less foamy it will be. And remember, warmer beer is foamier beer, so often you can decrease your carbonation simply by getting the keg colder.

                                                                                                                                                  What do I do if my beer is undercarbonated?

                                                                                                                                                  Repeat steps #1-8. Some beers just need some extra keg TLC, and the more you do this, the better you’ll get at dialing in your system (and your taste).

                                                                                                                                                  Can’t I just using priming sugar to carbonate my beer, instead of Co2?

                                                                                                                                                  Sure, you can, however it will take a solid 2 weeks to actually carbonate, and when it does, you will have a thick layer of yeast sediment on the bottom of your keg. You would either need to cut your dip tube or be willing to pull multiple pints of yeast slurry before getting to your clean, carbonated beer. We don’t normally recommend doing it this way.

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                                                                                                                                                  BASIC YEAST STARTER INSTRUCTIONS

                                                                                                                                                  Instructions - Word Doc.

                                                                                                                                                  PLEASE NOTE: You are about to make your own yeast starter. AWESOME.

                                                                                                                                                  A yeast starter is often recommended for building up sufficient quantity of yeast cells to ensure a proper pitching rate. In other words, you want to make sure there is enough yeast to eat all the sugar and make alcohol without creating off-flavors. Generally, a fresh pack of yeast contains enough cells to accomplish this job. However, old or improperly stored yeast will degrade over time. Not to fear! You can replenish the supply all on your own!

                                                                                                                                                  This process also applies for homebrewers who want to harvest, wash, and save their own yeast from batch to batch, though we do not cover all of those steps here.

                                                                                                                                                  OK then. You will need the following:

                                                                                                                                                  *Small pot, you only need to boil about a pint of liquid.

                                                                                                                                                  *Spoon, to stir your mini-wort.

                                                                                                                                                  *Thermometer, to measure the temperature before pitching your yeast.

                                                                                                                                                  *1000 – 2000 mL flask or other container. We recommend you buy a flask at Central Street Farmhouse. They have the best stuff.

                                                                                                                                                  *Some foil, to loosely cover your starter.

                                                                                                                                                  *The willingness (and patience) to sanitize everything that comes in contact with your starter. (Star San is our sanitizer of choice: a no-rinse, acid-based option.)

                                                                                                                                                  Let’s Brew This:

                                                                                                                                                    • Plan ahead! Making a starter requires at least 24 hours of lead time before pitching! If you do not have enough time to make a starter, just buy two packs of yeast. At Central Street Farmhouse, of course.
                                                                                                                                                        • Bring a pint of water to a boil.
                                                                                                                                                            • Add ½ cup of malt extract (or other sugar – this also works for cider and other fermentation) to the boiling water. Stir gently to make sure the extract is fully incorporated. BE CAREFUL: at this point, the wort can quickly boil over, so be sure you have easy control of your heat source! Feel free to add yeast nutrient as well, if that is your bag.
                                                                                                                                                                • Let the wort boil uncovered for ten minutes. (Be gentle with the boil; you don’t want to lose too much volume.)
                                                                                                                                                                    • Turn off the heat and place your pot in a small ice bath. Sanitize your thermometer and check the temperature every few minutes. Pro tip: swirling the wort gently can help cool it faster.
                                                                                                                                                                        • SANITIZE YOUR FLASK (or jar) AND FOIL!
                                                                                                                                                                            • Pour your cooled wort into the flask. Sanitize and use a funnel if it helps.
                                                                                                                                                                                • For yeast starters, it is helpful to let oxygen into your mini-fermenter. A tight seal and an airlock are therefore not needed. Simply shake up your wort for proper aeration, cover your flask or jar loosely with the sanitized tin foil, and put your starter out of direct sunlight in a warm spot. If you have one, a stir plate is very helpful at his point in the process. Follow the instructions that come with the stir plate for operation.
                                                                                                                                                                                    • Timing your yeast starter is – as we mentioned – important. Ideally, you will pitch your starter within 48 hours after the yeast activity has peaked. If you plan to wait longer or something else comes up and delays your brewing plans, put your starter in the fridge and repeat this process a day or two before you plan to brew again. You should repeat this process depending on the type of beer you want to make (for a lager or a beer with a starting gravity above 1.070), if you are building up a very small yeast sample, or if your yeast was really old.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • When time comes to pitch your yeast starter, you have a couple options. If you are using a fresh starter, just sanitize around the top of your flask, shake it up so you get all the yeast, and dump it into your chilled wort. If you have a large starter or just don’t want to add the wort with the yeast, place the starter in the fridge, let it all settle out, and gently pour off most of the liquid before pitching the yeast. Again, sanitize, Sanitize, SANITIZE.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Ferment your beer as normal! (Did we mention, sanitize?)
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Brag about how you made your own yeast starter. You don't even have to give us credit.

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                                                                                                                                                                                      CIDER HOUSE KIT INSTRUCTIONS (5 or 6-gallon batch)

                                                                                                                                                                                      Instructions - Word Doc.

                                                                                                                                                                                      The cider ingredient kits we carry make fantastic cider – that is, when you don’t follow their rushed instructions. Why do they rush the cider making process? Who knows? But after reading this handy sheet of instructional amendments, you’ll know more – and knowledge ain’t just power, it’s the secret ingredient in making your own booze.

                                                                                                                                                                                      OK then. You will need the following:

                                                                                                                                                                                      *6.5-gallon plastic brew bucket, with lid and airlock. Or use a glass or plastic carboy.

                                                                                                                                                                                      *Long spoon, plastic or stainless steel, to stir your cider. Note: You won’t be able to stir in a carboy.

                                                                                                                                                                                      *Hydrometer, to measure the specific gravity (density) of your cider before adding yeast.

                                                                                                                                                                                      *The willingness (and patience) to sanitize everything that comes in contact with your cider.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Let’s Brew This:

                                                                                                                                                                                      *BE WARNED: The bag containing the cider kit is split into two unsealed pouches when opened.*

                                                                                                                                                                                      • Start with roughly 2 gallons of warm water in your sanitized fermenting bucket. It will not hurt to boil the water, but you don’t really need to.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Dissolve the desired amount of dextrose in your hot water. At this point you will need to decide how much cider you want to make. For five gallons, add 2# of sugar; for 6 gallons, add 3#. It’s just that easy! Stir the sugar in thoroughly.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Add bag of apple juice to water, stirring constantly. The more you stir, the more oxygen you add to your cider – and yeast loves oxygen.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Add more warm water until you hit the desired volume.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Take a hydrometer reading to get your starting gravity. Sanitize your hydrometer, and simply float it in your bucket – record the number where the hydrometer meets the top of the liquid. As a rule of thumb, 6-gallon cider batches should have a hydrometer reading in the neighborhood of 1.045-1.055.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Add the desired amount of Cider Sweetener. We generally recommend adding half the pouch the first time. Unfortunately, you can’t really add more later, so just trust us and add half. You can always buy another kit and make cider again!
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Now it's time to add the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the cider, and do not stir. Add the lid tightly to your bucket, along with a sanitized airlock (filled to the halfway mark with sanitizer). Congratulations, you’ve just made cider. Now be patient.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Fermentation:

                                                                                                                                                                                      • Fair warning, these cider kits tend to be stinky. It is okay. Take a deep breath, realize that was a bad idea, and then go in another room and breathe deeply to relax.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • After at least 10 days of fermentation (which, by the way, should be taking place in a warm room – 65-75°F), you must rack (transfer via siphon) the cider from one bucket to another bucket (or to a glass carboy). This is necessary to get your cider off the dead yeast cells, helping to promote clarity and flavor. Open your bucket lid: there should be signs that fermentation occurred (BUT if bubbles and foam remain on top of the liquid, it is likely that fermentation is still happening, so close it up and wait a few more days for these next steps). Using your sanitized siphon, rack your cider into a sanitized bucket or carboy, being careful not to stir up the layer of sediment on the bottom of the primary bucket.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Add the Flavor packet to your desired taste. We recommend adding the whole thing. It will help cover the stinkiness mentioned in Step 8. Cover your secondary bucket with a sanitized lid and airlock, and put it away for another few days.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • After at least another 5 days of fermentation, take your final gravity reading with your hydrometer. Your hydrometer should read 1.000 – 1.005: if it does not, your cider has not finished fermenting and needs more time.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Bottling:

                                                                                                                                                                                      • After your cider has fermented out completely, it is ready to be bottled. Take your final gravity reading and write it down – original gravity minus final gravity, then multiplied by 131.25 gives you alcohol by volume (%). Math is finally fun!
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Sanitize your bottles. SANITIZE YOUR BOTTLES. (Or keg. See Kegging Instructions sheet and skip to Step 17.)
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Once more, rack your cider from the secondary bucket into a clean and sanitized bucket. Dissolve 1 oz. of dextrose (corn sugar, or priming sugar) per gallon of cider in a pint of boiling water, and add to cider as it is transferring over. Or, use carbonation tabs (sold separately); follow instructions on the bag.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Using your siphon, fill each bottle to the very top (the siphon will displace enough liquid when removed from each bottle). If using carbonation tabs, add the appropriate number in each bottle. Cap each bottle.
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Put your bottles in a dark, warm place so that they can carbonate. You’ll need about 10-14 days for the cider to carbonate.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor:

                                                                                                                                                                                      • Stick the bottles in the fridge. When properly chilled, pour your cider gently from the bottle into a glass, being careful not to disturb the fine layer of yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. (Leave the last ¼” of yeasty cider in the bottle, so as not to cloud up your cider too much – you’ll get a handle on this as you brew more and more.)
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Finally, taste that delicious homemade goodness. Congratulations.