I have returned from my European adventure and am back home in Southern Arizona. Therefore, I am again shipping cider yeast to those in the contiguous United States. You may remember that I was experimenting with various non-Saccharomyces yeast strains (search “non-Saccharomyces” below for more of those articles) from the USDA culture center in Illinois. … Continue reading Exploring Non-Saccharomyces Yeast: Cider Yeast
Category: Products
The Shop: Cider Yeast
(UPDATE: Sep 25, 2025) We decided to explore Europe for a while but are now firmly back in Southern Arizona in the United States. What that means is that I am now able to ship Cider Yeast to those living in the contiguous 48 states. Sorry to those in other locations, I have explored shipping … Continue reading The Shop: Cider Yeast
Non-Saccharomyces Yeast: Zygoscharromyces rouxii Results
Last season, I obtained some additional non-Saccharomyces yeast samples from the USDA-ARS Culture Collection (NRRL), which is based in Illinois. In this batch, I received two strains of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii yeast (Y-229 and Y-1294), which is a species that was positively noted in various research papers. For reference, Y-229 was found in grape must in … Continue reading Non-Saccharomyces Yeast: Zygoscharromyces rouxii Results
Cider Equipment: Bottling
I broke down the equipment used to make hard cider into the following three basic process steps. Fermentation Equipment Aging Equipment Bottling Equipment The final step and equipment list is for bottling. I have placed the PDF files for all steps on The Shop page. I have created these from the perspective of the home … Continue reading Cider Equipment: Bottling
Cider Fining 101
Fining agents are more than just compounds added to help clarify your cider. They can also remove other compounds, usually with the goal of improving stability. However, these agents can impact color and aroma. As defined by R. Marchal and E.J. Waters in the book Managing Wine Quality(1), fining is the addition of a substance … Continue reading Cider Fining 101
Cider Equipment: Aging
I broke down the equipment used to make hard cider into the following three basic process steps. Fermentation Equipment Aging Equipment Bottling Equipment In this post, I’ll cover the Aging step. You can find PDF files of each step in The Shop. As I did with my other posts, I am taking the view of … Continue reading Cider Equipment: Aging
Cider Equipment: Fermentation
I have the pleasure of interacting with people from all over the world and at all levels of cider making experience. But, no matter how many books and research papers papers I read, apples I assess, yeasts I trial, or experiments I conduct, I am fundamentally just a home craft cider maker. When I write … Continue reading Cider Equipment: Fermentation
Non-Saccharomyces Yeast: Hanseniaspora uvarum Results
I was able to assess three Hanseniaspora uvarum yeast strains from the USDA culture collection for use in cider making. I provided a detailed overview on these and other non-Saccharomyces strains in earlier articles. Just search for non-Saccharomyces on the site or look in the post carousal below for the links. Hanseniaspora uvarum is a … Continue reading Non-Saccharomyces Yeast: Hanseniaspora uvarum Results
Non-Saccharomyces Yeast: Pichia Kluyveri Results
I obtained 11 samples of non-Saccharomyces yeast from the USDA and have been conducting trials for my hard cider batches. Three of those strains where Pichia kluyveri. If you haven't read it, I would encourage you to review my overview of Pichia kluyveri and the other strains. Just search non-Saccharomyces on the site or look … Continue reading Non-Saccharomyces Yeast: Pichia Kluyveri Results
Products and Recommendations: Tilt Hydrometer
I’m been hesitant about adding advertisements to Prickly Cider but I regularly get asked about different products. I decided to setup the Prickly Cider Shop and Recommended Products Page. This page allows me a way to provide recommendations for products that I find useful. I’ve setup links to Amazon through their Affiliation Program. If you … Continue reading Products and Recommendations: Tilt Hydrometer









