Best Hard Cider Brewing Kits: Top 5 Compared

There are a lot of people that love brewing their own cider as they can’t get enough of the flavor, and for them, it is a good idea to consider getting their own hard cider brewing kits. Making cider is a simple process, and it is the same level of difficulty as brewing craft beer in your home. Whether you’re someone interested in making cider in their home or an experienced homebrewer, there are several amazing kits that you can get your hands on for brewing your own cider.

 

In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices

 

The 5 Best Hard Cider Brewing Kits

You can use these products to learn how to craft cider with fresh products and take advantage of deliciously brewed cider made in your home. To help you out, we have come out with 5 of the best hard cider brewing kits that are around in the market.

 

1. Mr. Beer Hard Cider Kit

For individuals looking to make cider at home, the Mr. Beer Hard Cider Kit is considered to be the best starter kit for them. It comes with a 2-gallon lightweight and reusable shatterproof keg that is produced with BPA free plastics. The Kit can easily make up to 8 quarts of quality cider, and the kit even has 1 Liter plastic bottles in which you can easily brew and then bottle your high-quality cider.

 

The refillable kit is inexpensive and has a completely repeatable system, which comes with the chance to order refills, including dry ale yeast, apple juice ingredients, and a packet of rinse cleanser. It is one of the cheapest brewing kits on the market and offers a simple way to learn the process with instructions that are simple to follow at home for a tasty finishing product.

 

Pros

• Includes a 2-gallon reusable lightweight shatter resistant keg with tap assembly made from FDA compliant plastic.
• The kit includes Mr. Beers Hard Apple Cider Refill
• The Mr. Beer Hard Cider refills are gluten-free, all-natural and GMO-free
• The kit comes with 8 reusable 1-liter plastic bottles with caps and labels
• All the equipment in the kit is completely reusable

 

Cons

• The kit’s materials have been put together for beginners and aren’t heavy-duty.

 

2. The Brooklyn Brew Shop Cider Making Kit

If you’re looking for an affordable cider making kit that has a reusable glass fermenter and all the equipment you need to make craft cider at home, the Brooklyn Brew Shop Cider making kit is what you want. The kit comes with everything that you would need to make 3 new batches of hard cider and also has a video instruction guide that makes the process easier for you.

 

The cider that is produced with this kit has around 7% alcohol and generally offers an authentic craft cider taste. The kit comes with everything that you need including packets of yeast, a glass fermenter, the racking cane, a stopper for the bottles, and an airlock.

 

Pros

• It is perfect for beginners
• Makes 3 batches of hard cider with easy-to-follow instructions and videos.
• The kit includes 1-gallon reusable glass fermenter, 3 packets yeast, vinyl tubing & clamp, racking cane & tip, chambered airlock, 3 packets cleanser, and screw-cap stopper.
• Makes 3 batches of 7% Alcohol-by-Volume hard cider

 

Cons

• The kit doesn’t come with any bottles, and you’ll need to supply your own juice.

 

3. Craft a Brew Hard Cider Kit

Craft a Brew Hard Cider Kits are well-known for coming with everything that you would want to produce a high-quality hard cider. The kit includes a racking cane, rubber stopper, funnel, tubing clamp, glass jug, and an airlock all in the same container. That allows you to make one full gallon of hard cider at any time following the simple instructions in the box.

 

The kit also comes with a high-quality yeast and all the hardware that you would need to produce a high-quality cider. The only thing that is missing from the kit is some bottles to store the readymade cider and the juice base that makes up the cider. The instructions are simple to follow, and the glass carboy included here offers great value for brewers who plan on regularly making their ciders at home.

 

Pros

• Brew your own cider in no time
• Comes with new Johnny Appleseed
• Homebrewing starter set designed to help first-timers and hobbyists
• Complete cider kit with easy to follow instructions
• Each hard cider kit is assembled by hand

 

Cons

• Doesn’t include bottles or different variants that you can use for the cider recipe

 

4. Northern Brewer Crooked Apple

One of the best choices for brewing your own hard cider is the Northern Brewer crooked apple style hard cider. The product comes with everything that you need to produce a high-quality apple cider in your home. As an additional bonus, the crooked apple comes with several instructions that can be used by you to change the type of cider that you’re making.

 

The cider recipes here can help you produce a six alcohol by volume cider without any sugar or any preservatives. The kit includes a high-quality brewing items such as a professional bottle filler, food-grade cleaner, capper, airlocks, instructions, a high-quality fermenter and more.

 

Pros

• Complete hard cider making kit
• Brew cider with clarity and customizable taste
• First of its kind Grimhilde recipe kit with no added sugar, no additives or preservatives
• Offers you the finest taste cider in your own home

 

Cons

• The kit requires a bit of extra work if you’re committed to delivering a natural type of cider

 

5. Brew Demon Hard Cider

One of the fastest brewing kits for producing hard apple cider currently on the market has to be the Brew Demon hard apple cider. The apple cider recipe here produces a 4.5 alcohol by volume cider in a small batch of conical fermenter. The kit comes with a simple cleaner along with temperature gauges, bottles, caps, labels, and a venting plug.

 

The best thing about this kit is that it comes with everything, and the recipe is one of the best for sweeter style ciders. If you’re looking for a hard cider that can be compared to something you would find in a local brewery, this is the one you want.

 

Pros

• Consistent results from the kit
• New Zealand recipe that offers a dry, crisp, and refreshing hard cider
• Allows you to focus on your recipe
• Bottles included
• Enjoy the best tasting homemade cider from your kitchen

 

Cons

• The plastic materials and cheaper temperature gauge do require constant monitoring with this brewing kit.

 

What to Look for When Picking a Hard Cider Kit?

1. Components

Even though not all hard cider kits are built to the same standards, they contain a mixture of common components that you can use at various times during the brewing process. For the most part, all of the best kits do possess most of the same components, even though their shape and form may change slightly from one kit to another.

 

2. The Guide

One of the most important things to remember when buying a hard cider kit is that no matter how simple or easy the process appears, it doesn’t hurt to have a guide you can rely on. Not only will the guide help you through the more tedious parts of the crafting process, but it will help you improve the quality of your brew in the long-term.

 

3. Reusability

Another important thing you want to consider is how many times you can reuse the kit and even though some kits are equipped with single-use components, the good ones allow you to use their utensils over and over again.

 

Our Final Thoughts

Even though you may look at brewing cider at home as a side hobby or something that you would do in your free time, it is important that you buy the right hard cider brewing kit. The ones that we have reviewed are some of the best in the market and will, fortunately, allow you to pick the best one for your home. So, what are you waiting for? Grab one of these hard cider brewing kits and start brewing.