Another method is to drill a hole in the bottle stopper, insert a plastic tube that fits tightly, and put the other end of the tube in a container of water. This will let the gas bubble out and keep air or oxygen from getting in. Steps in Making Hard Cider Secure apple cider without preservative . Most apple cider for hard cider should be a blend of 3 or more varieties. Fresh cider should be in clean containers.
Wooden barrels make the best hard cider as the wood breathes and gives the cider proper aging.
Honey can be substituted for sugar on a pound per pound basis. Natural yeast in the juice will ferment the sugar to alcohol. Yeast need not be added, although it can without any problem. Some fermentation processes call for killing all the yeast in the pure cider with sulfur dioxide, waiting 24 hours and then adding wine yeast. For the homeowner this is not necessary.