To make a starter, open the bottle of room-temperature preservative-free apple juice and pour out a few ounces. Pour the contents of one yeast packet into the bottle, let the yeast float on the top of your starter solution (Do not shake). The yeast will rehydrate and acclimate itself to the cider.

Add yeast and nutrients: Add ½ teaspoon (~2 grams) of yeast nutrient (Fermaid K) per gallon of juice. Carefully swirl to mix. Add ¼ teaspoon (~1 gram) dry yeast per gallon of juice by sprinkling across the surface of the juice. After a few minutes, gently swirl to mix.

Remove cider from your refrigerator and let warm to room temperature before you start making your hard cider. If you are juicing your own apples, or using a cider that is entirely unpasturized, bring your cider to a boil and then let cool to room temperature before the next step.