If you're in a bind, you can substitute cider with apple juice in a recipe. Just make sure it's unsweetened apple juice, so your recipe isn't too far off from its original flavor profile. If you don't have unsweetened apple juice on hand, you can reduce the sugar in your recipe.

When buying juice to use for hard cider, be sure to select an option that has not been heavily filtered (has sediment in it), doesn't contain chemical preservatives, has been pasteurized, and is not from concentrate. The problem is that the most apple juices found in grocery stores don't meet this criteria.

The amount of yeast needed when making homemade hard apple cider can vary depending on the specific recipe and desired level of alcohol content. A general rule of thumb is to use around 0.5 to 1 gram of yeast per gallon (3.8 liters) of apple juice.