The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Food & crafts => Home brewing => Topic started by: MikeM on March 03, 2012, 07:43:52 am
-
When we bought the house it already had a small, established (tho somewhat neglected) orchard. We knew that several of the trees were incredibly productive, so I thought I'd try my hand at cider making. We treated ourselves to a press and crusher from a local maker and I spent quite a bit of the autumn picking, washing and crushing apples. The resulting juice all started bubbling away quite nicely and I was quite optimistic but when I tried it just before Xmas is was undrinkable. I almost poured it away in disgust but got distracted, kept forgetting about it and got lazy and never did. Boy, am I glad I didn't. On a whim I thought I'd try some last night; it's absolutely corking, as good as a lot of cider I've bought at country fairs and the like. And strong to boot, I could feel my lips going numb after the 1st glass. I now have approx 120 or so pints to get through.
However, as a consequence, I am feeling a tad delicate this morning...
I may look into expanding my operation and maybe selling it.
-
The old saying was "Don't taste your cider until you hear the first cuckoo"
-
Fantastic! Well done! :thumbsup:
We planted some cider apple trees this winter, so I'll definitely be coming to you for tips in a few years time.
-
The old saying was "Don't taste your cider until you hear the first cuckoo"
heh, I have never heard that but it's true. Guess I will have to hold off a bit longer drinking it.
-
Excellent, congratulations. :thumbsup:
We're planting an orchard just now and intend to make cider, so might be back for some advice in a couple of years. :)
Did you get the press and crusher from someone who might have more to sell?
-
oh Dan what is wrong with making your own press by the time you have apples your work load will have diminished :thumbsup: :farmer:
-
Excellent, congratulations. :thumbsup:
We're planting an orchard just now and intend to make cider, so might be back for some advice in a couple of years. :)
Did you get the press and crusher from someone who might have more to sell?
we got them from these people:
http://www.vigopresses.co.uk/store/index.php?cPath=63_78 (http://www.vigopresses.co.uk/store/index.php?cPath=63_78)
I did intend to make my own but things got on top of us and we just didn't have time, the apples were dropping and we had to do something. Their stuff isn't cheap, but it seems well made. With care etc it should last us a lifetime.
-
Weyhey - all round to yours this evening then ;D :thumbsup: ;D :thumbsup:
-
Fantastic, the rest of this year will be a blur then :yum:
Reminds me of a camping hol in Devon 20 hrs ago. Visited atraditional cider farm, tasted,bought, cannot remember much of the rest of the Hols. ;D
-
I've got a Vigo press (and a bucket apple crusher that fits onto a drill), but it is a tad small for my needs (we have quite a large mature orchard) so have never really got to grips with it.
Interested in your 'fermenting' process did you bottle up or place it into barrels first?
:notwell: hic!
-
What a coincidence - we started ours last night. Cracking colour and taste - my sister in law often buys "artisan cider" and said ours was great. She asked us lots of questions about methodology and what apples.
The truth is we do not have any apple trees and we had just collected fallen apples from a neighbours field so that his cows did not eat them.
Given the number of apples we used and the corresponding cider yield I would have thought that anyone planting an orchard can expect to spend the next 10 years building a barn for the cider press, fermenting vats and bottle store so that they can manage the crop when the trees reach their full potential. One mature tree must surely produce enough apples to make cider production a commercial task. An orchard must mean employing people to pick and operate machines and then ship the product to retail outlets.
-
im a time served, fully qualified, cider taster, i would be more than happy to advise on the quality of samples sent to me. nothing below 5% tho, cos its not worth the postage. thanks. :thumbsup:
-
Interested in your 'fermenting' process did you bottle up or place it into barrels first?
:notwell: hic!
it was very scientific. I washed the apples, crushed em, pressed em, poured the juice into some 5 gallon, plastic fermenting vessels, fitted an airlock and left em. :farmer:
The fermenting vessels have taps fitted as I'm hoping this will save money on not needing barrels as well. I have a couple, but I use these for beer. I'd need to get a lot for the cider as well. I'll see how it turns out, if it doesn't work in the long term then I'll buy some barrels as well. As it is, I reckon I left to rot about another 2 or 3 barrels worth as I didn't have any more storage for them, though last year was a good year for top fruit, what this year will be like remains to be seen.
All I need to do now is find someone who has pigs so they can take the crushings off me.
-
just get some of your own you wont regret it as i tuck into gammon steaks :farmer:
-
........... One mature tree must surely produce enough apples to make cider production a commercial task. An orchard must mean employing people to pick and operate machines and then ship the product to retail outlets.
Commercial, no, but one of our mature trees certainly does give more than enough apples to keep us in cider for a year (and some). That said, we still do mix the apple varieties. I once toured the 'Merrydown' cider factory, and if it's good enough for them, it's certainly good enough for me.....
-------
Thanks mike m, interesting to know how others do it. With us, the apples are picked then left under the trees to soften, then they are crushed and pressed and the juice pumped directly into the wooden barrels.
As for bottling. I keep the high pressure 'fizz' bottles, but we initially have to go with putting the juice directly into barrels (the Vigo press is totally wasted as it's way too small).
Pigs get the 'cake'.
:notwell: hic!
-
just get some of your own you wont regret it as i tuck into gammon steaks :farmer:
it is one of the plans we have. Need to find the time to get a few things sorted 1st. :pig:
-
This seems to be the general cider commentary thread so I thought I'd revive it rather than start a new one.
First time cider making! (http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/images/smilies/party0040.gif)
What a great day, genuinely warm sun, friends and beers. 75 litres from 145 kg apples, using a domestic juicer!
Starting gravity 1050 so mostly will leave unsweetened but might "turbo" a few DJs when I rack, with some extra sugar.
2/3rds is sulphited, pectolased and awaiting champagne yeast and nutrient, 1/3rd will go "wild" and totally untreated.
Loads more pics and words here on my blog. (http://www.brixtonsbounty.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-big-cider-making-day.html)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qvvqc62KUjQ/UHHvaH-uvRI/AAAAAAAAAZU/Ia711cgaOm4/s640/P1040043.JPG)
-
Excellent! Keep us posted with the results please.
Was the juice itself palatable, or was drinking it verboten?!
-
I can't believe that your "juicer " survived such hard work and welcome to the wrinkley finger club. We made just 25 litres of te stuff from apples we collected from the roadside ( no fruit at all in our vilage - first time in 21 years).
Our sp gravity was also 1050 but we kept it natural and in a plastic bucket. We put an airlock in after 2 days and it started It is bubbling awat behind me after a slow start ( 2 days inactive).
The stuff we made last using cider yeast spent 2 weeks frozen solid ( -20 ) and was drunk over the summer ( with caution - 6% :thumbsup: ).
Can you let us know how your 2 different brews get on at each stage and how the end products compare. Cheers Martin
-
Will do! Thanks for the positive comments ;D :thumbsup:
-
Hello,
This year with a bumper crop I ran short of 20 L flessen corked, with the pressure lock so am trying an oak barrel, firkin size, for the first time. Reading here I gather others do use barrels for initial storage before racking though I was advised locally against its use. It seems clear then that oak barrel storage and cider are not incompatible but I'd like to hear the steps that others using this specific technique use. Something like: fill the barrel to x, cork it, hammering the cork in good and tight, let stand till New Years, pull the cork and siphon into bottles and let stand in the cellar till summer, that sort of thing.
Greetings,
Don Wagstaff
-
Donald -good luck with the wooden firkin- sorry I have no knowledge of using these and this is only our second time using a plastic bucket !
Just an update.
Start date - apples squeezed in a press on 27th Sept.
We "racked" the cider on Sunday so as to remove the "clearing" huice from the sediment. this was the simple squeezed apple method - no sterilization or added yeast.
Specific gravity was 1000 on sunday. We had made a 700g sugar solution and added it still warm.
We started with 25 litres and after racking and added sugar solution we now have 23 litres bubbling away again. Cleared very well.
We will bottle into plastic lemonade bottles like last year.
Will keep you informed.
- good luck with the oak
-
Domnald, your cork may blow out :o Good luck!
-
Domnald, your cork may blow out :o Good luck!
I have found this to be the case, even after several rackings. I generally keep stuff under airlock now. Not sure if this is the "correct" way, but it works for me.
-
Hello,
Blow-out was the main thing I was trying to get at there.
So then in the OBF method how would this be resolved, is the question that begs answering.
What about storing the full barrel down in the kelder with its moderate but consistent temperature - not ideal for the fermentation however which is sort of the point of cider now.
Greetings,
Don
-
Is it fizzy cider you're after? I would air-lock your barrel 'til fermentation stops altogether then put some sugar in and bung up. You will know then how much sugar is in there, just enough to cause a secondary fermentation but not enough to blow the bung. About a teaspoonful per gallon would do, I should think.
-
Hello Sylvia,
yes the way you describe it is indeed what I'm after and have had in the past and was just not sure about particulars in the OBF way but I am going to proceed with your recommendations so thanks, most helpful.
Greetings,
Don Wagstaff
-
Bottled ours on the weekend(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-7GQX3cGIs/UMZ1TvGMmQI/AAAAAAAAAfw/6gnfTQUGZBw/s640/P1050027.JPG)
52 litres in the end. Half will be conditioned, half still. Some given a sugar (i.e. alcohol) boost to about 8.5% ABV, some at about 6%.
More info on the blog if you are interested. Cheers
-
Hello,
Mine from this year still almost blow the corks once I've taken the wire clamps off and it takes 3 or 4 minutes to gradually release pressure, so I have to wonder why. After the ordeal is over though I'm pretty pleased with the result, that is to say, how it all goes over the lip.
Greetings,
Don Wagstaff