Got a couple of apple trees and a pear tree none of which have ever done much, but this year they're weighed down with fruit. Is this happening elsewhere? Anybody got a cider press in their garage?
My pear tree is looking good at the moment with a lot of potential fruit on it, I just have to make sure the birds dont peck it and the wasps don't follow on and burrow in the holes left by the birds which happened last year.
Funnily enough its something I have always wanted to do Here is a guide March51 - go on - it will get you away from Sky!
Making cider is really easy and a good way to use up a glut of fruit. Some “experts” say use only cider apples, others mainly dessert and others mainly cooking but in reality most home cider makers use whatever apples that they have at hand.
Choosing and Picking Apples for Cider
Make certain they are fully ripe, undamaged and not heavily bruised.
Keep in a cool place for 1 or 2 weeks to soften the skins.
Preparing the Fruit
Crushing
This can be done by putting the apples in a strong tub and pounding them with a length of timber but is heavy on the arms. If you are likely to make large amounts of cider, it may be better if you purchase a fruit crusher.
Pressing
The pulped fruit now needs to be pressed to extract the juice. You can get away with a domestic fruit juicer but, for larger amounts, you can either build or purchase your own press.
pH
The pH of the juice should be in the range 3.9 to 4.0 to give the right amount of sharpness. This can be checked using a small soil testing pH meter. To higher the pH add precipitated chalk, to lower the pH add malic acid.
Sugar Levels
Check the “specific gravity” (S.G) of the juice with a hydrometer for sugar levels. 15% sugar = S.G of 1070 and total potential alcohol content of around 8.5%, 10% sugar = S.G. of 1045 and total potential alcohol of 6%. This is if all of the sugar is fermented.
If the S.G. is less than 1040 there may not be sufficient to protect the cider during storage and sugar can be added to raise the gravity. 2 ½ ounces of sugar should raise the gravity of 1 gallon of juice by about 5º.
Fermentation
The juice now needs to be poured into a good quality fermenting vessel. This can either be wood, stainless steel, glass or plastic (only food-grade plastics).
Cover loosely as the initial fermentation can be very vigorous. Once it has calmed down, top up with more juice or water to exclude air and fit an airlock to the container.
Traditionally nothing is added to the apple juice to turn it into cider, as the natural yeasts in the apples will turn the sugars into alcohol.
A modern method of controlling the fermentation is by killing off natural yeasts with Sulphur Dioxide in the form of Sodium Metabisulphite (Campden Tablet), then adding a general purpose wine yeast. This has the advantage of subduing some wild yeasts and bacteria and reduces spoilage in the cider.
Keep the fermenting cider at a steady temperature of around 15º. Fermentation can take anything from 10 days to 10 weeks.
Racking and Bottling
When the cider has finished fermenting, check the Specific Gravity with a hydrometer. If below 1005 it is time to rack the cider by syphoning into a clean container. Make certain that the sediment is not transferred.
Ensure the new container is filled to the top, fit an airlock and put into a cool place to allow to clear.
If more sediment shows, then you’ll need to repeat the racking process.
1 Campden tablet per gallon can be added after the last racking to prevent the cider spoiling.
When you’re happy with your cider and ready to drink it, rack into bottles (all plastic fizzy drink bottles are suitable for cider) and keep in a cool place.
Gosh!! Thanks Floyd, food for thought there alright. First job is to get Mrs. M a nice bit of timber for the crushing business. I remember going round a small cider maker's place up Hereford way a while ago, it was full of wasps but they were too drunk to sting you. I might actually have a go at this, we'll see. Thanks for the info'.
Gosh!! Thanks Floyd, food for thought there alright. First job is to get Mrs. M a nice bit of timber for the crushing business. I remember going round a small cider maker's place up Hereford way a while ago, it was full of wasps but they were too drunk to sting you. I might actually have a go at this, we'll see. Thanks for the info'.
you'll have to get a nice big ladder for your wife to use so she can get all the best ones that are just out of reach
Gosh!! Thanks Floyd, food for thought there alright. First job is to get Mrs. M a nice bit of timber for the crushing business. I remember going round a small cider maker's place up Hereford way a while ago, it was full of wasps but they were too drunk to sting you. I might actually have a go at this, we'll see. Thanks for the info'.
No problem March Its our plan to utilise all the spare apples in Aomori, Japan and start one of the first Cider companies over there some time in the next couple of years.
March our two Apple trees where bending under the weight last year couldnt give em away. This year not much on either which is normal i think.
warning donkeys years ago me and my late mum did the cider thing one night it was like WW 1 bottles exploding cider everywhere etc. Not sure what we did wrong but we did it .
Gosh!! Thanks Floyd, food for thought there alright. First job is to get Mrs. M a nice bit of timber for the crushing business. I remember going round a small cider maker's place up Hereford way a while ago, it was full of wasps but they were too drunk to sting you. I might actually have a go at this, we'll see. Thanks for the info'.
Thanks folks, the stuff you usually get in pubs these days is usually cold and tastless although some do scrumpy and you fall off your chair after 2 or 3. Hard to find anything in between so am partial to Weston's organic (bottled), very nice.
My local has seven ciders, though two are Perry. 4 still and very local, off to the cellar to get them in jugs, one national fizzy, two local fizzies. There is a 17 mile cycle tour from here which takes in over 20 producers/suppliers
http://www.knightscider.co.uk/malv-gold.html - if you like Westons, March, you will love this. Let me know if you cant get it and I will bring some down next time. Its almost next door!
Have I got this right Floyd? A 17 mile cycle ride visiting cider producers (cideries?) ? Hell, even if I could still ride a bike, which is very doubtful, I'd never get past the first one! How many actually make it to the end? Thanks for the offer, it's OK at the moment: the local Tesco is stocking it . You must be in a nice part of the world.
I used to count many cider producers as customers, I sold the enzymes they sometimes use to clarify the drink. Lovely job, visiting all those little Cideries out in Wurzel land....
Have I got this right Floyd? A 17 mile cycle ride visiting cider producers (cideries?) ? Hell, even if I could still ride a bike, which is very doubtful, I'd never get past the first one! How many actually make it to the end? Thanks for the offer, it's OK at the moment: the local Tesco is stocking it . You must be in a nice part of the world.
Just be very very careful with the hygiene. I made my own cider once and spent an entire night throwing up. I think the twelfth bottle must have had a bug in it.
Mr March, if you really like your cider, get Mrs March to take you for a drive down the A27 towards newhaven, go straight across the roundabout where you turn off for Newhaven and follow the signs for Drusillas towards Eastbourne and after a couple of miles you'll come across Middle farm on your left.
They've got about 50 or 60 different ciders and perrys to try before you buy!
Thanks Creepy, I know exactly where you are, I used to call in there in my car delivery days (not drinking just buying of course) excellent place with some very good cheeses.Couldn't have the pies etc. 'cos of my trouble. Asked them once if they did any gluten free stuff and they looked at me blankly and asked 'What's that then?'
We used to pop in there quite often when the sis-in-law lived in Newhaven, kids went to feed the animals, I went to feed myself (whilst trying a large selection of apple based juices!) then the wife drove home! Blinding couple of hours out : )
Comments
My pear tree is looking good at the moment with a lot of potential fruit on it, I just have to make sure the birds dont peck it and the wasps don't follow on and burrow in the holes left by the birds which happened last year.
Here is a guide March51 - go on - it will get you away from Sky!
Making cider is really easy and a good way to use up a glut of
fruit. Some “experts” say use only cider apples, others mainly dessert
and others mainly cooking but in reality most home cider makers use whatever
apples that they have at hand.
Choosing and Picking Apples for Cider
- Make certain they are fully ripe, undamaged and not heavily bruised.
- Keep in a cool place for 1 or 2 weeks to soften the skins.
Preparing the FruitCrushing
This can be done by putting the apples in a strong tub and pounding
them with a length of timber but is heavy on the arms. If you
are likely to make large amounts of cider, it may be better if you
purchase a fruit
crusher.
Pressing
The pulped fruit now needs to be pressed to extract the juice.
You can get away with a domestic fruit juicer but, for larger amounts,
you can either build or purchase your own press.
pH
The pH of the juice should be in the range 3.9 to 4.0 to give the
right amount of sharpness. This can be checked using a
small soil testing pH meter. To higher the pH add precipitated chalk, to
lower the pH add malic acid.
Sugar Levels
Check the “specific gravity” (S.G) of the juice with a hydrometer
for sugar levels. 15% sugar = S.G of 1070 and total potential alcohol
content of around 8.5%, 10% sugar = S.G. of 1045 and total potential
alcohol of 6%. This is if all of the sugar is fermented.
If the S.G.
is less than 1040 there may not be sufficient to protect the cider during
storage and sugar can be added to raise the gravity. 2 ½ ounces of sugar
should raise the gravity of 1 gallon of juice by about 5º.
Fermentation
The juice now needs to be poured into a good quality fermenting
vessel. This can either be wood, stainless steel, glass
or plastic (only food-grade plastics).
Cover loosely as the initial fermentation
can be very vigorous. Once it has calmed down, top up with more juice
or water to exclude air and fit an airlock to the container.
Traditionally
nothing is added to the apple juice to turn it into cider, as the natural
yeasts in the apples will turn the sugars into alcohol.
A modern method
of controlling the fermentation is by killing off natural yeasts with
Sulphur Dioxide in the form of Sodium Metabisulphite (Campden Tablet),
then adding a general purpose wine yeast. This has the advantage of subduing
some wild yeasts and bacteria and reduces spoilage in the cider.
Keep the fermenting cider at a steady temperature of around
15º.
Fermentation can take anything from 10 days to 10 weeks.
Racking and
Bottling
When the cider has finished fermenting, check the Specific Gravity with
a hydrometer. If below 1005 it is time to rack the cider by
syphoning into a clean container. Make certain that the sediment
is not transferred.
Ensure the new container is filled to the top, fit an airlock and
put into a cool place to allow to clear.
If more sediment shows, then you’ll need to repeat the racking
process.
1 Campden tablet per gallon can be added after the last racking
When you’re happy with your cider and ready to drink it, rack intoto prevent the cider spoiling.
bottles (all plastic fizzy drink bottles are suitable for cider)
and keep in a cool place.
= stairs.
dickie dirt...............
Its our plan to utilise all the spare apples in Aomori, Japan and start one of the first Cider companies over there some time in the next couple of years.
March our two Apple trees where bending under the weight last year couldnt give em away. This year not much on either which is normal i think.
warning donkeys years ago me and my late mum did the cider thing one night it was like WW 1 bottles exploding cider everywhere etc. Not sure what we did wrong but we did it .
still be necessary to loosen the tops occasionally or the pressure
could cause the bottle to explode.
You and Mrs March should come up our way - a couple of great Cider places nearby.
4 still and very local, off to the cellar to get them in jugs, one national fizzy, two local fizzies.
There is a 17 mile cycle tour from here which takes in over 20 producers/suppliers
http://www.westons-cider.co.uk/Home/ is very close to us.
http://www.knightscider.co.uk/malv-gold.html - if you like Westons, March, you will love this. Let me know if you cant get it and I will bring some down next time. Its almost next door!
Have I got this right Floyd? A 17 mile cycle ride visiting cider producers (cideries?) ? Hell, even if I could still ride a bike, which is very doubtful, I'd never get past the first one! How many actually make it to the end? Thanks for the offer, it's OK at the moment: the local Tesco is stocking it . You must be in a nice part of the world.
Here is the route.
http://www.malverntrail.co.uk/cider.htm
Just be very very careful with the hygiene. I made my own cider once and spent an entire night throwing up. I think the twelfth bottle must have had a bug in it.
=Shirt
Sherbert dab