Cider making!!

[123hotchef]

here is my cider spinner

 

[123hotchef]

 

[steviec_lj]

How much did you make ?

Crikey, what quantity of apples did you have?

We have 5 mature trees here, the neighbor has 2 and the in laws have 10 at last count.

I’ve put 2 more we’ve grown from seed in this year, which should fruit next year all being well. Quite an orchard growing at the moment, lots of soft fruit to add in to the mix also - depending on what the weather does

 

[armalites]

The biggest issue I've seen when making my own is when people want to try some because they "like cider". What that generally means is they like generic mass produced stuff and home brewed stuff isn't quite what they were expecting. It is top fun when you get some else who is up for it though. A friend of ours got some out at a BBQ and his wife said I shouldn't drink it. First pint is for getting your mouth used to it . I had a few pints of some stuff I made and I woke up the next with no headache but I felt like I'd been running all night, I may well have been but I didn't remember. It's scary when you put it in terms of 2+ times the strength of normal beer/lager. We have some friends who go to a party every year where they press apples while drinking last years cider.

 

[Chillitt]

I've got 14 apple trees. A few years back a mate came over and took away a landrover and 8 foot trailer full but he's not been back with a bottle. Best I make a press.

 

[123hotchef]

i gave up making it because it blows me head off and I end up drunk every night! 2 pints of that is enough some times! like said no chemicals = no headache

 

[500e]

I wondered how you got a head on it @123hotchef obviously a small amount of washing powder in the mix

 

[bigegg]

i gave up making it because it blows me head off and I end up drunk every night! 2 pints of that is enough some times! like said no chemicals = no headache

I had the same problem with the 50l of plum wine I made.
It only lasted a month.

 

[pcwizme]

I have never done cider, I like it as apple juice and never leave it long enough to ferment, Prefer to make mead personally. Have also done plum wine, cherry wine, Raspberry Wine and lots of sloe gin, Sloe Vodka, sloe Wiskey , Sloe Rum and Sloe "any other open bottle of booze in the cupboard"

 

[Shox Dr]

I might get round to making some this yr, I’ve got access to cookers, eaters, and crab apples. What sort of ratio should I be using, and how do you stop fermentation

 

[123hotchef]

I might get round to making some this yr, I’ve got access to cookers, eaters, and crab apples. What sort of ratio should I be using, and how do you stop fermentation

u can kill the yeast with your choice of chemical sodium metbisulphate is common or let it go to 12-16% then it dies anyway

 

[puffernutter]

My son makes cider and it is very drinkable!

I made him a pasteuriser. It is an old Burco boiler with a temperature sensor with a very tight hysteresis (about +/- 0.5DegC) If you heat the mix to 63 DegC (I think, I'll check with him) and hold it there for a couple of hours it will kill the yeast and stop the fermenting process. That will allow you to determine how sweet or dry the cider ends up.

Peter

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I tried scrumpy [as you do] years ago when on holiday in the South West, many years ago. Horrible stuff [imo], it put me off cider for life.

Come to think about it, I've not been back in that part of the world since......

 

[Chillitt]

The definition of scrumpy used to be 'Not good enough to drink, but too good to throw away' so it was sold to grockles...

 

[Welderpaul]

Anyoine ID these apples?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I'd guess at Granny Smith's"

- failing which Golden Delicious [less likely ]

 

[slim_boy_fat]

The definition of scrumpy used to be 'Not good enough to drink, but too good to throw away' so it was sold to grockles...

Unlike the Potcheen in the West of Ireland.....

 

[pcwizme]

Id of apples is almost impossible as like all trees they dont come true, so What could be a granny smith pip might not grow in to a granny smith but a Granny Gala smith.... Although those apples look like they could be Jonnah Gold type

 

[Ruffian]

200 ish litres, 20 of which was turned in to Slider (Sloe Cider). Plus the same in “beer”.

Think it’s on the cards for this year, although the apples seem awfully small this year

Sloe cider, now that is something I may have to go out and find.