how to do: scrumpy in 2 weeks

[balmaha]

Hi folks,
just joined the site 2 minutes ago.

I have been experimenting different techniques making homemade "biofuel" (aka scrumpy).

Started last year making small 2 litre batches of scrumpy using apples from our neighbours apple tree and found they were ready to drink after 2 weeks.

What you need
-Apples
-Cider yeast [ http://www.brew-it-yourself.co.uk/shop/ ... cts_id=233 ]
-Sugar
-wash basin
-a big bucket
-water
-knife
-Food processor
-A square bit of net curtain or pair of tights
-A3 size of "Flower press". A simpler version of Something like this is fine http://homepage.ntlworld.com/scrumpy/cider/press.gif
-Screw top wine bottles or 2L coke bottles


Here is my process:
1. rake up all the apples up.
2. get a washbasin full
3. give them a wee wash and quarter them up with a knife into a food processor
4. once you have a food processor full; zap processor and empty apple mush into your net curtain/ tights
5. once you have quite a lot of apple mush in your net then tie it so it is self enclosed and stuff wont fall out when you start to press it
7. place your net curtain mush in between the wood of your press
8. position press above big bucket- to catch the apple juice
9. tighten the nuts of the press diagonally- so it is all tightened as evenly as possible, as I have broken bits of wood if it gets a bit warped.
10. look at all the apple juice in your bucket !- fantastic !
11. pour apple juice into 2L coke bottle (do about 1.75 L so you leave space)
12. pour in a good amount of sugar- till it is a bout half an inch deep at the bottom of the bottle.
13 chuck in some cider yeast- enough to cover a third of the surface of the apple juice.
14. screw the lid but NOT air tight ! just enough to let out the gas- when it starts to ferment it will release gas.
15. give it a shake and put in your kitchen cupboard.
16. check each day how it is bubbling and add small amounts of sugar when you want- be carefull as it bubbles rapidly when you do this and you can end up with a fountain ! I add a bit, tighten the lid till the bubbles die down, then add some more.
17. it will go more cloudy and smell alcoholic- give it a taste after a week.

18. bubbling should start to reduce after about a week or so- depends on how much sugar you keep adding.
Remember the sugar turns to alcohol!

19. give it a taste after 2 weeks
20. drink it if you feel brave ! it doesnt taste great, but it is not bad in my opinion. Then again I am a red haired Scot from Glasgow ! ;)

if you dont have apples then:

I've been doing this with Sainsbury's basic apple juice(55p per litre) and it works fine, also with their green pack (88p per litre)

That's all for now.
I have pictures of my process if any one is interested.
just email me at
balmaha@gmail.com

[Silver Ether]

I didn't think you needed yeast for cider ?

[StripyPixieSocks]

I didn't think you needed yeast for cider ?

You do if you don't want to rely on the natural yeasts on the fruits which may be toxic if done incorrectly.

[balmaha]

I just used the yeast to make it ferment more quickly. You could do it without.
I'm just experimenting to see what works for me and thought I'd share my (in)experience.

[Silver Ether]

Thanks both ... I began pressing the apples yesterday I left it to drip over night and poured it into bottles this morning it already smells alcoholic and had a big head eerrr I mean its foaming away ...

[mrsflibble]

wow! this is so cool hahaha!