Simple cider

[MKG]

Well - I have cider!!

I collected a host of windfall apples and pears and decided to make wine. I chopped them up coarsely - lots of big lumps - and stuck 'em in a bin. That came up to the 4 gallon mark. Dissolved a kilo of sugar in hot water and poured it on. When that was cold, I topped up the liquid until it came to the top - that took about two gallons of water, and the bin was now full. Added some citric acid, pectic enyme and yeast, covered it up and waited. What I was waiting for was the point at which I could strain off the juice (nicely fermenting already), add more sugar and adjust the flavour, acid balance etc.

Well, I should have waited for four days before taking out the apple and pear bits. Unfortunately, I forgot all about it - and that was two weeks ago. I remembered it today and swore a bit as I thought I would have ruined it. So, the taste test - it's very definitely reasonably strong cider, and it's very pleasant. Bugger the wine, then.

I'm now sitting with a very refreshing pint slowly disappearing - with a few more pints to go. So, for those of you looking for a cider-making technique without a press or apple sludge, there you go. Isn't it nice when accidents turn up trumps?

Oh - the flavour could possibly be increased by cutting up the apples smaller than I did, but it tastes OK to me as it is. Very reminiscent of Old Rosie.

Mike

[noodles]

HI,

I am trying out Andy H's cider recipie at the moment, but MKG's post got me interested. Just need to ask a couple of questions please. In your post you said:- Added some citric acid, pectic enyme and yeast, covered it up and waited. What I was waiting for was the point at which I could strain off the juice (nicely fermenting already), add more sugar and adjust the flavour, acid balance etc.

Can you tell me what you used for citric acid, and how much? What's pectic enzyme, and how much should you use? When you strained the juice how much sugar did you use? How did you adjust the flavour and acid balance?

Also, i was thinking could i use a juice machine on the apple first then add say a gallon of water.
Just concerned about the using metal on the apples as Andy's recipie says dont.

Lots of questions, but i would really like some help please.

cheers.

[MKG]

Hi noodles.

Don't take too much notice of what I say about cider - I don't make it usually. What my post was about was the start of some "orchard" wine but, having forgotten I'd started it at all, I discovered I had a passable cider instead. That may be pure luck. If I were you, I'd stick to what Andy and other cider makers on here say (except when they tell you not to add yeast).

I would have thought that any normal cider recipe doesn't use additional acid or pectic enzyme, and every other point I mentioned is about what I WOULD have done if I'd remembered in time that it was wine I was intending to make. Now, wine I can tell you about. Cider I leave to the plonkies on here

Mike

[noodles]

Thanks Mike.

Will do some more of the ish recipie. I have 2 gallons on the go at the moment and havent added any yeast to it. I have some wine yeast, and some beer yeast, would they be any good? how much would you reckon? I have mashed the apples a couple of times, but not done the ginger, lemon juice, and sugar yet. Would this be a good time to chuck some yeast in?

cheers,

Noodles.

[MKG]

To get to the alcohol content required for cider, any yeast will do - bakers, brewers, wine - but trusting to wild yeast is, in my opinion, begging for trouble. One level teaspoon of dried yeast will ferment anything between 1 and 5 gallons (actually, it will ferment any amount, but it may take a long time to build up a really large colony). So yes, add a bit of yeast now and avoid any heartaches.

Mike

[noodles]

Hi mike,

I added some wine yeast this morning. See how it goes.
I think I will do a second batch with yeast in from the start.

Cheers,

Noodles.

[Kezz]

I've got some turbo cider on the go now. It's bubbling in the airlock but there's no foam/froth, is that ok?

[frozenthunderbolt]

smell it and see - so long as it doesn't smell 'off' or vinegary then you are fine, of perhaps even better than fine as you have afermentation with little pulp and therefore little pectin - i would expect (but dont quote me) that it will clear nicely after the fermentation has finished.

[mamos]

Two weeks after fermentation and mine is starting to clear nicely

mamos

[boboff]

Finally pressing my apples.

Saga to date.

Last years stainless steel press purchased new for £90 pressed 4 gallon last year, this year after two gallons it completely smashed.

Ordered a wooden one from Vigo last week, its turned up with a hole in the base plate ( Fixed with Blue tac, and got £20 discount from nice people at Vigo)

Anyway, the actual pressing is going well, I have frozen the apples and defrosted them, cut into 8 and pressed, the bits coming out look like dehydrated apple, and I am getting the right sort of juice return I think, about a gallon per bucket of apples (approx 10kg?)

4 gallon pressed in an hour which is good I reckon on my own, bit boring though, hence the break to "share"

I have added a Cider yeast to this lot, but didn't to the first 2 gallon I did with the stainless steel press, I am fermenting that one out naturally, and it will be interesting to see if youo can tell the difference?

I hope to get pressed about 10 gallons today, so best get back to it.

Hows is everyone elses doing?

I may go and try and dig the hydrometer out the shed to see how its going to brew? Any ideas where I put it?

[noodles]

Hi All,

my cider is looking good. First lot has been put to bed and will be ready just before xmas.
It looked good and had a great smell too.

Having followed tips on here i managed to blag another bag of apples and made a further
4 gallons!!! This looks different to my first batch, which i put down to different appleas.
A couple more mashings and some filtering and that lot will be put down to see me over xmas.

Cheers!