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Bramleys
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 10:53 pm
by dave45
Anyone made cider from Bramley apples? is it any good?
Re: Bramleys
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:24 pm
by battybird
Obviously not!!! My local cidermaker uses them I think, but mixes with other types of apple like millers.
Re: Bramleys
Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:47 pm
by dave45
Well the first batches are now coming through... and Bramley cider is not bad at all... neither is (scabby) golden delicious or gala cider with or without pear juice added. My experiments so far lead me to believe that any apples variety can make a passable cider, and its arguably a better option than blanching and freezing.
This is steam extraction (yielding ~4-5% abv) adding only pectolase* and yeast. ferments out in a week - 2/3rds of a teaspoon priming sugar for a bit of fizz. result is really quite quaffable, and tastes dry and somehow "authentic" real cider... which it must be!
anyway its brought the demijohns back into use... since I started brewing wine and beer in 5-gallon batches they have stood idly by.. but the steamer can only produce juice in ~5.5 pint batches, so I get 2/3rd of a demijohn-worth in each batch
* not all of it clears well, presumably due to inadequate pectolase?
Re: Bramleys
Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 7:57 am
by jim
Dear Dave45,
Used to have an allotment with a Red Bramley on it. Very prolific but on a two year cycle, so every other year very little. In times of glut I'd make cider with the excess. Using a press it took 20 lbs of apple pulp to make a gallon of juice which would ferment down to a very drinkable, albeit cloudy, brew. Depending on the summer sun it could achieve 8% at times. Ifound that making it in 5 gallon batches was more successful than 1 gallon demijohns. Bigger batches would probably have been better but I didn't have the equipment to try that path. Bramleys keep well so just keep up a continuous process over the winter. Best of luck and let us know how you get on!
Love and Peace
Jim