Cider

[shakey jake]

i crushed my apples sunday, made about 40L. as disscussed with @VSS by pm very poor flavour in most from last year. not off flavours but just boring.
hope this years will be better as the only good one we juiced and ignored then bottled and its fizzy and good.
still working through last years now

 

[Essexsussex]

Haven't sampled the cider yet, but my pig is completely pi$$ed on the pulp.

Excellent! Mine goes down the road and gets fed to pigs too. I’m waiting to get some back fat back for sausages.

 

[Essexsussex]

i crushed my apples sunday, made about 40L. as disscussed with @VSS by pm very poor flavour in most from last year. not off flavours but just boring.
hope this years will be better as the only good one we juiced and ignored then bottled and its fizzy and good.
still working through last years now

Did you wild ferment or packet yeast?
Bottle and leave it, then open and back sweeten with some sugar. Likely to bring it alive flavour wise.

 

[shakey jake]

Did you wild ferment or packet yeast?
Bottle and leave it, then open and back sweeten with some sugar. Likely to bring it alive flavour wise.

i tried 6 different yeasts, in two ways, sterilised with campden tabs and just added.
i bottled once ferment appeared to finish and left alone.
the only good one was wild yeast that got ignored.
hadnt thought of adding sugar back in, how much per 500ml bottle?

 

[Essexsussex]

i tried 6 different yeasts, in two ways, sterilised with campden tabs and just added.
i bottled once ferment appeared to finish and left alone.
the only good one was wild yeast that got ignored.
hadnt thought of adding sugar back in, how much per 500ml bottle?

Make a sugar syrup and add when you drink it. Say two teaspoons or so per bottle. Promise you it will transform it.

 

[Essexsussex]

Make a sugar syrup and add when you drink it. Say two teaspoons or so per bottle. Promise you it will transform it.

But don’t sweeten in the bottles and re cap as it will just referment

 

[r6demon]

My wife and I had a brief foray into cider for 6 years. It started as a bit of fun and then we won CAMRA cider champion of the year alongside many regional awards. When I get a hobby, it’s all or nothing

Hardings Cider was the name of your interested.

HMRC Have the farm gate ruling for cider, where you don’t pay tax unless you are making hectolitres of produce. We registered with HMRC and received a tax exception certificate which was required to sell the product.

A scratter is a must have. A press is the second requirement we imported a wine press from Spain!

A mix of apples is a must. Crab/ cooking / eating for a balanced flavour and acid

Malolactic fermentation needs to be understood for a cider that doesn’t need a gaviscon chaser.

I’m always happy to talk about the process if anyone is interested.
We have paused the operation as I work overseas for a lot of the year. Drop me a message!

 

[shakey jake]

copied from the sloe gin thread
bottled my sloe and damson gins at the weekend.
once bottled i added a pretty crap home made cider to the left over fruit in the demi john.
really suprised like a turbo fruit cider, if you have both or have sloe gin and cheap cider its not a bad drink, prob not too many pints in one go though

 

[Essexsussex]

copied from the sloe gin thread
bottled my sloe and damson gins at the weekend.
once bottled i added a pretty crap home made cider to the left over fruit in the demi john.
really suprised like a turbo fruit cider, if you have both or have sloe gin and cheap cider its not a bad drink, prob not too many pints in one go though

Don’t be so hard on your cider Shakey. Let it go through Malo in the spring it’ll change character entirely
Give it a full year and will be loads better

 

[shakey jake]

Don’t be so hard on your cider Shakey. Let it go through Malo in the spring it’ll change character entirely
Give it a full year and will be loads better

its from 2024, some has improved no end, some tastes like you could shave with it!
this years is still bubbling away

 

[VSS]

Just started on the second barrel, and have to say it's pretty damn good!

How's everyone else's turned out?
Any monumental morning after headaches to report?

(Incidentally, what do you say when the FEO asks you about drinking habits? I just sort of wave my arm about in an all-encompassing expansive gesture, and say I brew my own. No actual quantities ever get mentioned).

 

[shakey jake]

Just started on the second barrel, and have to say it's pretty damn good!

How's everyone else's turned out?
Any monumental morning after headaches to report?

(Incidentally, what do you say when the FEO asks you about drinking habits? I just sort of wave my arm about in an all-encompassing expansive gesture, and say I brew my own. No actual quantities ever get mentioned).

Havent started this years yet, some of last years has changed massivly and improved.
Adding the rough stuff to the dregs of sloe and damson gin is very interesting

 

[Essexsussex]

Just started on the second barrel, and have to say it's pretty damn good!

How's everyone else's turned out?
Any monumental morning after headaches to report?

(Incidentally, what do you say when the FEO asks you about drinking habits? I just sort of wave my arm about in an all-encompassing expansive gesture, and say I brew my own. No actual quantities ever get mentioned).

Delighted to hear your results!

This years is blended with last years in an oak barrel. The feckin cork didn’t seal and I lost ten litres. I suppose I’ll live a year longer.

Still got some of last years in glass I’ll drink soon, it’s quite good.

The three year old stuff is now all gone, the first lot I put in my oak barrel, I decided the oak barrel is a plus when your apples don’t carry as much tannin as West Country ones. But still needs a couple of months post-oak to balance out.

Enjoying using corney kegs every time I see the pile of champagne bottles I no longer use.

 

[Essexsussex]

Havent started this years yet, some of last years has changed massivly and improved.
Adding the rough stuff to the dregs of sloe and damson gin is very interesting

Time is a massive healer with cider. Enjoyed 54l from five or six years ago I forgot was lodged with a neighbour. All went quite quickly!

 

[Zephyrjim]

Havent started this years yet, some of last years has changed massivly and improved.
Adding the rough stuff to the dregs of sloe and damson gin is very interesting

Slider....I've done that before and it did result in a think head the morning after