DevonRifle
Well-Known Member
One of the directors at work does the same. I wonder if he’s your neighbour! Owns a very old scrump orchard and makes rough Scrumpy for the local pub. Mind you he doesn’t like it being called rough scrumpy!
Cider
- Thread starter VSS
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No not the same neighbour, DR. But this county has quite a few cider "moonshiners"!
Essexsussex
Well-Known Member
It’ll be worth it in the spring when its flavour is rounding out beautifully! Best of luck with it.
We do it as a blokes day out in the village - all go to Big J's house with whatever sacks of apples we have - we are in cider country so almost all wild trees are either Dabinett, Yarlington Mill or Morgan's Sweet seeded from the orchards by birds.
We take it in turns to work the scratter and press whilst all of us make a big impression on last-year-but-one's brew to help the time pass. Big J has also built a proper lads den - so on cider nights we each take something to put on the communal food table and then have a splendid evening chewing the fat, eating loads of good stuff and drinking some really good cider.
Over the years we have keaved it, made ice cider and one enterprising bloke up the road has made his own calvados in his garage.
One of the best things about living in Somerset.
(Big J is about 5'2" in clogs)
I always thought a Dog's Nose was 1 third of a pint of gin and 2 thirds best bitter - its a completely minging drink.Many moons past I used to shoot on a small walked up syndicate with John Thatcher of cider fame.
A lovely chap who knew more about apples than anybody on here knows about deer.
Also completely ambidextrous, shot right handed off his left shoulder, very odd to see.
I used to make a few gallons of the mad apple and when I asked him his best advice was to mix as many varieties as possible.
Another little syndicate I used to get the odd day with had their own cider but the deadly practice of drinking it with a slice of orange and a “splash” of gin!! they called it a dogs nose. One felt fine on that when in the comfort of the shoot shed, only to lose all horizontal control when leaving and encountering the cold night air.
Sorry, bit of a ramble, happy memories though.
“Wassail!”
You may well be right, recall often impaired by all that gin infused cider
shakey jake
Well-Known Member
All of mine are bubbling away like crazy now except the pear and russet, very little going on.
Might try and find a few more trees
Might try and find a few more trees
Essexsussex
Well-Known Member
My garage stinks like cabbage. It’s fermenting beautifully!
540 litres bubbling away merrily here.
I'm also on the search for more trees......
shakey jake
Well-Known Member
Essexsussex
Well-Known Member
I use 54l carboys I had for wine. Fills 3 corny kegs per carboy nicely. I’m sure VSS has something well thought out!
shakey jake
Well-Known Member
I Now need to know what a carboy is and what a corny keg is?
Please
Essexsussex
Well-Known Member
Carboy is like a giant demijohn. When it is mostly fermented it goes in there for a year still with an airlock. I ferment without an airlock.
Corny keg is a brilliant stainless keg that can be pressurised so you can force carbonate it immediately and serve away should you wish. No bottling which is heaven. Can convert a fridge to a kegerator with taps!
Can
Also use for wine with nitrogen instead of co2.
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Essexsussex
Well-Known Member
Just don't ask me how I got a washer and nut on the inside to secure the tap....I knew you’d have thought of something good
I want to know how you got a washer and a nut on the inside, I have trouble doing that on a water butt!
Essexsussex
Well-Known Member
@shakey jake Fermenter, carboys, corny kegs
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