Apples...

[fatbloke]

Dean, if you looked up about making "Normandy" cider, you'd likely see why there's a colour difference........

It's routine for "them" to use a shitload of different varieties, but then they either just mill and press the juice, or even just mill and leave the pulp, either way, they let the fruit and/or juice oxidise down to a more brown colour before fermenting it.

Hence why Normandy ciders often have a slightly lower strength, but a more golden/beer like colour.

It's all in the making........

Ha! and using some of the Polish fruit syrups, that's more like how I suspect the "big boys" have been making some of these newer "fruit ciders". Apparently they do, because they can and as long as at least 35% of the fermentables come from apples/juice, then they can still call it cider - some of the purist makers have made this a bit controversial though and are trying to change things so that their more genuine/real/traditional (delete as appropriate) brews aren't "out competed" by factory made stuff.........

Still, I like them, both the newer fruit ones and the traditional type brews.......

[dean_wales]

I have decided not to mess with the main batch of cider too much. It is currently bulk ageing in two 35L batches. Will taste this evening as its been at least a month since I last did so.

The sulfur notes on one vessel at least have aged out so I plan to bottle that one soon. Haven't yet decided whether to prime and bottle or force carbonate - leaning to the latter for shelf life and sediment free drinking from a chilled bottle in the summer!

Seeing as I have to force carb 20L at a time I will probably use the remaining 10-15 litres to make a few more demijohns of raspberry cider if I am happy I can get that tasting right. The raspberry cider may get pasturised so that I can sweeten it with a little sugar and/or syrup before carbing and bottling. In for a penny in for a pound.

[orlando]

So are you into any of it yet or are you going to leave it to age until Spring?

[jmc]

So are you into any of it yet or are you going to leave it to age until Spring?

Prior to this autumn I've made TC, which I was happy with and prefer to mass-produced cider like Magners.
So this was the 1st year proper cider making for me and I'm trying to be patient with it.
I've been told to forget about it until May but its not easy.

I've got 3x30L vessels full to the brim that I'm definitely keeping until May
plus 1 late batch of ~25L that's in the fermenting cupboard at about 10C.

I did have 1 other barrel that we cracked open for Christmas.
There's still about 11L of it left in the kegerator.

I'm very happy with this first batch.
Its got so much more body and flavour than my TC
I just hope the others are will be OK

[orlando]

So are you into any of it yet or are you going to leave it to age until Spring?

Prior to this autumn I've made TC, which I was happy with and prefer to mass-produced cider like Magners.
So this was the 1st year proper cider making for me and I'm trying to be patient with it.
I've been told to forget about it until May but its not easy.

I've got 3x30L vessels full to the brim that I'm definitely keeping until May
plus 1 late batch of ~25L that's in the fermenting cupboard at about 10C.

I did have 1 other barrel that we cracked open for Christmas.
There's still about 11L of it left in the kegerator.

I'm very happy with this first batch.
Its got so much more body and flavour than my TC
I just hope the others are will be OK

I've bottled mine and am now thinking I should have kept it bulk aging till this year. I've split it between still and conditioned but think the conditioned maybe under carbonated. It's all in the cellar right now but am experimenting with one conditioned bottle to see if conditioning at room temps for a long time will increase the carbonation levels.

[floydmeddler]

Great project man!

I'm moving into my first ho (hopefully) 2 weeks. I have 2 big apple trees in y garden. All I know at the minute is that one tree has red apples, and the other has green.

I WILL make cider...

[dean_wales]

I am going to bottle one FV tommorow and leave the other till spring as it is still a little sulfurous.

I migh force carb and bottle in champagne bottles for easier long term storage. If I am short on time I will just prime with sugar.

I will probably also move one or two gallons to a demi john for making into an apple wine (adding sugar and white grape concentrate).

Will post progress and sampling notes.

Dean.

[orlando]

Will post progress and sampling notes.

Prefer a posted sample

[dean_wales]

OK so need room in the brewery to make some god damn beer! So the cider has gotta go...
40L of ciderhas been transfered into my two Crusader kegs readyy for chilling, carbing and bottling.
15L of cider has been racked to demi johns for secondary fermentation as cyser (added honey) and apple champagne (added invert sugar and grape concentrate).
15L of remaining cider has been bottled into champagne bottles and beer bottles with 1.5 and 0.5 teaspoons of sugar respectively.

Oh and the...
5L of uber-rasperry cider has been bottled from demi john into champagne bottles with 1.5 teaspoons of caster sugar per bottle. Smells and looks good.

The split of bottle conditioned and force carbonated will allow me to evaluate any flavour difference that comes with being stored on the yeast long term as well as weighing up the cost and faff of force carbing.

Only one issue so far... The demi john with golden suryp added is totally inactive whereas the cyser ones with honey are off like the clappers.

Bottling in champagne bottles...

I have a fairly understanding SWMBO - bedroom wardrobe!

Distincly inactive apple champagne

Distinctly active cyser


Thanks,

Dean.

[dean_wales]

Will post progress and sampling notes.

Prefer a posted sample

PM me your address and I will see what I can do!

[dean_wales]

OKey dokey...

I am learning far more than I am producing drinkable cider this year, but allgeared and learnt up for next time that's for sure. Cider making is certainly more of a science and art than I expected. Far from the make juice add yeast mentality I set out with!

Good news is that at least now I have had one merry evening with appreciative friends. I cracked open a couple of champagne bottles filled with the bottle condition pink variant of the cider (main cider which underwent a second fermentation with polish raspberry suryp). It was a little acidic for me but most people loved it - the acidity certainly enhanced the raspberry notes.



The bottle primed portion of the batch is as flat as I pancake. I can only guess that the earlier cambden tablet and long cold ageing has left it yeast free. I am going to have to reopen all the bottles and seed with yeast I think. Difficult to be bothered to do so when I am not entirely convinced on flavour.

I kegged the remaining portion but have not yet carbed or tasted that - will report back when I have.

PS - The three gallons of cyser appeared to have finished fermenting and dropped bright. I will check out the final gravity before bottling shortly. Lovely bright gold colour to it!

[simple one]

OKey dokey...

I am learning far more than I am producing drinkable cider this year, but allgeared and learnt up for next time that's for sure. Cider making is certainly more of a science and art than I expected. Far from the make juice add yeast mentality I set out with!

This quote made me chuckle, as I am doing my first batch of cider this autumn and I am of the juice and yeast mind set. May have to have a word with ones self.

What has convinced me to have a go though, is two cracking home made ciders I have had recently. One from Bramleys only, one from eaters only (can't remember variety). Both excellent, both bright, certainly not rank! Anyhow I have some 'vintage variety' apple trees in the garden and some 'baggsied' from the local area, so will be looking in on your threads for info.

Cheers, excellent thread.

[orlando]

OKey dokey...

I am learning far more than I am producing drinkable cider this year, but allgeared and learnt up for next time that's for sure. Cider making is certainly more of a science and art than I expected. Far from the make juice add yeast mentality I set out with!

This quote made me chuckle, as I am doing my first batch of cider this autumn and I am of the juice and yeast mind set. May have to have a word with ones self.

What has convinced me to have a go though, is two cracking home made ciders I have had recently. One from Bramleys only, one from eaters only (can't remember variety). Both excellent, both bright, certainly not rank! Anyhow I have some 'vintage variety' apple trees in the garden and some 'baggsied' from the local area, so will be looking in on your threads for info.

Cheers, excellent thread.

Drank one of mine last night and the aging of it has really made a difference, but getting an MLF as part of the fermentation process has made the biggest difference from my previous attempt so the science & art comment is one I certainly subscribe to. In some respects cider making is way more difficult than brewing because you only get one shot at it per year.

[dean_wales]

You can drink mine but it isn't all that pleasant.

Mine was screwed from the outset by having a sulphur taint from a stressed fermentation. Only way to shift it was by major oxidising through splashy racking. I am led to believe the yeast was stressed due to the very low nutrient content found in apples from very very old trees such as this one.

If I get the apples again I will definitely get the fermentation right (add proper nutrients) and be much more careful in keeping oxygen/air off the fermented cider.

Live and learn!

Dean.

[jmc]

OKey dokey...

I am learning far more than I am producing drinkable cider this year, but allgeared and learnt up for next time that's for sure. Cider making is certainly more of a science and art than I expected. Far from the make juice add yeast mentality I set out with!

This quote made me chuckle, as I am doing my first batch of cider this autumn and I am of the juice and yeast mind set. May have to have a word with ones self.

What has convinced me to have a go though, is two cracking home made ciders I have had recently. One from Bramleys only, one from eaters only (can't remember variety). Both excellent, both bright, certainly not rank! Anyhow I have some 'vintage variety' apple trees in the garden and some 'baggsied' from the local area, so will be looking in on your threads for info.

Cheers, excellent thread.

Drank one of mine last night and the aging of it has really made a difference, but getting an MLF as part of the fermentation process has made the biggest difference from my previous attempt so the science & art comment is one I certainly subscribe to. In some respects cider making is way more difficult than brewing because you only get one shot at it per year.

Sounds good orlando.
Did you get a spontaneous MLF or did you add some lactobacillus?
I ended up making about 5 batches of 5-6gal.
1st one was drunk on and after Christmas and 2nd one nearly gone. Both of these dropped bright.
What I really like is difference between each batch as they use different apples I found/blagged in Sept-Oct last year.
2nd batch definitely smoother than 1st but both dry.
Luckily I like dry