Home Brew Forum

Ok, I have to admit its a little off topic, but thought I'd post last weeks' cider day - with access to around 50 kilos of apples and the hire of a press, couldn't resist giving it a go!



Ingredients

50kg Apples (of there about) - various types
Campden Tablets
200g Brewing Sugar
Yeast

I started off washing the apples in batches, in a 20l bucket with two crushed campden tablets. Then checked for any bruising of marks, cut the bits off, and halved them.

Then into the scratter - basically produces a sort of pulp. I found you need to move quickly from pulping to pressing, as the pulp goes brown very quickly.




More apples!



Pressing time!



Pretty good runoff



Collected 7 Gallons in total, and happily fermenting! I'd say the process is a lot less complex than a beer brewday, but can end up taking just as long, and a bit labourious by the 9th pressing!

Excellent, the real deal. Did you add yeast or are you going for a spontaneus ferment?

Youngs cider yeast for me in my ciders. Gets down to 1.000

Very nice. A friend at work makes cider every year. This year he built himself a scratter powered by an industrial motor from a lathe. I expected to see him coming in to work with at least one limb missing. He uses champagne yeast, I believe.

Yep, used a champagne yeast reccommended by the guy in my local homebrew shop - it got it down pretty close to 1.000. Got to admit thought, its turned out very, yery bitter, certainly clears the sinuses... Not sure if I'll be trying it again... I don't think the North East has the best varieties of cider-making apples!