Autum fruit TC

[matth]

Hi all,
I have tried searching for this but can't seem to find it, i'm sure it must have been covered elsewhere.

I have a few bags of fruit in the freezer, damsons, plums, blackberries and blackcurrants.

I wanted to make an fruit tc for christmas/new year or whatever and was wondering how to go about adding fruit to supermarket apple juice - or any other suggestions members have.

I don't really work in exact measurements but have only about a 500gms - 1kg of each fruit.

So first question,

1. should i bung them all in together - if so roughly what kind of proportion to juice?

2. Would i be better making 2 ciders - perhaps a blackcurrant and blackberry cider and a plum and damson cider?

3. Should i press the juice - this would have to be improvised as i do not have a press (have tried making a small press but not finished) or should i ferment on the pulp - would this give a fuller flavour or will it be a bit redwineish?

4. I made a strawberry cider adding strawberries at different stages and some jam, but ended up with very little actual strawberry taste, would this happen with other fruits or is it just a strawberry thing, and if it does how can i best keep the fruit taste (not the taste of the actual fruit - the taste of fermented fruit but not overpowered by the apple).

5. Anything else i can add to improve flavour.


Any help greatly appreciated - i only really have tonight free to get it started!
Thanks
Matt

 

[Marrsy86]

Cant help out much but I would make the two ciders instead of the one and I would use a press on the fruit to extract the juice and then might even put the mush left behind into a jam bag and steap that in a little water for a while and top up the DJ with that water when ready to try increase flavour.

 

[matth]

Cheers thats a good idea, may have to work out a wya of pressing fruit through a tea towel or something using my hands. how much water would you suggest- would it not be too watery? do you repress the fruit after the water?

Thanks for your reply.

 

[Marrsy86]

if your planning on making a 5 litre batch then i would steep it in around 500ml water or apple juice before adding it to your demijohn. If you do use water make sure you work out if you need to add sugar to it to keep you on track for your target alcohol percentage.

 

[matth]

cheers, i have no target percentage, i just make it at what it comes out at - take the sg before i pitch yeast. probably won't add any sugar as it seems to lose flavour.

Thanks