First attempt at cider

[pjc]

For my first attempt at making cider are there any major flaws with the process below?...

1. 20kg apples washed/chopped
2. Pulp apples
3. Pulp into muslin bags
4. Muslin bags into fruit press
5. Extract juice - hopefully around 10 litres from 20kg apples(?)
6. Add Campden tablets, leave for 24 hours
7. Add cider yeast
8. Ferment at 20C for 2 weeks
9. Bottle cider - leave for 2 weeks in the warm then a month in the cool
10. Drink

Thanks

 

[LeithR]

Process looks OK, you seem to be hurrying it. Cider, especially if you want Malo Lactic Fermentation needs to be kept for a fair time 6 - 12 months before drinking.

I use a Weston's Old Rosie (you can buy in Morrisons - bottle conditioned) recovered cider yeast and add 1tsp/Gal of Malic Acid to my brew which helps to achieve MLF.

There are some expert Cider brewers on the forum who will no doubt comment, I have followed their advice and it works.

 

[scott78]

the only things i would say are, ferment it at a lower temp @12-15°c as at 20°c you tend to get a lot of sulphur smells and flavour compounds that are not always nice.
Drink it when it tastes nice, this may be after a couple of months or a year it depends on the cider. Open a bottle every now and then to keep track of how the cider changes.
Finally i wouldnt add any malic acid until after the cider had fermented, only add after you have tasted it, I would be suprised if the apples you have are short of acid.

 

[pjc]

Thanks for your replies. I'll give it go but I'm not aiming high at this stage - if I can make an alcoholic drink that tastes vaguely of apples and doesn't make me ill, I'll be happy

 

[Crastney]

you may not realise if but you're aiming a lot higher than most people do on their first attempt - they normally stop at 'make an alcoholic drink'.

tasting of something recognisable, and not making you ill are optional extras, nice to have but not essential, for most first timers. :whistle:

:drunk:

 

[narmour]

It's easy to make cider. Not so easy to make good cider. Although I have followed the advice from this forum and haven't failed yet.

 

[OnlyFerment]

Good luck with your cider - I tried making cider from apples for the first time last Autumn. It's still in DJs and will be for several more months before drinking (flat). It's looking beautifully clear now but I am still resisting. My turbo cider was started after the real stuff and has already been drunk - I think I started drinking after about 6 weeks but it did keep improving right up until I finished it so it shows time, and lots of it, certainly help produce good cider. I would suggest trying the Old Rosie yeast but perhaps that is for your second batch I haven't tried it yet but intend to after my next couple of batches of TC.

Dave