Freester's Post Lockdown 2020 Cider Thread

[freester]

Popped into the garage this morning. The 2 with yeast added are going like trains. The trad have already started bubbling slowly. Need to do some bottling this weekend to free up some carboys so that I can rack off the added yeast batches which will be completed in a week or two...

 

[freester]

The two FVs I added yeast to on my second press had pretty much finished. Racked them off to carboys and DJs. My work on the 2020 presses is done now until the spring. The trads are all bubbling slowly and will be left until the spring for racking. The racked off added yeast batches will now sit until bottling in the spring or later...

 

[freester]

So I bottled the first of my 2020 presses today. I just wanted to get the conveyer belt moving. I bottled 22l from a carboy into 2L sparkling mineral water bottles. Nice and easy. 17p a bottle from Lidl just pour the water away then fill up with cider. No need to sanitise. I'm going to do another batch like that next weekend then I can rack all of my 2020 trad off which is still sat in original FVs.

 

[freester]

Took a little longer to bottle another Carboy but I did it today. Another 22l into 2l sparkling mineral water bottles. All carbonated with 2 tsp sugar and a pinch of yeast. All of the trad is still sat in their primary FVs so I can start to rack some of this off now.

And think about drinking some of my 2020 and what's left of my 2019, now the summer is here.

 

[freester]

Well I started racking off the trad that I pressed in 2020 today. I racked off approximate 60 litres. Amazing how different it is from last year. Crystal clear without any additives. Compared to my 2019 press that was all quite cloudy even the stuff I added pectolase and yeast to. 2 pints spare sat in the fridge ready for later!!!!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Fantastic thread - love this

 

[freester]

Well yesterday was my first proper drink of the 2020 press. And what a day. I put a marinaded pork shoulder on the barbecue low and slow for 4 hours made pulled pork served with coleslaw and a chilled cider from the 2nd press, this batch was one of the ones made with camdens / yeast / pectolase. A little on the pale colour side but tastes great. Nice and dry, fizzy not too sharp or rough.

In other news dropped one of my glass carboys whilst cleaning them out after racking off a few weeks back. Expensive mistake that

 

[freester]

Well after not making any cider in 2021 due to a poor harvest I revisited my 2020 batch. One of the trads - about 28L had been sat in the brewing bucket for a year+half. Time to move things along!!!

I bottled 28 odd litres today, this freed up space to rack off the year and half old trad. It had something growing in it but tasted OK I think when I had a sip priming the syphon Everything is racked off now, still 4 carboys worth to bottle. That'll keep me going I think until hopefully the 2022 ( ) is ready in 2023...