Mixing Dabinett Apples

[Seanav]

Hi

Just got about 60kg of Dabinett apples plus some other cider apples, Herefordshire and Harry Masters I think - about 40 kg.The farmer suggested mixing with some bramleys to sweeten it up , saying it would make it better

Is he right ?
My options are 1 batch of Pure dabinett Cider and 1 mixed batch with the other cider apples

or buy about 20kg of Bramleys and just mix

Any advice/experience welcome

 

[An Ankoù]

Dabinett is a good quality bitter-sweet apple. You could easily make a single varietal cider with this, but I'd chuck the Harry Masters Jersey in as well. These taste good, but they're quite mild flavoured and used as a juicer, they'll give you more cider without radically changing the flavour. Nevertheless, at least one producer uses these under the name of Port Wine of Glastonbury to make a single varietal cider. Bramleys are sour. If you want the cider to have a bit of bite add some, but I wouldn't use 20%. If you were blending all cider apples, you'd be looking to add a bitter-sharp variety. If it were me, I think I would leave them out unless I could get them for nothing.
Wish I had access to such bounty!
Just finished pressing my vintage for the year with whatever I could find or scrounge.
It's telling that the French I've shared it with think it's excellent, but whenever I have people coming over, I always ask them for a case of West Country cider.

 

[Seanav]

Dabinett is a good quality bitter-sweet apple. You could easily make a single varietal cider with this, but I'd chuck the Harry Masters Jersey in as well. These taste good, but they're quite mild flavoured and used as a juicer, they'll give you more cider without radically changing the flavour. Nevertheless, at least one producer uses these under the name of Port Wine of Glastonbury to make a single varietal cider. Bramleys are sour. If you want the cider to have a bit of bite add some, but I wouldn't use 20%. If you were blending all cider apples, you'd be looking to add a bitter-sharp variety. If it were me, I think I would leave them out unless I could get them for nothing.
Wish I had access to such bounty!
Just finished pressing my vintage for the year with whatever I could find or scrounge.
It's telling that the French I've shared it with think it's excellent, but whenever I have people coming over, I always ask them for a case of West Country cider.

Thanks for that , we'll see what happens with the mix I have

 

[Polcho]

I have 3 Dabinette trees that finally fruited this year. I’ve made about 20 gallons or so. Some with only Dabinette, some with a mix with another tree full that I was allowed to harvest.
I’m not experienced in making or drinking cider, but last evening I had a bottle of the first mixed batch.
It was wonderful. Really appley, if that’s even a word.
Really fresh tasting, a shade under 6%, which is stronger than I would buy something to drink.
No idea what the other tree is, but it turned out ok.

 

[Seanav]

I pressed some of mine on Sunday , ended up using a juicer as found the bucket and blade thing useless TBH. Then I pressed the left over pulp a second time in the fruit press which produced much nicer juice than the juicer
Acidity was 4.5 so had to wait for some Malic acid as I didnt have any ......... Its been sulphited and yeast added now ....see what happens - although it seems to have a lot of fruit pulp in it, very gloopy ...hopefully the yeast and pectolase I added will help break this down
Sunday was a big learning experience !!! (and i suspect Im not finished yet) And the cleanup didnt half take a while , but hopefully worth it in the end

And sure what else would you be doing