My 2017 Cider Thread

[MattH1973]

really fantastic work Freester, particularly considering last year was your first I think ? - really inspiring stuff....

We now have 5 potato sacks of apples at home with a few more to harvest and some scrumping options further afield. Will press in the next week or 2 so do let me know the shredder make as it might save a lot of work......

 

[freester]

what make of garden shredder is that ?

All it says on it us Lawn King Castel Garden. HTH.

 

[freester]

Racked off the second batch today. ABV differed quite markedly between the three FVs. 5.25, 5.5 and 6.3%. The DJ of Perry was around 5%.

Thinking about a final collect, press and ferment in the next few weeks. Will have to bottle some of this to free up the Carboys / DJs for racking the final batch!

 

[freester]

Well this week I got an unexpected invite to pick some fruit from a tree. Mmm what have we here...

Some real perry pears! Unknown variety but suspect they are Blakeney Reds.

I think I'll try and do these properly. Let them ripen for as long as it takes (keeping an eye on them as they ripen from the inside). Scrat and let the pomace stand for 24 hours before pressing.

Unsure whether I'll add campdens / pectolase then cider yeast or just let these guys ferment au naturel!

 

[freester]

I had another go at identifying these this evening. My mate said he thought someone told him years ago they were called 'Stillaballs'. So I had another scan through the National Perry Pear Centre website...

I'm almost certain they are actually 'Lumber' aka Steelyard Balls.

https://www.nationalperrypearcentre.org.uk/pear/lumber/

"A small tree with large attractive fruits of little value for cooking or perry making".

Ahh well that's my excitement well and truly subdued and my mate has just sent me a text thanking me for taking them away for him!

😂

Ahh well they will get scratted and fermented all the same.

 

[MattH1973]

😂

Ahh well they will get scratted and fermented all the same.

Too right freester. The majority of my apples are cooking apples, which most people say aren't great for cider making but the stuff I made last year was delicious. And you can always add flavourings if needed so don't turn down the chance for some beautiful home crafted perry !

I'll be sampling my first batch this weekend, as primary fermentation appears almost done....

 

[freester]

I'll be sampling my first batch this weekend, as primary fermentation appears almost done....

:nono: You're just too keen. That's the mistake I made last year. Drunk too much at Xmas. No doubt you'll get a taste as you 'manually prime' the syphon but leave it at that...

This year my plan is a small amount for tasting at Xmas but leave the vast majority until the spring after the fabled malolactic ferment has occurred. :thumb:

 

[MattH1973]

I'm not as bad as you think - I literally meant drinking the hyrdrometer samples !

I will allow myself and the deputy scratter (wife) a celebratory bottle when they clear (touch wood) but anticipate leaving the rest until spring for exactly the reason you say.

Dry January helps !

 

[MattH1973]

freester - as you seem to be a master of this trade I have a question for you - do you add more camdens when racking to secondary ? I cannot make my mind up whether to do it or not ?

 

[freester]

I'm not as bad as you think - I literally meant drinking the hyrdrometer samples !

I will allow myself and the deputy scratter (wife) a celebratory bottle when they clear (touch wood) but anticipate leaving the rest until spring for exactly the reason you say.

Dry January helps !

Are you not doing Go Sober For October? :lol:

freester - as you seem to be a master of this trade I have a question for you - do you add more camdens when racking to secondary ? I cannot make my mind up whether to do it or not ?

:whistle: Master of this trade LOL. Talk a good game that's all!

Personally no I don't add more campdens. Sterilise the secondary vessels (usually DJs or Carboys) with VWP but that's it.

 

[freester]

Undeterred by my research into the 'Lumber' aka "Cumber, Lumber Reds, Pollocks, Rams Cods, Steelyard Balls, Steelyer Balls, Stitter Balls, Swaycots" Perry Pear I decided they had ripened enough for scratting today. There were a few obscure websites listing this pear as a staple perry pear in South Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean.

I filled just under 4 full 33l fermenting bins with pomace. I'm letting it sweat for 24 hours. I'll press it tomorrow.

 

[freester]

Well I press 46l out of these pears. Measured the OG. Disappointing in that I'm only getting a reading of 1040. I guess that's OK if ferments down to 1000 (5.25%) but my previous pear juice stopped at 1.010 due to the unfermentable sugars.

This juice pressed very clear, and wasn't that sweet or remarkable. Maybe it isn't a great perry pear.

I'm thinking of added sugar to this just to get the OG up in case it doesn't ferment to 1.000.

 

[MattH1973]

good work freester - you could always let primary ferment out for a couple of weeks and then add sugar in secondary later on if needed ?

 

[freester]

good work freester - you could always let primary ferment out for a couple of weeks and then add sugar in secondary later on if needed ?

That's a great idea but I only read it after I'd added 15g of sugar per litre to up the ABV by 1.5% :whistle:

Ahh well I've either made rocket fuel or something that will keep OK once it's free.

 

[freester]

I checked the SG tonight. It was around 1044/6 so I added a bit more sugar. Got it up to 1052. Pitched the yeast with some nutrient. I was running out of nutrient so I only added half the recommended value.

Lets see how this Perry comes along.

 

[freester]

The Perry has just started fermenting. A little pressure on the lid and an occasional bubble through the air lock. 16 deg in the garage during the day.

I bottled one of the cider carboys (23l) into recycled brown glass 660ml beer bottles (mainly San Miguel, Moretti, and Estrella). I think this is the hardest bit. Sterilising and rinsing thirty odd bottles.

Primed most of the bottles with half a teaspoon of caster sugar for (hopefully) a light fizz...

Drunk the last few drops that didn't fill up the last bottle. Nothing offensive but very tart and young. Time for patience and nature to improve it!

 

[MattH1973]

i'll be bottling soon freester. For interest how long did you leave it in secondary ? There is another thread on here that proffers the theory that if you leave it too long and it completely clears there wont be any yeasties left to carbonate the priming sugar. As well as the fizz I think the preservative value of carbonated bottles is important.

 

[freester]

i'll be bottling soon freester. For interest how long did you leave it in secondary ? There is another thread on here that proffers the theory that if you leave it too long and it completely clears there wont be any yeasties left to carbonate the priming sugar. As well as the fizz I think the preservative value of carbonated bottles is important.

This batch nearly four weeks. Very clear with very few lees thrown in secondary. I've seen the other threads and discussions on carbonation and this is my concern as well.

I guess this will confirm or deny the theory!

 

[Deltabrew]

I guess this will confirm or deny the theory!

Nah it won't, it'll give some valuable insight though
We were finding the problem with TC and yeast with sweetener in it and really don't know the cause.
I would have to do a back to back test, but I have a feeling that cider made by yourselves from processing the apples ferments for much longer than juice from a carton. It is only a theory, but when you look at how crystal clear the carton juice is compared to what you get from the press there is a huge difference, I wonder how they clear it....
Initial TC fermentation seems very whizz-bang, it's over in 3 - 5 days and then slows down a lot, 2 weeks at 20'c and you can bottle. Real apple seems to be a lot more drawn out to me with bottling later and you can still get it to react with sugar.
Just some thoughts anyhow.

 

[MattH1973]

fwiw my experience with apples is that the majority of fermentation happens in the first week. I had a 7% batch get down to 1.004. I can believe that clearing takes longer, though.