My 2017 Cider Thread

[freester]

I got a few hours to potter in my bike shed and cider shack this afternoon. On my first press I had a demi john's worth of dessert pear juice that got fermented. I bottled these this evening. Just under 9 full 500ml bottles. I wasn't too careful with the syphon and actually stirred up a bit of what little lees were on the bottom of the DJ (in the hope that a bit of yeast will end up in each bottle to help carbonation). Each 500ml bottle was primed with 1/2 tsp of caster sugar.

The 9th bottle wasn't full enough to cap so it's getting sipped right now. Really nice. A very slight tartness and very quaffable. High hopes for this one.

My last apple picking day tomorrow. Got my sights on a couple of orchards with some real cider apples.

 

[freester]

A great haul today. Mainly proper ciders apples of unknown variety. When I tasted them mainly bitter sharps but a few bitter sweets as well.

I also bottled 4 DJs worth from a previous press. This tasted great although it's only 6 weeks old. No tartness at all it's the first time at this stage I have tasted some that is really ready to drink. I know it ended up with a majority of cider apples in this juice. Unfortunately I didn't get an incomplete bottle so none to sup tonight :-(

 

[freester]

So my cider garage conveyor belt was in danger of getting stuck. A glut of apples collected last weekend. Potentially a few more this weekend. 46L of perry getting close to finishing in the FVs, not enough space in my secondary carboys and DJs, and I didn't have enough beer bottles to empty another carboy.

Off to Tesco I went and purchased 10 bottles of 2L Everyday Value sparkling water for 17p a bottle (other supermarkets have similar products). Feeling rather guilty I poured away the majority of the sparkling water. Used the rest of it to rinse the sterilised syphon and a couple of 1L PET bottles I had saved then sterilised for the job.

A far quicker and easier job than sterilising, rinsing (I must investigate this no rinse steriliser), priming and capping beer bottles. Et viola - 21L of cider in PET bottles in front of tomorrow's work...

The sharp eyed amongst you may notice only 9 bottles of 2L and 3 of 1L. I wasn't thinking straight and filled up the 3x1L at the beginning . So I was left with over 1L in a 2L bottle at the end of the process. Plenty of air and the lees from the bottom of the carboy. Waste not want not this is my tipple as I write this post. It's a bit tart and young but I've tasted worse rough scrumpy purchased from the farmgate in the past...

 

[freester]

Another 90L today. I juiced the dessert apples for handing out to the apple contributors.

70L in FVs. Two at 1046 and one at 1050. One of the 1046 and the 1050 have had some pectolase and campdens added. Yeast tomorrow. The other 1046 is going 'Au Naturel'.

That's it. I'm done for this year.

Noticed that a couple of my Carboys and DJs have a film yeast at the top. I'll start a new thread about that.

 

[freester]

Pitched Young's Cider Yeast into 2 of of the FVs. Didn't bother with nutrient this batch.

The other FV is Au Naturel, no campdens just let the natural yeasts do their best..

After my first press I did a DJ's worth of Au Naturel. This had stopped bubbling so I racked it into a new DJ. Topped up with fresh juice and put it under air lock again. Had a very small sip and it tasted good.

Temp is down in the garage below 15 Deg so I'll see how the new fermentations go.

Added 2 campdens per 5l to the Film Yeast containers and topped up with juice to eliminate any head of air at the top.

The 46l of Perry - one FV still bubbling after 2 weeks the other one has slowed right down. I'll look to rack these off next weekend.

 

[MattH1973]

I continue to be in awe of your work freester - you must let us know how the different batches taste...... if I get a good haul I will do an "au naturel" demijohn next year maybe.......

well done on a great year.....

 

[freester]

Temp is down in the garage below 15 Deg so I'll see how the new fermentations go.

The two I added yeast to are showing signs of action. Slow bubbling through one airlock. The other not but I know this particular FV is not so airtight.

The 'au naturel' is in a a good airtight bucket and showing a little pressure differential.

Thinking ahead to this weekend now and racking / bottling the perry.

 

[vassili]

Really interesting post, thank you for this.
I'm relatively new to this cider lark, we are about to press hopefully on Sunday. The apples have been around a little longer than I would have liked, but they are not rotten.
Collected from many places, less than last year, but still about fifty to sixty gallons I would guesstimate.

 

[freester]

Really interesting post, thank you for this.

no - thank you.

I'm relatively new to this cider lark, we are about to press hopefully on Sunday.

So am I. This is my second year!

The apples have been around a little longer than I would have liked, but they are not rotten.

Don't worry about the age of the apples. The longer you leave it the riper they get. The more natural sugar and stronger the cider. Especially proper cider apples.

Collected from many places, less than last year, but still about fifty to sixty gallons I would guesstimate.

It feels like apples have come early this year. Have fun and enjoy the process!

 

[Deltabrew]

It depends on the variety, I had some lovely red eaters 'Katy' ready in August here in W. Yorks, some of the older tart varieties are still on the trees, it has it's pros and cons....
I've got some rasberries that ripen from Sept through to Jan!

 

[vassili]

Today we did our last press for 2017, got less than I expected (36 gallons) but it was some good stuff, most around og 1054

 

[freester]

Ooooooooooooh. Is that a spiedel I spy?

Looks like a nice mix of apples. 1054 is a great starting gravity!

 

[vassili]

It is indeed a spiedel, expensive, but totally revolutionises milling.
Can't wait to go hydrolic on the press too.
1054 was good, but I really thought it would go 58 on some of the apples.

 

[Taff]

How do you guys clean your shredders before use?

 

[freester]

How do you guys clean your shredders before use?

Just give mine a rinse. At the beginning of the autumn I take the blade off and give it a good scrub with a wire brush.

I guess there is a prescribed cleaning routine for the Spiedel scratter?

 

[Taff]

Thanks Freester.

 

[vassili]

Nothing special according to the spiedel paperwork, just rinse really.

On the cider front two of the fermenters had not got going yet. So this evening I've added another starter.

 

[freester]

So the last 2 presses have been fermenting slowly in the ever cooling garage. Now down around 8-10 degrees.

Although the Perry seems to be still generating CO2 it's stopped at around 1.006. Interesting taste. Quite dry, not that special it's getting near time to rack off and bottle. I want this to be sparkling.

The two FVs I added yeast to stopped. Probably too cold at the temperature they stopped at 1.004. I've racked these off to Carboys where I'll just let them settle until spring.

I have one final FV. This was an 'Au Naturel' batch. Still bubbling regularly I thawed a pint of juice that I had frozen from this batch and added to the FV. I'll leave this one as long as it is bubbling.

When I racked off the cider this week I didn't have quite 2 Carboys full. I topped up with some that had been settling in a DJ from a previous batch. 1.5 litres left over got thrown into a plastic bottle and drunk Weds / Thurs night. Nice and clear. Still a little tart / acidic but not too offensive.

I just have to resist smashing too much of this down over Christmas and save the best until the spring / summer!

 

[Frogbrew]

[QUOTE

I just have to resist smashing too much of this down over Christmas and save the best until the spring / summer![/QUOTE]

Good luck with that!

 

[freester]

So the end of August when I did my first press seems quite a while back now but the process doesn't finish.

The 40 odd litres of Lumber Perry got bottled into 17p sparkling mineral water bottles. 4 teaspoons of sugar and a pinch of dried yeast. It's around 5%. Smells of pears when you open the bottles, slightly sparkling and is very drinkable. Medium dry it's the best of the whole season at this stage. I'll struggle not to finish this over Christmas!!!

I handed out some cider to the people who gave me apples last week. I sampled the various batches before I did this. Most of the cider is VERY tart and best left until spring although some of it is OK.

I bottled a DJ of 'au naturel' (nothing added or taken away - just let it ferment using the naturel yeasts) tonight and let myself have the last bottle which didn't quite make 500ml. Really nice. Very appley. Not tart. Something about the smell and taste which reminds me of 'Cider Barrel' iced lollies I used to have as a kid. I'm beginning to wonder if the 'au naturel' method is the way to go more so next autumn.

Anyway Happy Christmas and an excellent Cider making 2018 to anyone who's bothered to follow this thread!