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Well, here’s how I do it!
1. Collect apples – I aim for something like 70% eating apples, 20% cookers and 10% crab apples, but I don’t suppose that’s right. (The orchard has all sorts of eaters but as far as I know none of them are proper cider-making varieties). Include some bruised and overripe ones.
2. Chop them up. I have a strange bucket with cutting arrangement powered by a drill that pulps them.
3. Press them. I have a small press – cost about £50 from a home brew place. (Not sure that’s value really thinking about how little cider I make, but then I do it for fun and personal wellbeing, not as a money-saving measure).
4. Put juice accrued into a fermentation bin and cover. There should be loads of brown scum/pulp on top. Leave for two days to bubble up merrily.
5. Skim off the gunk from the top and decant into flaggons. Leave outside for the winter (or in shed).
I have experimented with adding yeast, leaving in the warm for a bit, and just leaving nature take its course and the latter definitely works best.6. In spring decant/strain (as you would with wine) to clear up a bit, though cloudiness is of course part of the charm.
7. Drink.
8. Enjoy.
9. Fall over.
Sounds like a few have a bash then!
Paul,
Where do you think you have the difficulty? Generally, with mine all turn out alchoholic, although I do admit that usually some produce a better wine than others. Parsnip is probably my best, and possibly the worst is apple, but with the free fruit….Not totally sure Alchemist – however it was in my younger days when I had even less patience than I have now. Thinking back I suspect I may have left it long enough.
Rose petals? Now that does sound nice!
I will have to re-start all this when I get back!
I’ve no idea how you do it, I just remember picking the petals and then tasting the wine. It was beautifully clear, lovely!
Thanks Toot, have tried a method very similar to that (swap drill power for old mincer) but not with successful results im afraid. Maybe its the type of apple I use does not produce good cider, maybe as Paul says, I’ve just not got the touch with cider.
Burroughhill, if you’re interested, I have a rose petal recipe in my book that I’ll post up for you.
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