SubJeff on 8/1/2011 at 10:52
So one of my crew has bought a cider press. We've access to 10s of apple trees and although I can't quite quantify it let's just say that there are a lot of apples.
We'll be harvesting in October and afaik the fermentation process takes 5 months so instead of just waiting that long we've decided to buy a load of apples and make a batch that'll be ready in summer.
I know that a few people on here have homebrewed in the past and I was wondering if anyone had any advice on type of apples to use, method(s) and also, importantly, on the recipe. How much does the yeast-apples ratio matter? I'm particularly interested in this as come October we'll have so many apples I don't want to mess up the ratios. And should we add sugar or just try to modify the sweetness/dryness by apple selection?
steo on 8/1/2011 at 14:48
Fermentation process takes five months?!? I've brewed a few batches of turbo cider (from cheap apple juice) and it's good to drink after a couple of weeks. IIRC we used about a gram of yeast per gallon.
jay pettitt on 8/1/2011 at 14:54
I've got a small press and it's, frankly, tough going trying to get enough squeeze going. If I recall the press started to break before a couple of handfuls of apple pieces were satisfactorily squashed. If you can break down the apples first by freezing or whizzing in a whizzer then life will be easier.
Kuuso on 8/1/2011 at 15:56
Well, for starters, look up the what apples you have and google around. There's about 10 different "breeds" of apples that are typically used for ciders. You could add sugar, but I would refrain from making it too sugary.
Nice going though, cider is way unappreciated. There's such a palette of ciders around that they should turn around even the biggest beer snob. My own favourite is Knights that comes from Crumpton's oak farms, UK.
SubJeff on 8/1/2011 at 16:11
Yeah, we're going to have to research the apples because there are so many trees in so many different gardens. It's not like we'll have just one or two types but I'm actually glad about that because we should be able to make a few different batches of cider.
This is both a cool endeavor but it also feels a tad... mature. It's me and the firm which consists of a core group of 7 30 something friends and although I'm well up for it it's making me feel a little... old, ha ha.
It's going to be a mammoth job and doubtless we're going to get a huge amount of produce. This is why I'm seeking advice - don't want to mess it up.
fett on 8/1/2011 at 17:48
Haven't made any, but a friend turned me on to Woodchuck Cider about 3 months ago. I'm a wine guy, but it's the first time I've really understood how someone could become an alcoholic.
SubJeff on 8/1/2011 at 19:18
Because of cider?
pfffft
Forget that and have yourself some Belgian and German beers. THEN you'll be talking. Not only are they tasty and generally strong but they are jolly beers.
fett on 8/1/2011 at 20:22
Um...
Quote Posted by fett
I'm a wine guy
steo on 8/1/2011 at 20:58
Quote Posted by Subjective Effect
This is both a cool endeavor but it also feels a tad... mature. It's me and the firm which consists of a core group of 7 30 something friends and although I'm well up for it it's making me feel a little... old, ha ha.
If it makes you feel any better, I brewed my first batch of cider at 20. Though I haven't gone into pressing apples or selecting specific varieties or anything. For me it's mostly a good way of making large quantities of very cheap alcohol. That's not to say that the stuff I've made is bad - it's quite drinkable - but there's nothing really interesting about it, well apart from the batch I did with chopped habanero in it (something I'd recommend trying if you're into your chilli). Having said that, I'd still much rather drink my stuff than Bulmers or Strongbow, but it's not up to the same quality as most of the traditionally made ciders readily available in pubs in the West Country.
