lightweightmick's cider blog

'Browser Sniffing..?'

2012-01-28T04:54:00.000-08:00

This is the 'techi' stuff that bloggers come up against when they realise their blog looks different on different web browsers... and as I'm between lappy's at present...
the old one running Firefox and the new using IE (which doesn't present the header as intended, in that 'the apples is missing guv, innit') - er, lets just say the learning curve can get unsurmountably steep at times and so apologies if you don't see apples!

Fruitful Forage!

2011-12-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

Back up the bank yesterday, grubbing about in the undergrowth... very much in public view, but there you go, story of my life... but I now have enough for a single variety - probably more with 25lbs. As time permits it'll be interesting to see what gravity they make.

Tesco-itis..?

2011-12-27T04:43:00.000-08:00

Someone once said to me: 'Why make cider when you can buy it from Tesco?' My response being, of course - 'You can't buy what I make at Tesco.' Or anywhere else for that matter. What he meant was - why go to all that trouble to make something that you can buy so easily.
Indeed this philosophy can be applied to anything - consider for a moment the humble mince pie - the 'deep filled' off the shelf epitomising, in this scenario, the worst of 'industrial cider' perhaps.
I relate this because I hear it over and over again - this year from someone who was going to make their own, but got scrattings/pulp on the kitchen wall and gave up. Last year it was a similar tale from someone who had bought a press (£100 no less...) and gave up because he couldn't get the apples to juice.
I hate the expression 'it's not rocket science' but, trust me, if I can make cider, ANYONE can. But it don't make itself!

Seek & Find ye shall

2011-12-17T03:55:00.000-08:00

They're in the undergrowth by now, but there's a-plenty. I only had time to get a carrier bag full which, if time permits, should get me up to 400 litres for this year but I would like to try and get enough for another small batch of single variety... oh yes - a good way to get to know your apples!

Birds and meeces haven't bothered with them but not twenty yards away is another (the one I'd intended on...) that must be more flavoursome to the wee beasties as very few remain unblemished.

Hambleton Bard helpful yet again...

2011-12-10T04:35:00.000-08:00

It's not necessary to have gas valves and such for cider but to ensure a good head of co2 I use an injector for the barrels of 'draught' (as 9, 16 & 17 of 2010 remain unbottled - 14 too up to last week where the last glass or two became a little cloudy as the lees were drawn through)
As Andrew Lea points out cider doesn't lend itself to barrel/keg conditioning under pressure, be it generated naturally by fermentation or introduced, but I find it useful to help get the cider out without introducing air via the tap which then passes up through the cider and any co2 'cover'. Without a little pressure the cap can be loosened as a partial vacuum develops but again this introduces air (though it doesn't 'glug' up through the contents this way and is preferrable) and will sit above the co2 'cover' (as the heavier than air video demonstration shows here)
So that's the 'long' of it - the 'short' of it being that a flying visit was in order for a refill.
As I've been doing some re-wiring of the garage electrics I was held up in discussion at ReCon Electrical (conveniently on the same industrial complex) on the best way to get electrics to the pond equipment... another story... and so it was dark and past closing time when I eventually remembered where Hambleton Bard's new premises were...
Clearly inconvenient, as the guy there was literally just coming out of the door ready to lock up and for many it would have been too much trouble, but no, 'no problem', said he, returning a few minutes later with a full co2 cartridge.
I post this as I've just revisited the site to see if they sell direct online yet (seems not) but the bag-in-a-box machinery video kicked off, which I thought was rather interesting... for wine kits you understand not cider, but one can dream...
(to see the video click on above HB link above and scroll down a tad)

Which reminds me...

2011-12-06T03:55:00.000-08:00

Peter Fidler draws a blank, well, so far...
I have no idea who he is (or was) but a local nature reserve has been named after him, and a customer, who had recently walked there, told me of a crab apple tree - laden at that.
Last week gave me the opportunity to check this out... 200 yds in said he...
Maybe I took a wrong turn... but then down by the sewage plant LO - but crabs? NO.
Three sweets, within 20 yds or so - probably related - one clearly had cropped abundantly and the ditch and bank was littered. However, wildlings don't always make crabs with that mouth-puckering, face scrunching, cider-flavouring bitterness...
such is life

Wiser by the minute..?

2011-12-06T03:04:00.000-08:00

'Growth in wisdom may be exactly measured by decrease in bitternes' - Nietzsche

Were it that simple...
- thing is, there's been a shortage of crab apples this year, for me at least, and so the last few batches have been mixed thus:

50;30;20 (%sweet;sharp;bitter)

- based on last year's batch 13 which turned out rather well.

Another cider weekend sees the addition of 11 and 12 in the kitchen (got to get some of that racked off!) Both batches making just 1.050.

Press was doing some creaking and groaning last night, but held yet again.
I need to do some hedge-bottom rummaging...

I know, I know...not

2011-11-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

When on my own I tend to live off rubbish stuff out of the freezer. It was to be fish fingers and chips (oven variety...) as there's some peas as well... but then I spotted half-a-bottle of wine from Sunday... which ranks higher, right? And would be wasted with fish fingers. Yesterday 'was use up those well out of date grill steaks from the freezer' with some Smash and beans (hey, I enjoyed 'em!)...
so, spotting the wine set a new course - rummage rummage, finds a container of what appears to be Spaghetti Bolognese frozen left overs, but on defrosting is strangely missing any meaty bits - more like some sort of home-made pizza topping then...
Okay, it's defrosted now so best course is to cook a few sausages, slice 'em up and add to the whatever sauce it is - onions and stuff, marvelous...
You may well ask what this has to do with cider? Well while it's all coming together a good time to try a bottle. Up from the 'cider cellar' a bottle of 6P... Now the P stands for pasteurised - 'Hey Louis' - and batch 6 all got pasteurised... which is a shame really 'cos it certainly did change the flavour profile in a rather unfavourable way... now it just happens that I've already tried some form of adjustment in the way of sucralose based sweetener, which certainly makes for a more palatable drink... so all is not lost with no.6...

Dolly Mixtures..?

2011-11-07T04:18:00.001-08:00

A cider weekend sees the addition of batches 8 and 9 - 1.054 and 1.060 respectively. Using up the last of some very sweet red-skinned windfalls from a local churchyard most likely accounts for the higher gravity of no.9.
With the scratter video on YouTube receiving so many hits, I thought I'd mention two simple modifications for this season.
1st the feed plates have been further shortened and a plastic skirt added. This is just a stretched out (at one end) strong plastic bag. Just held in place trapped between the body and plywood base plate - a simple but big improvement and the scratter hasn't clogged up like it used to.

Also a piece of plastic bag just held with a couple of drawing pins over the feeder chute prevents bits flying back out - again simple but effective.

Using softer apples and with the drill set to a slower speed it took 20 minutes to scrat over 40kg of apples. Although on a slower speed the scrats tend to come out a little bigger.

and those Dolly Mixtures..?

With other jobs needing doing, especially with the fine spell of weather through October, progress has been slow on the steel press, but the wooden press held yet again...

New repair holds!

2011-10-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

A bottle of cider secured two short odd lengths of Dexion type steel angle:

and luckily I found two more packets of the stainless coachbolts
so batch 7 is in the bag, well, fermenter...
just got to unload the press then bedtime methinks

Spectacular Crack!

2011-10-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

Yep, that upright could take no more... the heads sheared off the bottom screws holding the steel repair...
thing is, I'd got another couple of litres to get the 30 for that batch (no.6) and so yet another hasty repair was required - shoestring of what?
I found some stainless steel coachbolts and a few more big screws...
reloading the press - 12 sheets of ply and pommy bloomin' heavy! - I, tentatively... got just enough to reach the rim of the fermenter - not quite 30 litres then, but I wasn't complaining.
Search is on for that fence post now all right...

I'd managed to drag 3 x 12' lengths of 4" steel channel from a customer's hedge bottom - bit on the rusty side it has to be noted (probably been in the hedge for 10yrs at least!) and managed to get it home strapped to the ladders on the roof rack - taking it very steady of course, especially round corners - seems even rust is heavy!
But as I'm a way off getting that cut up, blasted and drilled etc. I'm still gonna need that fence post...

First of the steel homeward bound:

follow the Yellow Brick road...

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

...er, well, scrounged concrete slabs in fact. They were to be thrown in the skip and did I want them..? Thanks Max!
Hoppity skippity off we go - it's good to have a proper path to the garage, especially as it's been without since I put it up 10 years ago! (though the roof has started to leak - always something...)

And all's well. There's 5 x 30 litre batches of infant cider to be tended and I'm 4 weeks up on last year, as all I've had to do this year is swap a few of the press boards.

The John Downie (I think...) on the front lawn was heaving this year - most ever - yeilding 257lbs, 40lbs of which missed pressing (that's the trouble with 'em - don't keep long), but an amazing amount for such a small tree and double of what it usually makes. So 2 of those batches above are single variety - both of which are popping away merrily in the kitchen. I can always blend it later.

I've worked out that if I could collect all the apples offered this year I'd have enough for 1000 litres... but I've no idea where I'd put it, or what the hell I'd do with all that cider anyway...

But there's other things to do: radiator's off the van - as it was overheating a little on last use; the 4x4 is awaiting a clutch and I'm trying to build up the running again so as to be up to fitness for next Easter (ish) and that bloomin' Coast to Coast attempt...

Oh and as an afterthought - I don't think that repaired upright on the press is going to last much longer so I'm keeping a north eye for some 4" square timber for the uprights, this time without knots!!
Buy some..? What?...are you mad?

Old fence post anyone?

To-Do List...

2011-09-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

- 3 things crossed off

been returning from work with trays of apples all week - plenty to go at once again

Finding the 'Dunnington Collector' handy (though needs some refinement) - more on this later...

It has to be noted that the pasteurised cider has not been well received... though the sugar- sweetened non-pasteurised and the Sucralose sweetened has...
more good feedback than bad then

1st pressing tomorrow all being well

"Louis, Louis..."

2011-07-31T04:30:00.000-07:00

There's cider making... and there's bottling. Bottling being an art in itself I'm coming to realise...

The 'Grolsch bottled' last week is not showing much activity despite the max/min thermometer readings showing 21/23 degs...

First up today was to pasteurise a rather lively batch 5 - not that's it's a particularly sweeter batch. Here it is cooling (note the folded wet towel on top!)

This time I switched off the tank at 63.2 degs. - it continued up to 64.9 slowly, and thinking it wasn't going to make the magic number, switched it briefly on again, whereupon after a minute or so it rose to 65 degs.
The idea of the folded wet towel is to dampen any mishaps, as I reckon the tops/necks of the bottles are the most volatile. Temperature in the test bottle is 55.6 after an hour.
A second cage would be handy... and to speed up cooling, a hose with a fine spray would be good too.

10 green bottles...

2011-07-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

"Y'all know what I'm saying... yee hee. Shamone"

Batch 18 bottled... and some thoughts

2011-07-25T04:17:00.000-07:00

This was the last of the main pressing - the 2x20 litre ex-vegetable oil containers which stayed in the van all winter. No airlocks fitted - just opened the tops occassionally to release the Co2 build-up as the containers (being quite thin HDPE) began to fill out.
First rack was mid Feb - 2nd rack June. Log book entry at 2nd rack: "Doesn't taste of chip fat!"

Has turned out as good , if not better, than some of the more 'cared for' batches with a mix of 45/25/30 (%) sweet, sharp and bitter respectively - a 'using up' batch at that... certainly far far better than most of the 'craft' ciders I've waited at the bar for with their 'bourgeoisie' price tags an' all!

Does make you wonder about being too fussy - also that airlocks aren't a necessity!! My thinking was that it was better as juice than surplus fruit thrown away and if it failed I was only going to lose a few hours labour. Has a certain 'modern peasantry' aspect that has great appeal... pity I can't find more of those 'bourgeoisie' swing top lager bottles going begging lol

***

Some of this has been used as a medium trial adding 9gms (3x Whitworth cubes) of sugar to each bottle (450ml). It has to be noted this took some dissolving... and it may well be better to add sugar to the bulk at this rate. However, checking the bottles this morning shows that all is dissolved anyway.

What would be good is a 'controlled environment' for these sweeter ciders - a 'warm box' with a constant temperature of 15-21 degrees to give the yeast best chance to get to work on that sugar. As is, the bottles will warm up in the day and cool at night...
hmm, thinking reptarium - single light bulb - must have good thermostatic control though as too warm would be bad...

Oh Theo; Theo, Theo... what did you start..?

2011-07-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

Huh, just been outbid on eBay on 24 Grolsch bottles, yet again...
...what's the point..? for as much again I could buy them new from Morrisons FULL OF LAGER!
(very nice lager at that)
Investment potential ..?

Should I be having more fun opening my bottles though: check out the

swing-top challenge!

just checked out the 'Making of' (re the bottles) - 40,000 are coming off the production line PER HOUR! You would think that more of them would end up in bottle banks...

'Ground Control to Major Tom'

2011-07-23T03:37:00.000-07:00

'Am I sitting in a tin can...'

"No, it's alu-minium..."

the 'Space Oddity' in this case being the area beneath the cage to allow the water to circulate freely.
It's occurred to me this morning that the piece of wood first used probably won't work... As I remove the cage - it'll float. So I need to attach some feet to the base.
No doubt utilising tie wraps...

(sometime later...)

upper corners of scrap mushroom tray:

drilled to accept tie wraps:

1st in position:

all four feet attached:

Much stronger that it looks!
The feet now raise the base to give about an 1" clearance - handles still enclosed by lid (more down to luck than good measurement, but there you go)
:)

All we need now is some conditioned cider containing a little more sugar than normal...
By my calculations 1 gram of sugar raises the SG of 1 pint of cider by (wait for it...)
.00088
so if the cider is at 1.002 to start with, I'll need to add 9 grams to a pint (ugh!) for an SG of 1.010 to get a medium dry - hopefully this'll be enough keep 'em sweet...
though I'll have to point out it'll be unsuitable for diabetics

afterthought: some of that sugar will need to ferment out of course to get the 'condition' and so it will be 9gms sugar + whatever it takes to develop the condition to get to finished gravity of 1.010
...beginning to think that the cidermaking is the easy part!!

"Gerrit bi 'andle lad..."

2011-07-22T04:20:00.000-07:00

I did try some divers line tied to the base, but it's 'slippery' and I didn't trust my knots... so:

the cage with 13 full bottles weighs in at 11.8 kilos (26lbs) and the plastic mesh doubled over is amply strong enough, though I've added a 4x wide strip down the opposing side to where the main overlap to help spread out the loadbearing (belt and braces..?)

This makes the whole affair easy to lift in and out. As the neck of the bottle is probably going to be the most volatile part of the bottle, the plan is to remove the lid and throw over a thick wet blanket affair. Should the worst happen then, this would surely absorb any impact from any upwardly mobile projectiles when removing the cage from the tank.
This assuming that at pasteurisation temperature the whole thind don't melt...
(though I can test this out beforehand... hang on...)
Just tested a piece in the kettle. At over 80 degrees (C) it does become slightly more flexible - but this is over a smaller area... be intersting to see if the whole thing falls to bits lol...
May be better to get hold of some steel plastic-covered strainer wire and affix to the bottom of the cage thus not rely so heavily on the integrity of the plastic mesh...

'Spinkhill Special'..?

2011-07-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

This delightful little 'crab' has great character - a true cider apple... mouth puckering, bit acid... 'rounded flavour'... very pleasant. Needs to be named and preserved!

...not forced to be a wildling though - some specimens acheived nearly 2" dia... only time will tell...
Unfortuneatly there were only enough left over for 5 litres of a single variety trial - here ready to be scratted:

'Tha's got newht to come...'

2011-07-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

At the pit head, as wives queued on pay day at the wages office, it is documented that if a miner had been off sick or not completed his full quota of shifts, his family would receive no money and be greeted with the above... little comfort with kids to feed...

The Derbyshire dialect makes the spelling of 'nothing' [as in 'nowt' (Yorkshire dialect)] sound more like newt, but not as in newt ie. small lizard, but as in 'kewd' with that Lancashire 'cow' enunciation, expressed as 'ewd on ewd lad' (Hold on old lad)
But there is no actual way of spelling this and getting it into 'black and white'...
Having written a whole novel trying to emulate the Derbyshire dialect and trying to sift out various 'over the border accents' (ie Yorks, Notts and Lincs) I find the subject fascinating if a little 'off topic'!

Cider tasting skills

2011-07-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

I think I should extend my cider tasting skills beyond:

'Yeah, all right that... nothing wrong with that.'

Reminds me of:
Dom Joly wine tasting

... she does get to see the funny side at least - (the rest of us were forewarned with Trigger Happy TV!) - sadly most You Tube content of Trigger Happy seems to have been blocked by Channel 4

'Another fine mesh you got me into...'

2011-07-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

With safety in mind, one idea to enclose the hot extra-pressurised bottles was to use some extra fine stainless steel mesh (well expensive!), either to cover the whole cage or individual bottles, but as it's probably not necessary to lay the bottles (or the cage) on their/it's side after all (this was with a view to sterilising the airspace above the cider) the thinking is that a wet towel draped over the top will probably be sufficient (provided that the bottles aren't under too much pressure ie.condition to begin with), or if time permits, just leave them in situ until cool enough to move...
The cage is now complete apart from a couple of handles and has developed strength through all the tie-wraps used. Of course only time will tell how these will hold up under use, but 65 degrees is not that hot... (though enough to affect that in-bottle pressure of course it has to be remembered)

The pasteurised batch 12 was well received with tonight's pork chop dinner too!

Cage Fight'n!

2011-07-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

...well not so much fighting - more fiddlin'
I found out some candle dipping frames last night (as they fit into the Burco). These are some bits of equipment I made some years back for making dipped candles - you thread your wick round the upper and lower frame and start dipping the assembly in molten wax the layers build up and presto you get candles. One of these frames is strong enough as a base (we hope) to take the weight of 13 full bottles being made of 2" sq x 1/8" galvanized wire. So far so good, but how to keep the bottles apart..?
The answer was staring me in the face some 1/2" garden netting - the strong thick stuff. Nipping it to size with a)scissors and b)wire strippers... How to hold it all together..? Cable ties of course... hence the fiddliness.
It's been relatively easy to create a raised area for the test bottle too - just put a false floor in that particular compartment.

The base:

this should be strong enough to lower the full bottles into already hot water and remove at required temperature as recorded in test bottle (since realised it's too high in these pics...)

Way to go...

2011-07-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

Bottle collecting is fun... in fact drinking the contents is actually even more fun.
Thing is, metal closure swing-top bottles are very strong and ideal if you plan to bottle beer or cider - which is where my interest kicks in, especially if you plan to bottle some potentially extra lively cider...
Now I could buy the clear glass 500ml type for around £1.20 each inc. carriage or I can build my collection more slowly and buy 'em green and full of lager (albeit only 450ml) with rather neat Grolsch lettering up the side... I didn't have to think about it for long. Currently Morrisons are swaying the argument a tad by offering 3 for £5 (normal price £1.99 each)
Not adverse to the odd lager and it does beat licking stamp hinges!
Mind you, I do have a way to go yet as I've only got 5...

Checking out Sheila's...

2011-07-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQNSe6Bm9TI

like many wild trees this one suffers from biennialism - not a oner last year...

Tanks again...

2011-07-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well today's trials have gone well. Using warm water left over from the 1st trial, pasteurisation temperature was reached after only half an hour with 6 bottles of conditioned cider instead of the one on the 2nd run.
The first was sampled on cooling, and apart from being a little cloudy tasted good with no evidence of heat treatment.
This process will kill off yeast organisms and allow for stabilisation of any cider but especially ciders with more added sugar at bottling ie. medium sweet/sweet (thus removing the risk of continued in-bottle fermentation with the accompanying risk of burst bottles)
A cage to hold the bottles would make the process more efficient though.

Author and food scientist - noted specialist in cider - in his excellent 'Craft Cider Making' (above) advises wearing goggles and strong gloves when handling hot bottles of conditioned cider.

Bottles cooling outside:

Tank's on...

2011-07-17T04:17:00.000-07:00

...yeah, been on now for 30 minutes - up to 46.6 degrees (C).
I've got 12 bottles of water, 1 raised test bottle with the thermometer probe wedged in so as to read the temp at the centre of the bottle and I got 1 bottle of capped batch 5 cider (that I already know has developed quite a bit of condition)
Note the weighted lid - that's 6 tins of cat food in a mushroom tray...
Nervous? I'm expecting the whole thing to go "BANG" at any minute!
See, she's up to 50 degrees now....

You know when you see things on telly where they say 'don't try this at home'..?

'Check dis out...'

2011-07-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

In the quest to make an accepable medium/sweet conditioned cider (tch, why can't people just enjoy it as it comes..?) I'm gearing up for some pasteurisation trials. The controlled heating of the bottled cider at 65 degrees C is apparently sufficient to kill any remaining yeast organisms thus stabilising the contents.
Anyroad up, "as it 'appens lad...", years back I used to make a few candles and adapted a Baby Burco water heater to melt wax. It's a simple enough operation to add a basic bain marie type bulb thermostat as seen in this link:

basic Arthermo bulb thermostat control as sold by Hawco in the UK

So after much rumaging and plenty of cussing (but no wailing, though some minor gnashing of teeth...) in the morrass of the garage... Da dah, the former hobby comes up trumps:

(black knob is temperature control)

Holds 12 bottles (without touching sides) and has room for a test bottle in the middle:

Checking hysterisis (difference between lowest and highest temperature)

There are concerns that bottles containing conditioned cider are already under some pressure and that raised temperature suggests that the pressure increase could result in burst bottles when being handled - in that it is recommended that the bottles be laid on their sides while still hot. I intend getting round this by constructing some form of containing cage...

This is new territory for me so I need to get my thinking cap on.

Pasteurisation (..ization?) can tend to give the drink a caramelly edge but the trade off may well be worth it...

Something to do with monks and Belgium...

2011-07-12T01:40:00.001-07:00

...and that 'something' has to do with bottles:

http://www.bonsoral.com/en/beverages.html (scroll down to brown bottle 'Champ 0.75l')

Thing is when you get your bottles and use up the contents, you soak off your label right..? And unless you keep that label you've lost your only point of reference as to where and what...
The 'where' is easy - Aldi £1.99 inc. contents of some Bier Blonde or such, that being the 'what'...
But 'monks' (read Abbots etc...) and Belgium, don't yield good results in search engines.
Originally there were corks and wire colsures... and they are probably still in some little box somewhere in that morrass of a garage...

But then I found these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10-Plastic-Closures-Swing-Top-Grolsch-Wine-Bottles-/260813453331?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item3cb9b17813

thing is, I've only got 5 of these bottles...

...works out at 83p each, though unless I can get some more bottles the real cost is double that. Is it worth it to house 3.75 litres of cider..?
Think I'm getting a 'thing' about bottles...

Local Farmer gets free pint of Local Cider

2011-07-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

..it's true.
When the 'Beware the Dog' sign really does mean: 'BEWARE THE DOG!' (as in SHOUTING! ...and, for 'DOG' read: German Shep...herd... barking and snarling at that...)
This is to the farmer who left his apples for the Fieldfares, and how his face lit up as I offered my home-made pint of cider.
I normally keep freebies for those who provide apples, but it's the thought that counts - everytime.

Stella Cidre must be sh*te then...

2011-07-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

re: 'what's tha reckon' thread and those 1 pint Stella bottles...

It's a lunar month (4 weeks), and the windows got cleaned again... no bottles, not a oner - she's gone back to Strongbow by the looks of things - loads of cans, but no bottles. Had she took to the Stella I'd have 3 doz bottles at least, boxed, ready to go, but no...
Nursing must be very very stressful is all I can say...

... oh yes, it's fun all right

2011-07-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well I just opened a tester of batch 4...
Easing up the cap delivered a distinct 'psst' but (argh!) no bubbles in bottle - gently poured into (sadly, though comfortably...) a Caffrey's pint glass, as it is better to pour a bottle-conditioned cider in one go with as little disturbance to the sediment as possible, bubbles began to form on the glass sides and slowly rise...
the liveliness on the tongue is what makes all the difference between a cask and a bottled-conditioned...
yes, it's fun all right... oh yes.. strong stuff mind - ye gods yes...
time for another maybe..?

Is cidermaking fun..?

2011-06-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

At the end of April I completed the 53m Sheffield Country Walk, spending the first night on Burbage Edge shivering in a bivvy bag, as it was a breezy starry night... next day, homeward bound, I was approaching Ecclesfield, when a guy gardening shouted out: 'Are you enjoying your day?' Every indication was that I would be 'enjoying my day' as the sun shone and the day was warm and balmy...
but I was somewhat irked at the enquiry - with around 12miles to go with blistered feet... just exactly how much was I enjoying my day..? Was I having fun?
Well, like cidermaking, the fun comes at the end dunnit? As an enthusiastic amateur that 555 litres is taking some sorting, but the end is in site - just like the Norman arch of the West door at Eckington church, start and finish of the walk - just keep going son...

Did pass this Community Orchard though:

which has to be a good thing... dunnit?

Just words...

2011-06-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

As I got my Whitworth sugar cubes from Morrison's yesterday I noticed a large banner reminding me that they are 'crunching prices' on hundreds of products... Meaningless or cleverly contrived?
We like to think that 'crunching' here means 'reducing' and no doubt the brain interprets the message thus...

So it is with labels on bottles of cider that conspire to convince us of the unmerited worthiness of the contents:

'Made entirely from 100% pressed apple juice'

Casual observation can interpret this thus: This cider was made from 100% apple juice which was pressed. When in fact it is actually saying: This cider contains apple juice that was 100% pressed and not extracted by any other means and bears no reference to the quantity used...
Think on. Clever or what?

We can work it out...

2011-06-21T02:55:00.000-07:00

...or can we?
Back to 'Craft Cider Making' we learn to add 10gms per litre (or that 'flat teaspoon' per pint)
Work that one out - clearly my teaspoon just isn't big enough...
It should be bourne in mind that we are not after cascades of bubbles - no gushing - no disturbing of sediment. Just a gentle 'psst' and those lovely Co2 bubbles gently rising and adding a little zest to the conditioned cider.
Seems the Whitworth cubes (at 3g) could be on the small side though, but these could be saved for batches with a slightly higher SG - say 1.003.
Batch 10 was all bottled on Sunday with an SG of 1.001 adding a single 4g SilverSpoon sugar cube (slightly less as a little is lost in the act of halving it)
It should be noted that the Whitworth cubes do tend to dissolve more quickly than the Silver Spoon - though after capping a quick inversion and swirl does the trick, again checking at labelling time to make sure all is dissolved.

Oh yeah... sugar cubes

2011-06-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Fondle your loins not...
now hear this:
as per bottle conditioning - no one actually gives... a sh*t? er, no, the weight of sugar to add per pint for a bit of fizz... Pooley and Lomax in 'Cider Making... for those daft enough to try'* advise 1 level teaspoon per pint (this is written in STONE no less - no, you don't want to go meddling here... trust me on this one - they go with a real good 'BANG' when they go...), though scientist Andrew Lea (ye absolute God of cider makers) in 'Craft Cider Making' advises 1 'flat' teaspoon per pint - amazingly we hopefuls interpret that as 'level'...
The good news or the bad news..? Well, I've taken the bold step of using sugar cubes - (raise not your glass in admiration just yet clever as this may appear...) - ah , no, nothing is ever so simple...
It should be noted here that t'internet advises that sugar cubes are equal to 1 level teaspoon...
1st procured: Whitworths sugar cubes - 3 grams per cube (how do I know this gem? - it says so on the box...)
Hmm, so just how much does a 'level teaspoon' of sugar weigh?
Well I can tell you that on my 'gigital' Salter scales 5 level teaspoons = 19 gms (assuming my teaspoon is a 'standard measure' and my scales are reasonably accurate...)
With me so far..?
10 Silver Spoon sugar cubes (we are talking the unhealthy stuff here no minerals or brown stuff) comes in at 39 gms - with a slight draught I make that 4 gms per cube...
So the winner is Silver Spoon equalling 1 level teaspoon of plain white sugar...
all's well then I here you say. Well no...
You see the Silver Spoon jobbies don't fit into the neck of your bottle and require chopping in half (not an easy feat), whereas the Whitworths do, though are 1 gm short - less fizz, less bizz... doh

*'Real Cidermaking on a Small Scale' by Michael Pooley & John Lomax

No it's gone...

2011-06-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

forgot what I was going to post now lol...

ऊओप्स...

2011-06-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

वहत हवे इ क्लिच्केद ओं बी मिस्ताके नो..?

'Tone it down a bit?'

2011-06-14T02:36:00.000-07:00

For many years I played in a band and worked the working-man's club circuit during the 70's. New 'Health and Safety Laws' saw the introduction of 'Sound Meters' which promptly cut off the electricity supply and often immediately with the opening number prompting the Concert Secretary to utter (and a good few of the audience at times): 'Can't tha tone it down a bit?'

So what's this to do with cider you may well ask... The thing is, you do sometimes wonder what other people make of it. Should I have any doubts on taste and quality I pass a small glass through to the chief taster... the response being usually one of two:

1) 'Hmm... I see what you mean. (Smacks lips and passes glass back.) Have you got any more?'
2) 'Beautiful that. (Smacks lips and passes glass back.) Have you got any more?'

On the briefest of tasting the daughter's response is usually: "Orgh, no"...

I don't sell my cider, but do give quite a bit of it away to those who are kind enough to allow access to their trees or orchard providing valuable apples; and there's the unsuspecting, whose experience of 'cider' is probably from the supermarket...

Thing is, do you 'tone it down a bit' for those customers whose feedback is polite but firm?

Most common: 'Not sweet enough'
Often: 'It's too sharp'
Yesterday's comment: 'It was bitter'
or the less constructive: 'Not to my taste'
Another one: 'I mixed it with lemonade' (..?)

not all bad though:
'It were all right that.'
'Do you sell it?'
'Strong stuff innit.'
'You can taste the apples in it.'

So what's to do? (short of 'Keeving' to make a 'naturally' sweeter cider that is...)
a) Water it down and add sweetener...?
b) Add more sugar to the finished stuff but make sure that they don't keep it too long?

Decisions...

Bottling out...

2011-06-13T04:24:00.000-07:00

A clear bottle is better for bottle conditioning methinks - easier when filling (esp. in the darker kitchen), easier to see if the added sugar has dissolved (getting it right in bulk solution can be tricky on a smale scale) and easier to see the final deposit of yeast, and, at pouring, the disturbed sediment. It's also nice to see the lovely golden colour of the finished product!

The club that provided many many brown glass 1 pint Magners bottles have moved to draught Magners, but they still have a few regulars who like the odd Newcastle Brown Ale (once the request goes in the steward saves me what there is - about 3 doz per month) They don't have time to rinse them out, but do place them into a box under the bar. That last bit of ale can be problematic and leave a gooey brown residue. Still it's a good strong bottle and the odd bottle brush insertion is not too much of a hassle - hence you see the strong bleach solution at the first washing stage...
The labels used to be easy to remove with a quick soak but now have become a little more difficult - I think they have 'upped' the game with a newer adhesive. Hence the interest in the Stella 1 pint bottle, but like it's 'relative' the Magners has that bit of sticky-oh-so-sticky foil on the neck...

Storage has it's problems. I still have some Magners boxes (more tape than cardboard...) and getting 12 pint boxes is not easy from Supermarkets trust me - you have to be in the right place at the right time and take your chances!
No boxes at all for Newcastle Brown Ale as they come in poly-stretched film in dozen trays - not to me of course... (like many other drinks bottles these days, boxes having become prohibitively expensive even to big business!)
Only thing I seem to be able to gain sufficient of are the Aldi display-type wine boxes at present which are too tall but do hold 6 at a time (unfortunately these come in slightly different sizes, which makes stacking a little awkward)

Bottle stock then running at:
Magners (all filled now): 96
Newcastle Brown (the One and Only): 307 - 3doz of which are now filled
Stella Cidre: 16
Tillington Hills: 12 (unsuitable for bottle conditioning - very annoying sticky labels too!)

What's tha reckon..?

2011-06-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

There is a tale to be told, for the telling thereof, which concerns thus:

herein-truth-be-told
(this Stella Cidre link currently to directs to a product recall - which does make you think about reusing bottles...)

Laugh out loud indeed? I bought a bottle yesterday...
Laugh ye not...
Now, consider this - this is the kind of shite that people will consume vast quantities of... indeed already are. A customer yesterday had her recycling bin overflowing a bit - 15 of these empties (come in boxes of 8). 568ml=1pint, so far so good... whoa, she's even got the boxes (good as new - you want to see my Magners 12*1 pint boxes - more tape than cardboard now lol) So, 2 boxes of empties, but one short...

Sometime later... Tesco. Clink - £1.99. Potentially now 2 full boxes! All I had to do was empty it...

Lo, I entered the spirit of this and popped it in the fridge (forget the ice...)
Moment of truth: 9pm. Glug glug. Grolsh pint lager glass...

Ugh. Fair do's... I did manage half (in an effort to find some kind of flavour) before tipping the remainder down the sink - a whole pound's worth of shite!

But now I have two boxes of 1 pint clear bottles for the £1.99 (a dozen new beer bottles will set you back £8 from ye olde home brew shop) - not convinced they are quite as strong as the Newcastle Brown Ale bottles though, but them there labels came off much more easily - shame about the foil tops though which need a bit of hot water from the kettle.

Let Bottle Commence...

2011-06-07T01:48:00.000-07:00

'There will be much wailing and gnashing...'

...and clinking and splashing!

The labels on these early Newcastle Brown Ale bottles from last year soak off easily:

...this year's have been more difficult so far!

here the bottle tree set up for just 2 doz - can hold 45 max:

bottle washer set up in sink - here with a strong bleach solution for initial wash:

pressing down the bottle sends a jet of solution into the bottle:

after initial washing left boxed ready for sterilising and filling later:

Ar I'tell thi... it's Derbyshire lad...

2011-05-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Well my lad has surpassed himself... 5 litres of Pickled Pig from Stretham Stores... 'check that crazy shit, hee heee' - like coals to 'mother fuc*ing Newcastle, shamone'. Hey guess what? the 2nd 2.5 litres has started to 'fermenteytey' - 'check ma bad self, yeooow' - that bitch tastes GOOOD! 'yeoow'!
and... not only that but bottle washing has commenced... not without its problems... I've got cider coming out of my ears...

Rack and Roll...

2011-02-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

As the ex-cooking oil 20litre HDPE containers are flexible, picking them up disturbs the sediment much more that it does with the more solid 30 litre fermenters. Luckily I picked up a 3rd from outside the same pub, which I cleaned and sterilised ready.
Fortunately the pump fits through the cap hole! - but a hand does not, nor can the eye see too well past the pipe etc., however with thinner walls I can just about see what's what from outside... but still had trouble getting the clear stuff out without too much sediment...
Hard to say whether it tastes of chips yet - bit different that's f'sure... it's very yeasty yet...

Note lack of airlock - I've just loosened the cap now and then to let the pressure out as the container has 'filled out'...
ooops, one of the Devons just fell off the boiler... knocked one of the bin lins flying but otherwise okay... glad he missed the tub of So2 as the lid's off! Bloomin' cats...
Right, now for the last... it should have settled a bit by now.
Think I'll give the pump a miss and just syphon it out though...

Cider Head on today!

2011-02-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

1st up, the odd 5 litres of single variety crab - 'Prince of Wales' - very different and very pleasant! - despite quite a bit of floating yeast crud - SG of 1012, which is a surprise as it's sat on the kitchen worktop (photo below) since early January - it's neighbour, the odd 3 litres from 17 (17a), is pretty yukky and dry as toast (well nearly at SG1.000) - used for topping up 17 as it came from that batch.
Then 17 itself - SG 1.010 - still active as fermentation will have been much slower in the much cooler motor caravan. Difficult to pump out with the Whale submersible, but switching it off and on, got it down to a liftable amount - the height of the worktop then aiding the pump with sufficient syphon effect - very lively but good taste and shows promise. As noted above 17a then used for top up instead of water.
Next in line are the two ex chip-fat containers 18a and b... these two have only lived in the motor caravan (had a small heater on in here during the very cold snap) - hmm, just wondering what they gonna taste like...

...and then some

2011-01-16T06:23:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday saw batch 6's 2nd and final rack and 1st rack of 15 and 16... as 16 was still quite lively, I'm giving 17 and the 2 of 18 a bit longer.

...and here still fermenting:

...there's batch 19 (the 5 litres of single varietal crab) and the 3 litres over from the batch 17 pressing... oh, and that rather nice strong proper Polish honey/vodka liqueur that's found its way into the household should help keep any colds at bay - Na Zdrowie!

A bit kewd out...

2011-01-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

'Kewd' - (pron. not as in Kew (ie. gardens), but as in 'cow' with a broad Lancashire accent with added 'D') - local (ie. N Derbys) dialect for cold...
in fact a bit too cold to taste the cider I've just brought in from the garage - Batch 5 is rather pleasant if a little cloudy, but just plain 'too kewd'...

...accessing no.4 (it's at the back and at a funny angle...) - very different to 5 - not as 'nice' and quite 'tart' by comparison, though very clear. Amazing how different they can turn out...
Must get some racking done this weekend now car is tested... repeat after me...

Ice in their Cider Anyone?

2010-12-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

Just how did I get 6.5 gallons into a 5 gallon barrel? Well I didn't, though thought I did...
With a view to freeing up a 30 litre bin, I'd transferred Batch 1 last week to the 5 Gallon sherry container (now that 2 has gone - mainly on topping up other batches) only to discover today that it contained a lot of ice:

showing some residual cider in the bottom:

...this much in the sink:

explains how I got 6.5 gals into a 5 gal container...

I'd used the tap on the barrel and hadn't peeked inside till today. Just shows how cold its been all over Christmas this year. Had it thawed and refrozen it would have formed a solid in the bottom, but it was still in fine ice-crystal layers!
Leaves Batch 1 a little more potent at least!

Not just for drinking...

2010-12-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

Ham cooked in cider is another reason! Imparts a lovely flavour...

Old Poet's again, again...

2010-12-24T01:57:00.000-08:00

And it came to pass 'twas Quiz Night again - I got one answer right - yes, just the one - waste of a quid really, any ways the cider was even more of a mystery:

Orchards Wye (tends to suggest the Wye Valley) - got that stainless steel + acid edge (which tends to suggest NOT the Wye Valley...)

and:

Mc(something) (tended to suggest a name...) - rather better than the above, with a rounder tannic edge.

Bearing in mind that the glasses could have been confused on their way from the container to the bar...

Directing enquiries as to the whereabouts of these two ciders at the landlord proved fruitless: "I've no idea," was his response.

Two mystery ciders indeed... craft or crafty?

Minus & Miners...

2010-12-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

Well as the temperature dropped to -10c last night, the last apples prepared this morning were quite solid, but went through the scratter okay. These are the 15lbs of crabs for just a gallon of single variety (I call them P.O.W - as the nearest pub to their location is the Prince of Wales) these could turn out to be a good 'cider apple' as they have a good mix of suitable properties. If this batch works I'll be tempted to try some grafting, or maybe see if I can't peg down a branch or two to root - the idea being to source and preserve some good original Derbyshire cider fruits! In this way I can perhaps gather together some of the better crabs and find good locations (ideally not too far from a layby or car park) where access is not too difficult, for my old age... lol.
I'd be 'shot down' somewhat to send a few off to Brogdale at some later date only to discover that they are a recognised variety anyway! Most unlikely though, but not impossible, as they could have been planted with 'remaindered' nursery trees as a roadside screen...
It's interesting to note that some stretches of road have more wilds than others - I like to think that an 'apple-a-day' enthusiast has discarded their cores on a regular basis, perhaps miners on their way to or from work, or maybe school kids - Johnny Appleseed characters or what?

Made it!

2010-12-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

550 litres... phew. There's enough crabs left maybe for 5 litres of a single variety - just out of interest really, to see what it would be like. Plenty of sweets - mainly GD, in fact all GD... surely? No sharps at all, not even a one to go with the chops tomorrow... so that's just about it. 16's popping away merrily and 17's just started fermenting and will need an airlock tomorrow. Can't be arsed to take the gravity on the 2 batchs making 18...

Scratter Assembly

2010-12-19T05:40:00.000-08:00

As all the Batch18 apples are now prepared (54lbs sweet, 30lbs sharp and 36lbs bitter sweet for those last 2*20 litres - got the 2 containers 'sweet' in the end with a caustic solution) ready for scratting (milling), I thought it might be of interest to include some pics of the very effective but cheaply-made scratter.

Back plate slotted in position:

A thin ply spacer fits on top - (push fit)

(note scuffs from screw heads)

then front plate slides into...

...position:

followed by the feed plate:

cover:

and 'hopper' (only shaped thus by using up scraps of 12mm ply... but does allow access for a 'paddle' to encourage bigger apples through)

Ready for drill attachment:

Note arm prevents drill from acting counter clockwise:

Note direction of drill set to rotate away from feed plate:

and in use:

after scratting 90lbs apples - feed plate slid back, showing tendency to clog (though didn't on this occasion)

17 in and some...

2010-12-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

...made 1.050, so no change there. Left it under pressure and got another 3 litres of nice clear juice which will come in handy for topping up (in a 3l Robinsons juice container as 17a alongside 14a which has almost fermented out now)
Most of 18 prepared ready for weekend but still need 24lbs crab mix. Another loud crack from the press on those last few litres - thought I may as well fill the 3 litres - but think it will hold for the last pressing... 'ding dong merrily' or what?

More snow...

2010-12-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

No work due to the weather, yet again, so it's pressing time once more...
With over 510 litres now pressed (112 gallons) there's just a few more litres needed from the press for 17 then I'll bring it in with the others - (11 to 16). It's that bloomin' cold again in the garage I've come in for a warm and a nice cup of tea...

Simply Delicious!

2010-12-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

- that's Batch 5 - seen here being racked with the Whale submersible pump into it's barrel:

A little cloudy yet, but very nice on the palate:

...should be a tad more acidic at this stage though. Checking my notes I see that 20lbs of mild sharps were used out of a total of the 30lb sharp portion - be interesting to see how it progresses...

Now I have a spare container for the next - Batch 17 will take me to 510 litres of juice.
Now the snow has largely gone (been quite bad here in North Derbyshire) I did some hedgrow ferreting yesterday and returned with 45lbs more crabs with no frost damage. This is probably down to the carpet of ivy and leaves beneath the trees, but the crabs are hardier too.
I have enough sharps left for just the one more batch - 18 if I can manage it. I have scrounged 2x 20 litre ex-vegetable oil containers, but am struggling to get them 'sweet'...
Maybe overtones of rancid vegetable oil will improve the last batch though..?

16 now in...

2010-12-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

...but it's nothing compared to these guys:

BBC's 'The One Show' Friday 10/12 (from 5:24)
[Unfortunately no longer available]

Must have been made before the heavy snow falls but there was a bit of snow about.

Also found these:

Ampleforth Abbey Cidermaking

Northern Apples

Ready or Not...

2010-12-10T01:38:00.000-08:00

Batch 16 is now prepared. Some of the apples are unaffected by the frost - the top layer here(12lbs) is unscathed but the 8lb layer beneath is all brown and crinkly, though still juicy, so...

Yesterday I visited a Golden Delicious tree with lots of fruit still hanging - too much for the birds it seems - reaching up for a few I soon realised they were simply mush beneath the intact skin. But the mush tasted sweet and would surely yeild juice. The ones I have left are thawing now, but don't seem to be turning to mush like the ones still on the tree, though bruised areas do seem to be more affected. Undamaged then, the apples seem to fare better in freezing conditions. Maybe the old boys in years gone by built a tump with layers of straw..? though hard winters are most likely the reason they learned to get 'em all pressed before the end of November...
All good stuff.

Oh & 'Baron Aldi'...

2010-12-09T03:44:00.000-08:00

Forgot to post this, but before I got busy I made a few small few-litre batches of cider that I've already touched upon, but in seeking out different apple juices (pasteurised 'n' all that) - available in 1 litre cartons - I noted similar cartons of grape juice in Aldi. 'Not from concentrate' read the label, so in a moment of madness I bought 3 litres and bunged it into a Robinsons plastic juice container - sprinkled in some yeast and left it for a few days. Thinking I'd end up with a red wine, I was surprised (albeit mildly) to end up with 3 bottles of an acceptable rosé! Now had I left it for a few months it would have been better... (wine benefits too from secondary fermentation and is repressed by some makers wanting a more acid wine) Not being arsed to take the gravity, I left it to ferment furiously - I suppose 'cos there's more sugar than apple juice - and it cleared beautifully.
Anyway I'm planning to give it another stab with 5 litres (89p per litre btw) - don't get me wrong, it wouldn't win any awards, but it was a lot better than some of the rosés that are passed off as such in the supermarkets.

'Quatermass and the... Pit'?

2010-12-09T03:07:00.000-08:00

...no: 'and the Fermenter Bin' - yep 15's up and running.
The sweets prepared for 16 are looking a bit grim now they're thawed out but I reckon they'll make juice okay - just 20lbs of bitters to do now. If there's time this week it would be good to start on 17 which will achieve over 500 litres of pressed juice and get 'em both pressed this weekend. Another batch would be good as I'll then end up with 500 litres of cider after the necessary topping up as I prefer to keep it at 100% juice and top up the fermenters with cider than a water. I reckon 40 litres should cover all the topping up...
I can't imagine how small producers turn out 1000+ litres working on their own... I'm knackered... but it's 34 yrs since I made my first ciders and perries and you do learn something new every time, but I'm starting to forget things now too ... like where the hell I got that sherry barrel from?
I remember making some perry in the early eighties and I got a stone jar on loan from a farmer. I filled it and tied down the rubber bung and left it for a few months. At the appointed time I took it outside and cut the cord. With an almighty bang and gush the bung was gone - disappearing into the night air. I waited a while, then, thinking the bung was lost, picked up the jar and turned for the door when I heard it bounce off next door's roof!
The perry was good - though it would have been better had the farmer not used the stone jar for storing diesel at some point!

More on frozen apples:

2010-12-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

...seems other cider makers having similar troubles - here at cider-workshop discussion.

I just hope they don't all turn to mush if there's a sudden thaw!
I've found a 25litre ex-sherry plastic barrel, so I'm thinking of doing some topping up and what's left bung in there to free up another 30 litre bin - currently using these which are actually 30L and not 25 as stated.

Golden Deli's 'n stuff...

2010-12-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

Well I've just been reading Andrew Lea's excellent source for we 'attempters'... It's the comments on using more flavoursome varieties than GD (and Bramley) on his page 'Tannin in Cider Apples' that got me thinking about one of my later aquisitions - that tree full of Golden Delicious.
Amateur apple scroungers, like myself, have to make do with what we can get. I've not done bad this year, but it's not all been plain sailing -

On a daily basis I was passing laden trees on a local farm. One day I could see some people collecting apples from one of the 4 or 5 trees in a row in the garden. Thinking I might run low on sweets, I pulled over, only to get 'short shrift' from the elderly couple taking a few carrier bags of 'cookers' - 'You'll have to see *****,' insisted the lady. So I tracked down ***** (the farmer) and we chatted about cider and the lot of dairy farmers and farming and T.V's 'Country File' for a good ten minutes... 'If I can help out I will do,' he said at length, but he likes to leave them for the birds as he'd seen many a fieldfare during last winter's snow feeding on the unused fruit. Fair do's - his apples, and bearing in mind his kind offer I set off for the local church yard for a sackful of sweets (probably wilds) and it was the next day that I chanced on the tree full of GD's. And that's it: we have to make do with what we can get, but are GD that bad? When we think of the variety, I think we associate the charactaristics of the French GD - bland and watery, but I find the English grown (certainly the ones I use) more flavoursome, and being juicy and very sweet come in handy for bulking up the sweet portion which is more to add sugar than flavour, surely?
For this next batch I've used 2/3rds GD for the sweet portion with two other (unknown) sweet varieties, though any surplus this year will be GD as I've got loads left yet - ideal for the birds with a high carb content too!

Pleased to see a pair of blue tits and a couple of robins feeding at the makeshift bird table this afternoon - a male blackbird too (not seen the female since this morning...) and I could hear the high pitched squeak of a wren. Word must be getting round about the morsels. It's worth noting that the only time I've seen the tiny goldcrest is during harsh winter spells where their tiny bodies have given up the struggle. Bigger birds stand a better chance of survival and maybe the fieldfares will be back at the farmer's apples this year already...

'Sort them frozen apples...'

2010-12-07T03:38:00.000-08:00

...to the tune of ABC's 'Shoot that poison arrow...' (from 1:02) - bit of a trip down memory lane... no idea why, but that tune's been in my head all week... must be the cold?
So, frozen apples and cider? Bit like Magners & ice - but at the outset, lol... I think I'd rather risk the ice at the beginning (rather than drive the old Panda straight through a wall to get the apples pressed while they're still fresh (??) The power of advertising or what?
Are they going to turn to mush, I wonder? Well a quick search turned up this:

http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/apple12.html

...maybe he blanches 'em 1st..?

Batch 14 has started fermenting - the bucket lid was well bowed up! Airlock now fitted.
Be interesting to see what happens to 15 as some of them were frozen or partly so, but the juice seemed fine, though the pulp was quite runny and the yeild was up.
The Golden Delicious prepared this morning were frozen but cutable with a knife, but some other sweets weren't (frozen, that is), so it seems some are more frost resistant than others.

Just 3 batches to go... Hmm, I'm going to have to magic a few containers yet - buying might be more practical though.

A very weak blackbird entered the apple store this morning - she just sat on the floor exhausted. I've put some apples at the bottom of the garden and there's fat balls and peanuts, bread and some bits of ham and cheese... (water as well, as they might not be able to get at the pond water) but no birds now... Blackbirds are ground feeders (though they do take the apples I've left on the tree - but they've been snow-covered all week) so I've put some under a plastic table and some stuff on a feeder and last week I knocked up a feeding table with a top on, but it's not very secure as it's just hanging from a branch and the swaying might put them off..?
Anyway, hopefully this week will see at least batch 16... Back's holding out, but troublesome.

Hey, 15 is in!

2010-12-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

450 litres now! - most I've ever made... on a scale of 1-10 though back is at about 6 - it got up to 7 yesterday sorting the apples trays round. 8 and it gets serious... might take some Ibruprofen tonight... if I can find some that is.

Doh...

2010-12-05T04:47:00.001-08:00

Well 14 pressed okay - made 1.050 - it's now in the kitchen in a 30 litre fermenter bucket - the ones with a big lid and hole for a small bung and air lock. Took some transporting from the garage - had to drag it along the ice...
There was a 30 litre fermenter in my local Wikinsons - been there for weeks... went to buy it yesterday and guess what? Gone. So now I've got nothing for batch 14 that I hope to get pressed later today. I'll need to transfer batch 4 into the last Supercask 1st though.
Meanwhile Wilbur's tail bandage (3rd now) is holding well - the 2nd vet made a better job. Big bandage - little cat...

right, apples to sort...

Brrr...

2010-12-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

Well, batch 14 is scratted and pulped ready for pressing, but no way am I standing around in that garage any more tonight...
Thing is, can I now get the remaining apples pressed before the frost gets them with a predicted minus 7 tonight..? I've put a small heater on to prevent the pulp from freezing but the apple store is open to the weather, so we'll just have to see how things pan out...

'Snow good...

2010-12-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

After pressing 13 on Sunday, I accidentally trapped the cat's tail in the door - 2" of it remaining on the closed side (the poor traumatised cat on the other...), so what with one thing and another (ie. the vet's run and the turn for the worse in the weather), there's no progress on batch 14 as yet...
I've never seen so much snow fall so early either. There's a path to the garage now, but more snow is forecast tonight...

Tidying up...

2010-11-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

Well 8 pumped out okay... didn't taste very good - reckon it'll come good though (SG1.005) - others around 1.002-1.004.
With the early snow an icy path to the garage hasn't helped with the necessary toing and froing and I've already got bloomin' chilblains.
Still got to get the 18lbs crabs sorted yet... phew, shopping list next - just time for a cuppa...

Back ache - rack ache!

2010-11-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

Spent today racking... and back is aching... 7 refused to pump with the submersible so I had to raise it so that some syphon action helped but it gave up at about 1/3rd full and so syphoning was the only option... and the pump had stirred up all the sediment - still it is it's first rack. Might as well tackle no.8 while I've got it all set up - I'll try and pump 1/2 out first to make it easier to lift. Here goes...

Repeat after me...

2010-11-26T03:06:00.000-08:00

...'must rack batches 3-7 this weekend', and press 13... and prepare 14. Just 18lbs of crabs needed for 13 now... oh and then there's work - the bill paying stuff...

Why..?

2010-11-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

I don't need 'em now... but I came home with sh*t loads more apples today - windfalls (nay just 'falls' by now...) - there's a reason though. The many Golden Delicious of last week's sortie are not as tasty as the two sackfuls brought back today and the sharps - just a bag full - are less sharp than some I have... No bitters today though - not a oner...
Two tubs now prepared for batch 13 and the 390 litre mark...
It has to be noted that weariness is now creeping in...

Crabs-a-Plenty!

2010-11-25T01:24:00.000-08:00

A couple of forays yesterday sees the bitter stocks up: 10lb and a 28lb. This means I'll have some surplus on 5 more batches at 20% bittersweet, though will be 13 lbs short at 27%. There's a couple of locations to try yet... One yesterday revealed nothing at all - clearly a biennial (can be a problem with wild trees and why it's well to source a good few...) - and there I was expecting to come upon a nice green carpet. Another, though not particularly bitter - more sweet - yielded yet another 28lbs, so should reach the target of 500 litres (of pressed juice that is)

Getting there...

2010-11-24T02:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday: prepared for 12 and took stock of remaining apples: sweets: 295 lbs; sharps: 170 & bitters only 71 lbs. So with another 5 batches left to press (6 would be better mind...)
Pressed 12 Monday night... but the central heating went off, so priorities and all that...
Simple plumbing problem - heating sorted (for now...) and tidied up from 12 inc. scrubbing down the press boards. Started on sharps for 13...

Apple stocks only show a surplus on all three with a 60/25/15 (%) mix - ie: sweet, sharp and bitters, so looks like I'll be grubbing about in hedge bottoms again this week for more crabs. Reckon I should be able to muster enough to get that up to 20% though - otherwise these last batches will tend to be a bit bland.

Batch 11 tonight -

2010-11-20T14:40:00.000-08:00

just after those last few litres now... be good if I could get 12 sorted and pressed tomorrow. Bath time now for me...

Neat Demonstration!

2010-11-20T04:46:00.000-08:00

Here's why its a good thing to maintain a little fermentation with stored cider:

As C02 gas is heavier than air it stays below any air in the same container thus forming a protective layer that helps prevent spoilage.
Here the Co2 gas is 'poured' from the glass thus starving the candle of oxygen.

And then some...

2010-11-17T14:32:00.000-08:00

So this evening has seen batch 2 racked. The Young's taps have a nicer feel to them so I swapped the tap first... and the sterilising takes ages, but batch 2 came through a lot clearer for tie wrapping the Whale pump to a stick. This is from the Pooley and Lomax suggestion of using a cane for the racking tube. I've never done this before (as it's more to sterilise innit...) but it's well worth it - a solid tube would be good - I should get my thinking cap on... anyway with more control over the pump (though I could do with an inline switch while I'm at it... doh...) there's less panic when you get near the bottom and I hardly drew any lees in - very clear - in fact could be too clear if I wanted to ferment it further...

Donor and recipient on floor - a pump saves a dead lift of 30kgs! (good news for my ageing back that was complaining after collecting the 4 sacks of apples earlier...)

the submersible pump 'strapped' to a plywood stick gives better control:

Yeast and remaining lees in the freed-up container:

Home made plywood spanner fits both the Youngs cap and HB cask cap (only just on the HB though and needs improving as the handle lugs get in the way...):

Degustation time!!

Beautifully clear, a little more acidic than no.1, but again a very promising cider nouveau - certainly puts the 'turbo cider in it's place, lol...
cheers!

Still apples to be had...

2010-11-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

As it came on to rain at lunch time, and as it happens my customer at the time has an orchard... and 'that tree over there is laden.' Golden Delicious may not have a lot of flavour, but they have a lot of sugar... an hour and 4 sacks later there were still more on the tree...
Same on Monday - passed two laden trees (municipal) and stopped to collect 2 bags of windfalls - and this was after collecting plenty of fallen crabs on the way over. One of them looks like 'Liberty' - has greenish flesh and sweeter than it should be maybe... I dunno, not good on names - it's the flavour that counts! Anyway, this is it:

Batch 1 on Tap..!

2010-11-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

Unintentionally of course - only it's 2nd rack, lol - but as I'm out of fermentors the 30 litre barrels is all I got... lovely flavour (bit acidic mind... which is to be expected) and it's going to difficult not to open the tap now and again...

300 litres!

2010-11-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Batch 10 makes 1.052, and adding a few extra pounds of apples did the trick, leaving a bit of surplus to 'backfill' batch 9.
Earlier batches are needing racking now too - I'm out of fermenters now but have 4 empty 30L supercasks, but still needing more containers...

Up 'ere fo' thinkin':

2010-11-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

Adapted scratter in the 'UP' position:

the arm secures the set-up for easier changing of the tub:

...however it has taken to clogging up again...

Sublime and... well, plain ridiculous

2010-11-13T15:05:00.001-08:00

Them there's apple pips saved from the crab apple sort - planning a Johnny Appleseed post - the other's a bit different for a white cider - 49p at local bargain store 'Job Lot' - (top right's the kettle)
here's back label:

High Spirits International..? LS12 2PY..? Armley... Leeds..? 'Fully matured - Aged in Oak' 7.5%...

't'internet fo' thi:

	Hi-Spirits International
	Scotch Park Trading Estate, Forge Lane
	Leeds
	LS12 2PY

- wish I'd bought a few more really... not that I'm advocating rushing out mind

Laugh Out Loud...

2010-11-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

...roll on floor laughing:
Just feeling a bit mental really. Last 2hours doing crab apples...
Batch 10 pressing tomorrow but I still need another 12 lbs of the little-
my hands can't take it no more... probably arthritis...
At some point amateur cider makers have to decide whether to continue to handle and check every single bl**dy apple or just chuck 'em in... 10 x 90 = 900lbs, then there's the ones that got away by rotting or revealing wireworm holes that go in all directions or mouldy middles.
They'd laugh down Somerset all right - they got proper 'cider apples' down there...

Batch 9 in...

2010-11-10T02:46:00.000-08:00

...just (made 1.054) - Had to coax every last drop from the press that has developed a few more (for the moment) small cracks. I think I must have scales that weigh low (some old Salter bathroom scales with an LED display) and as I've used different containers I must have ended up with less apples. Switching the pulper back on without putting an empty tub underneath didn't help either - sh*t for brains or what?
Anyway leaving the press under pressure all night has coaxed the level to just below the shoulder on the Young's fermenter bin, but probably not done the ageing timbers of the press any good, and there's only one spare 6"x2" piece left, but I did speak to a customer yesterday who has some 4 or 5" channel steel section going begging. Whether there'll be time to bolt or weld something up now is another matter...
300 litres is next target, and with around 6 weeks left, if I can keep the press going I might just make it and though it's hard going on your Jack Jones there's still apples to be had.

The Gravity of the Situation...

2010-11-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

...dire, weatherwise (with bills to be paid) and low ciderwise:

Batch 8 struggles to make 1050

Though, with such unsuitable conditions for the day job, there's time to sort some crab apples towards batch 9. These are quite sweet, juicy with high tannin content:

but need a wash...

and kitchen's getting a bit cluttered!

...more space needed!

Batch 8

2010-11-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

...in the bag, well bin.
10.40pm, I'll do the gravity test and wash the press boards down in the morning ...
This 'ere Cromwell's Last Gasp has all the properties of a bottle conditioned cider and would come over better as such with its more subtle flavour, champagne style that is, as do Burrow Hill (for one) - really dry and bubbly... yeah, I reckon.
Bath time methinks

The Boy Done Good...

2010-11-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

...but not good enough:
Over ambitious or what? I'd prepared the 90lbs for batch 8 (scratted and pulped by midday - photo) and decided to go for 2 pressings today... by 3pm I'd got the sharps and the sweets ready, but realised that if I tried to sort out the bitters I'd lose out on the pressing all together if not careful. So at least I'm ahead on batch 9 preparation at least. 8 is still in the press, tweaking for the last few litres and there's quite a bit of creaking and cracking as that new top beam settles - fingers crossed x

As the apples dry out a bit it might be better to add a few extra now maybe 93-95lbs..? well, old bits of timber do have their limitations I suppose!

Tried a glass of the Cromwell (Last Gasp)... bit disappointing I must say, certainly lacking the rustic charm and flavour of the Pickled Pig. It's a bit more like my turbo cider, though with a little more sophistication to be fair...

Time to give the press a tweak...

Yeast and stuff

2010-11-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

If there's no yeast in apples there should be no natural fermentation with new press cloths, boards and collecting plate. Though the scratter had been used before there is no chance of cross over from cider related stuff as it only comes into contact with apples. When setting up from scratch then there should be no natural fermentation occurences if it's down to 'contamination' of cider making equipment. Even when the apples are washed natural fermentation still occurs...
Conclusion: there is indeed yeast in apples! ...or it's all down to Malus Magic.

Those Cambridge Ciders

2010-11-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

Left to right - Breton Cidre 'Valderance'* Traditionnel Bouché Brut from Cafe Rouge, Cromwell's 'Oliver's Last Gasp' and the 2.5 litre flagon of Pickled Pig's 'Porker's Snout'
*This link shows labels with the same Valderance logo. Bouché = sparkling, but bottle conditioned..?

Rain Starts Play

2010-11-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

As it turns out I had some bits of 6" x 2" - can't remember where I aquired them, but far too good to leave in the skip...
Replaced the cracked side only -

cracked side removed:

Using old beam as template for holes:

New section in place...

...noticably longer than old piece, giving more strength at end grain hopefully:

1" ply load-spreading top plate refitted (tight push fit):

Better left for that bit of extra strength than sawn flush?

Hopefully this will last until I can make myself a better one from steel... just 290 litres to go ;)

'Pickled Pig...'

2010-11-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

A weekend away is always a good chance to try out other ciders. Cambridge area offers the above made at Stretham (from local apples) - 2.5 litres a tenner (Porker's Snout) from Griffins, 3 Cups Walk, Ely. Then a couple of bottles of Cromwell's from Oliver Cromwell's Tourist Info shop - not tried the dry (Oliver's Last Gasp) yet though.
'Origin8' in Cambridge have gone (now a Pizza place) and so the chance was missed to get hold of some Cassells as the other outlets (both Bachanalia) were closed on the Sunday. The lady in Threshers did point to their own Breton cider...
Chain owned Cafe Rouge had a rather pleasant Breton Cidre on the menu, which left a little cloudiness in the bottle though not enough, I decided, for it to be bottle conditioned.
Better get that press mended...

'Trouble at 'mill...'

2010-10-27T03:55:00.001-07:00

'One o'crossbeam's s'gone out o'skew on'treadle...':

Not the Spanish Inquisition as in the famous Monty Python sketch, but could be a serious drawback until I can either replace the section (6" x 2") or patch it up.
Still, got batch 7 pressed, all the time expecting to hear another loud crack! It's getting that last few litres of juice that's the test for a home-made press...

Not half way yet though...

Ooo, a sit down...

2010-10-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Been a crab apple evening... working towards batch 7 now. This is to be a mix of 40% sweet, 33% sharp and 27% bitter. Just need 2lbs more bitters now and I can get 'em scratted. There's talk of rain tomorrow - bad as I got bills to pay... but good if I can get 7 pressed. Whether I've got the stamina for 500 litres yet is another matter, but a routine that starts with better quality apples and ends with 2 pressings a week would be good.
Turbo cider's going down well, tell thi...

6 Pressed and on...

2010-10-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Why is it that you never get done what you plan to?
Having lost the morning (didn't rise at the crack of dawn mind...) to improving the scratter catchment. After elaborate plans for a fancy chute to deliver the scrats out to a bin, I settled on an easier hinge-top affair with an 'up position' support. All this to make fitting a collecting bin beneath a little easier, but with pulping and pressing batch 6, I just haven't had time to give it a proper trial... though I have got the sharps ready and weighed for the next batch, which puts me a tad in front for this week - all being well for an evening press mid week - fingers crossed.

Pause for thought:

2010-10-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

Pooley and Lomax - Real Cidermaking on a Small Scale:
(clearly the authors are avid cider makers...)

page 6: 'The likelihood, however, of our sown pip ever yeilding a variety of any worth* is extremely small'

page 30:
' ...add a small ration of crab apples to the mix...'

clearly the first reference above refers to commercial worth, because tannin-rich apples from the hedgerow (or wherever those wildling pips find growing conditions...) are most 'worthy' indeed to the home producer!

Many of the 'crab' apples I use are most certainly from discarded apple cores, some of them certainly worthy enough for grafting for cider apples with a good balance of sugar, acid and tannin - get sowing!

(*italics are mine)

Thoughts on Scrumpy

2010-10-21T04:03:00.000-07:00

It's quite impossible to buy apples and produce scrumpy. Only 'scrumped' apples can make scrumpy.
Scrumpy is definitely not a type of cider - nothing whatever to do with low tech production or cloudiness. The term relates to the origin of the apples from which the cider is made. It should be noted that smaller scale cider makers are more likely to produce scrumpy than the bigger producers who have records to keep!
Apples of any variety come under general rights of ownership. As every inch of the land is owned by someone somewhere, it follows that all that grows on the land is owned by someone somewhere, apples being no exception.
While ownership is clearly apparent in orchards with clear boundaries it is less so in hedgerows and wooded areas. No doubt roadside apples technically 'belong' to the Highways Agency, while those growing beside a field footpath 'belong' to the land owner.
It is thus this distinction of ownership that qualifies the production of scrumpy.
If a cider maker buys his/her apples or gains the owner's permission to use a tree's crop or collect windfalls, the scrumpy qualification is lost. However if there is no permission sought and the resulting fruit is turned into cider, it will be scrumpy.
In my opinion this is how the term came about - while scrumped apples are technically stolen apples they are more likely simply 'not missed', in that the landowner does not want them - he's not, or his agent has not, set out to profit from them.
This brings about an interesting situation, in that if he doesn't want them and you do, then so might someone else! Thus the confusion of ownership...
By way of example, I once had a gooseberry bush growing at the bottom of my garden. I should point out that in those days we lived in a long row of terraced houses... One year the gooseberry bush fruited rather well. Now I like my goosberries (delicious in a fool...) just turning yellow and so I decided to give them a day of two more to ripen. Come Friday off I sets with my colander to the bottom of the garden only to find NO goosberries - not a oner - all gone.
It seems someone else preferred them a little greener and whether a neighbour perhaps thought that I didn't want them or the birds got there first, I'll never know.
Thus it is with apples. Some growing locally fall late and as I'm busy dealing with the falling earlies they don't get early attention. One year I got a bit low on sweets and set off with my lettuce trays to find - LO - just one single solitary apple left alone on the tree! Someone had got to them first. It could have been a flock of starlings or it could have been a rival scrumper...

Whey hey!

2010-10-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Just racked a glassful out of the latest 'turbo cider'... this 5 litres was made from Aldi apple juice (3L) and some juice remaining after a pressing. Much more flavoursome than the 1st trial with Morrison's Value juice (the Aldi juice is a bit cheaper as I remember, but a tad sharper I thought) most likely for mixing it with the 2 litres of 'own' juice. It might be an idea to show people how to press a few pints with a couple of bits of plywood and hand cramps from a local bucket shop as the difference in flavour is quite dramatic. For anyone with access to winter crab apples this would give them quite a treat for minimal effort! By, it's heady stuff as well... looks like this batch won't make it to the bottle either...

bit cloudy mind...

some rescue work today - trying to de-ivy a local wild tree:

before the next customer provided a spot of lunch:

a glass of this 'ere cider would have gone down nicely...
If I hadn't got this turbo cider, I'd have been drinking lager now... think about it - well worth a few litres of apple juice, tell thi, 'get thissen gone'

Another Bitter Sweet - juicy too!

2010-10-19T03:16:00.000-07:00

Last customer yesterday offered all their apples - 3 trees: 2 sweet (said they were Jonagold) and a third quite sharp (unknown) - looks a bit like Howgate Wonder, but that's the only other sharp I can (almost) identify after Bramley Seedling lol...
I got all the sweets but ran out of time to get all the sharps, though I can call back anytime for them.
I'd remembered that on a winter run - a day when steam breath warmed the winter air - cutting down a footpath and seeing a carpet of tiny apples... well I wasn't far away yesterday and decidied to check it out. Unfortunatley it was growing quite dark, but I had time to gather what I could find - getting nettled once again in the process! I don't go anywhere without my trusty Burgon and Ball grass hook these days! After cutting back the nettles the little spheres were a little more detectable...
So the Panda stash came out rather well all in all (the bitters are in the sack):

These will help keep me stocked for December pressings as they are in good condition. I could do with getting a bit in front of 30 litres a week though with a target of 500 litres as I'll probably lose a couple of weekends being away...

Phew...

2010-10-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

Just sat down... 5th 30 litres now in fermenter (batch 5) and racked 1st batch - tasted good though a bit sharp. Need to get a plug/socket sorted for the whale submersible pump as it took ages with a racking tube... Racked about a third before it was light enough to lift onto the work surface. Too risky to get it high enough straight off... it's getting that last foot of lift that's the tricky bit. Need a bigger bore tube as well...

Pulping earlier:

Difference between scratted:

...and pulped:

Pulper is basically a 'Pulpmaster' with hole cut in top:

set in plastic Ikea waste basket

...with blade altered thus:

Rotating blade forces pulp through slot in bottom when small enough:

Three tubs of apples reduce to almost two of pulp:

Washing press cloths: (not with that Gel in bottom RH corner though!! - just rinsed out after being stood in mild bleach solution)

...and wrung out ready to use:

to make cheeses

for loading the press:

5 Scratted

2010-10-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

The home made scratter taken apart ready for washing:

showing the main body:

The Wilkinson beech rolling pin is wearing well!

Very handy and portable for cleaning:

In it's 3rd year now - made from plywood and wood offcuts, and bits from Wilkinsons: beech rolling pin, 2 tap wrenchs for a shaft (roughed up with grinder and epoxied into drilled-out rolling pin) with 2 x 15mm compression straight connectors with a bit of copper pipe in each for bearings. Electric drill powered but a pulley could easily be added and the tap wrench did accept a bike crank as a handle before I ground the end off...
Mine doesn't quite spin true (one single shaft would have been better - bucket shops sell a longer tap wrench though that fits the inside dia of pipe well, but I'd already made mine before discovering this...). Cost about £15 all in, including the stainless screws (1" 10's as I remember)
This is the mk 1 version - very low tech but very effective - takes about 45 mins to scrat around 90lbs of apples (fills three 25 litre tubs). Still need to be pulped afterwards though...