...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.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Golden Deli's 'n stuff...
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...
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...'
...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.
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.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Hey, 15 is in!
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...
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...
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...
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Brrr...
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...
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...
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
'Snow good...
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...
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...
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