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Gents
HMZ God
Trinidad and Tobago
2214 Posts |
 Posted - 01/11/2004 : 10:44:22
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Not to be confused with "Burrow Hill Cider", the forum's Al Caholic made his debut cider this weekend, and early signs are that it's going to be delicious. Me and Lord Lucan went along to see how he was getting on yesterday, and i'll put some photos and comments on the homepage later this week. A quite different method was used from the HMZ way last year so it was a very useful learning experience for me. And my hands are still completely black.
ZIDER! |
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Jeff the Chef
Thatchers Veteran
United Arab Emirates
672 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 11:12:30
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quote:
And my hands are still completely black.
Why are your hands black?? sounds ominous for the cider! What was the difference in production??
....Don't Tell I Tell Ee  |
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Ivanhoe Martin
Cider Bus Convert
Oman
273 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 11:12:41
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| That's interesting. I'd like to hear about the "different method" (especially as we're only two weeks off pressing our own) |
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Gents
HMZ God
Trinidad and Tobago
2214 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 11:31:21
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I was going to write a bit of an article about it and explain more when i had the pictures sorted, but the main diference was using a Garden Shredder to mill the apples instead of a scratter. Was much quicker and easier, mashed up the apples better so they gave more juice, and was quite good fun bashing the apples through with a stick! Your hands get black from scooping up the pulp and filling the press basket, but its a small price to pay! The apples he had were much juicier than ours and gave much more liquid. He had a tiny metal press, but it was efficient. Two of us made about 50 pints of cider in 4 hours, if we had 4 people we could have doubled that. When you think that it took about 6 of us two days to make 200 pints last year you realise how much better using a shredder was, and apples that actually had some juice in!
ZIDER! |
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Tharg drinker of cider
Cider Bus Convert
Borneo
184 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 12:50:43
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When I made perry the other week, we used two different mills. One was quite a large industrial looking affair, the other looked just like a garden shredder. In fact, I've got one at home in the Forest, and I'm wondering if I might bring it to London for our pressing - it would obviously need a good clean. As regards juice yields, Gents asked about the yields from those pears, but there's no simple answer. We pressed three varieties of pears, all of which produced different amounts of juice, but the individual varieties themselves varied from tree to tree, and I'm told, they'll produce different amounts each year. All part of the fun of it I suppose.
And you will know us by the trail of empties.... |
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Al Caholic
Cider Bus Convert
Vatican City
145 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 13:13:50
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It was indeed a very enjoyable and productive weekend which started with myself, Jack the Hat and his missus making our way to a small orchard in Glastonbury to pick up what turned out to be far too many apples. The sun shined, the views were stunning and I reckon God should be added to the famous cider drinkers section. I have to say I have never seen apples as juicy as these. Despite not knowing the variety, they have made delicious tasting juice and I have a good feeling about the quality of the forthcoming cider.
I took the owner of the orchard a Fullers Autumn selection pack and a bottle of wine for his missus and he was so pleased he has offered me as many apples next year as I want. This will also include access to one of his orchards that only has Kingston Black growing which are reputed to make the best cider of all.
If the HMZ crew are planning a comeback there will be plenty to go around.
Al 
Zider I up barkeep! |
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Jack the Hat
Blackthorn Experimenter
64 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 16:25:31
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Can't wait for the finished product - will make the aches, pains and black hands all seem worthwhile. Not sure why the black (well, brown) hands, but could be something to do with those enzymes (that turn apples brown once you've bitten into it) getting proper lodged under the skin. No amount of scrubbage shifts it and it's ruined my manicure.
Collecting the apples was indeed a joyous occasion, especially as we managed to harvest an enormous yield from just three trees and it made the missus forget about her PMT for a while, which meant that I wasn't suffering from it...
Was a bit worried about the quality of those golf ball sized apples, but it turned out to be the best apple juice I've ever tasted. Bring on the fermentation! |
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Al Caholic
Cider Bus Convert
Vatican City
145 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2004 : 08:38:42
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******FERMENTATION STARTED*******
Yes folks I can happily confirm that the fermentation has started with a vengence. When I checked on it this morning the cotton wool plugs were missing and the tops of the barrels were distinctly brown and foamy. I have to say it smells 'gurt lush'
Al
Zider I up barkeep! |
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Gents
HMZ God
Trinidad and Tobago
2214 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2004 : 09:24:28
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I remember feeling very proud when our cider barrels shot their loads this time last year, congratulations! When did you put your yeast in? I put some in my demi-john this morning so hope to find it's cotton wool stuck to the ceiling tonight...
ZIDER! |
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Al Caholic
Cider Bus Convert
Vatican City
145 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2004 : 13:29:57
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The yeast went in on Sat afternoon for one and Sun afternoon for the other. The Sat one is more lively but the Sun one is catching up. It seems to be quite violent so I'm hoping for a quick first fermentation so I can rack it off and get on with adding a bit of strength to it.
Al
Zider I up barkeep! |
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Jeff the Chef
Thatchers Veteran
United Arab Emirates
672 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2004 : 13:58:22
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From our experience, when you syphon it off don't shake up the barrel, we ended up with loads of sediment which gave you a killer stomach the next day! That said you might not have as much sediment as we had, good luck with it all.......
....Don't Tell I Tell Ee |
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Tharg drinker of cider
Cider Bus Convert
Borneo
184 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2004 : 14:50:21
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This is very exciting isn't it?
And you will know us by the trail of empties.... |
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Gents
HMZ God
Trinidad and Tobago
2214 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2004 : 15:04:05
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Certainly is! Our fermentation started off very aggresively too, but calmed down loads after the first few days. I'd second Jeff's advice on shaking the barrels, although hopefully you wont get as much crap getting through as us because that muzzling you were using was finer than our net curtains we used.
ZIDER! |
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Al Caholic
Cider Bus Convert
Vatican City
145 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2004 : 08:58:02
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I have a proper syphon tube with an 'umbrella' type end on it that should hold it away from the lees. Depending on how strong the cider tastes at first racking, I may add some sugar syrup and let it ferment out again in which case I'll need some yeast to come across anyway.
ciiiiiiiiideeeeeeeeer!!!!
Al
Zider I up barkeep! |
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Gents
HMZ God
Trinidad and Tobago
2214 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2004 : 09:06:45
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Fermentation has started in my demijohn too, i came home find the cotton wool had been launched six inches away, dirtying some washing on the way, and a line foamy bubbles coming out the top of the bottle.
I think my hands are also fermenting, they still seem to be black! They didn't stay black for anywhere near this long last year, slightly worried now!
ZIDER! |
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Jack the Hat
Blackthorn Experimenter
64 Posts |
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Berrow Hill Cider!
