Our first attempt at Cider making

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Bodger

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« on: August 22, 2007, 11:42 »
We made cider for the first time ever this year and so I ticked off another one of my lifetime ambitions.
We beg stole and borrowed apples from wherever we could and made about twenty gallons.
Here is a pictorial guide of what went on over two weekends. REALLY GOOD FUN :D  :D  :D











We even got Granny Bodger on the left to sort the apples.
The small cylindrical press held 12 litres of what the professionals call cheese which is really squished apples to us novices and cost £70.
This was more than adequate but the bigger one was made by my mate from plans that we got from Downsizer.








Even this small press churned out plenty of juice for our size of operation




We put the chopped apples through a borrowed garden shredder.




The press that Bodgers Mate made worked well but there will be modifications for next season.




Not the finished article but a few months on its now perfectly clear.

The good news ! If we can do it anybody can ! The bad news is that after making 20 gallons of the stuff, I have a sneaky feeling that this stuff is responsible for giving me gout !



We even toyed with the idea of having our own label. Dillusions of grandeur or what ? :D  :D  :D

As a footnote, we have just finished off the last of the cider and whether it was beginners luck or not ? I don't know but it was delicious. We will be making a larger amount this year on the strength of the previous result :D

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wildeone

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2007, 11:45 »
Well done!!!! Looks like great fun!!!

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muntjac

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2007, 12:09 »
%hic% cyberdrunk with the idea already :oops:
still alive /............

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Bodger

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2007, 12:38 »
About thirty of the old gang are going on a cider weekend at Ross on Wye in the beginning of November.
An open cellar evening on the Friday night and then the Westons factory tour followed by a visit to the Hereford Cider Museum :D

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Ann

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2007, 19:28 »
Bodger where did you get the water bottles from?  I would love some to make cloches from.

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WG.

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2007, 19:34 »

Looks perfectly ready to me ...

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Aunt Sally

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2007, 20:01 »
What great fun Bodger.  But your location is posted as "Wales".  So how come all the sun shine  :!:

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Bodger

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2007, 21:03 »
That was last year Sally :lol:

The water containers are the five gallon bottles that posh people and offices have in their water dispensers :D

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jack russell

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2007, 22:36 »
yep that does look good fun for the whole family to get involved in  :D

just a pitty we not keen on cider :roll:

cheers

jr
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q230/jack-russell_2007/CIMG1386.jpg[/img]http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q230/jack-russell_2007/roostertop-1.jpg[/img]


not organic    but still a nice bloke

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Bodger

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2007, 22:53 »
There's cider and then there's cider, so perhaps all is not lost JR :lol:

This year we intend to freeze some of the juice as its pressed so that we can have it at breakfast time. :D

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Little Miss Muffet

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2007, 04:24 »
Bodger if ever you come wiltshire way look out for  cider called wacky you would love it.The only problem is i have yet to find someone who can drink more than two pints of it.
I only like sweet cider i went to the cider farm down in cormal that is a good one if you are in to cider.and well worth the visit.

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David.

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2007, 18:45 »
I've pressed my first 2 gallons, come back from holiday with loads of 'gleaned' windfalls, and returned to loads of apples & pears.

After pressing apples, I add a campden tablet (to sterilise) and 1 teaspoon of pectalase (to drop sediment/clear).

Then I freeze/pasteurise apple juice for blending with later ripening apples/crab apples (at this time of year).

I check out new varieties of apples by producing an initial small batch of cider.

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Foxy

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #12 on: August 24, 2007, 21:28 »
What fantastic fun!!

I was wondering where you got your cider press from?? :lol:  :lol:

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Annie

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #13 on: August 26, 2007, 23:34 »
It is not quite so much fun if your OH insists on doing all the pressing in the kitchen so the floor developes a kind of stickiness with sound effects.Stil the boxes of apples will be replaced by demi johns,oh and a friend with a cider orchard is offering us windfalls..hic :roll:

Love the idea of using a shreader to chop the apples though.

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David.

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Our first attempt at Cider making
« Reply #14 on: August 27, 2007, 13:02 »
Quote from: "Annie"
It is not quite so much fun if your OH insists on doing all the pressing in the kitchen


I seem to recall hearing something like that myself over the last few days + about the juice running down the front of kitchen units/appliances when transfering pommace (in bucket on floor) to the press (on work top).

The really messy bit is when using a pulpmaster bucket + electric drill to chop the fruit, and lifting the top before the blade has stopped spinning!

Quote from: "jack russell"
just a pitty we not keen on cider


Pressed apple juice can be used to make apple wine, not just cider.



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