cider for beginners please

Hi all,

I've cleared my brother's orchard out this year and thought I would give the old cider a go.  

I've made up two batches, one is an eating apple mix and the other is almost all windfall crabbies.  I've added sugar and yeast to both, the eating apples are clearing nicely after bubbling for a few weeks, but the crabbies have still got a lot of sediment and some mould appears to be growing around the top.

Is mould normal?  Or has my sterility been compromised and how can I save my batch?

All help greatly appreciated.

PS - forgot to add - they have both been stored in a dark cupboard in the house, should be warm enough, but is it right to keep them in the dark??

Right to keep them in the dark, wrong to keep them warm 

Mould is not normal and some types of mould can produce some nasty things like aflatoxins that you dont want to eat or drink. Feed it to the plants rather than taking a chance with your health.

You're probably better off mixing the crabs and eaters to get a balance of acidity, tannins, and sugar.

See here:

http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/cider-apple-chemistry
http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/tannin-and-acid-in-cider

Next time, chuck a few campden tablets into the juice, leave for a day, then add yeast. The campdens will stun the contaminants and allow the yeast you added to take over.

Very jealous that you are able to press your own cider though! Where did you get the mill and press from? I'm planning on making my own next year, the the wife is probably going to object!