[nuzuki]

We have two different types of apples. Im unsure what kind but shall take pics for posting up another day. I have 3 x 20litre buckets that were from a takeaway and used to contain curry powder. I also have an abundance of cheap tesco beer bottles that have the twist caps on. We have just bought a fruit press from ebay so I would like to get started making my own cider.

So I was given some baby bottle sterilising solution, can I use that to sterilise everything before I get started or is it best to use sterilising tablets?

Also will any wine making yeast do the trick? Im sure it will state on the packet the quantity to use but maybe someone with experience can tell me how much to use to get the best results.

Once I make the apple pulp do I fill the bucket to the top with water? Any need to add sugar?

How about temperature? Will it be ok just left in the conservatory? We have an oil heating system in this house and the last time I made cider was when I was around 13 and we put it in front of the gas powered boiler in the kitchen. The reason I ask this is can the fumes from the oil heating effect the quality of cider?

Do I need to put a check valve in the bucket lids? i.e. so air can get out but not in?

And finally once I have it all setup how long do I need to wait? I would prefer sweet cider to high alcohol content cider but as I have 3 buckets I was going to do one of one kind of apples. The other 2 buckets would have the other type of apple in there but one left longer than the other for comparisson.

Any help with the above would be greatly appreciated, thanks

[AnnieB]

Use a proper sterilizing chemical, I suspect that what sterilizers a baby bottle is not the same as for wine/cider.

You can get a proper cider yeast, think Youngs make it, alternatively try to get hold of something like Gervins Variental D, it is for fruit wines.

Or just Youngs standard Super Yeast.

The process you describe appears a bit of a mix between Cider and Apple Wine.

Cider: Take apples, beat the living daylights (mince) out of them to produce a pulp, then put the pulp in a press and squeeze the juice out. You ferment this juice - no water, no additional sugar, just the juice. So a lot of the final cider depends on the apples used - sweetness, acidity, tannin level.

This site gives some ideas: http://www.cider.org.uk/content2.htm

Apple Wine:
12 lbs apples, 3lbs sugar, pectic enzyme. water to 1 gallon.
(All seem to need a big pan to boil it all.)
Here goes:
Mince the apples, put apples in big pot, add gallon of water and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Strain liquid into a bucket, add sugar and dissolve sugar.
Add apple pulp back to the juice+sugar.
When cool add pectic enzyme.
(Now this is where I differ from the instructions)
Make a yeast starter and add to the barely luke warm mix, add yeast nutrient also.
Cover bucket and ferment for 5-7 days, stir twice a day.
Put the whole lot through a reasonably fine sieve and into a DJ, add airlock and ferment+rack to as normal.

This came from: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/recipes.asp
Apple recipe 2.

I would mince the apples, put in a bucket then pour 3 or 4 pints of boiling water on this, allow it to cool, make up to a gallon with water then throw in the yeast etc. Easier to boil 2 or 3 kettles of water then 1 gallon of apple mix.

Alternative: Mince apples, add cold (luke warm) water, add a campden tablet, leave overnight, stir, add pectic enzyme, add nutrient, add yeast starter, cover and ferment for 5-7 days etc.

There will be a subtle difference between uncooked and cooked apples.

For Sweet/Medium/Dry you need a hydrometer and also need to measure the Specific Gravity at the start, just before you add the yeast.

[nuzuki]

Thanks annieb I think I shall try my hand at making apple wine and cider. Could you or anyone tell me the types of apples I have? We moved here a year ago and have an abundance of 2 different kinds of apples. Pics are below...









Thanks

[nuzuki]

Also do I need an airlock for my plastic food grade buckets? I noticed the kits sold in wilkos dont appear to have the airlocks. Is there a way to get round this by say leaving a gap at the top of the container? Im happy to purchase some but am not sure whether they are needed based on what i've seen.

Thanks

[Alastair-I]

I'll check back after dinner with more info..

But don't add any water or sugar!  Straight juice is what you want for cider.  Definitely NO WATER.

[Alastair-I]

I'll hazard a guess at <oops, not that one> and Discovery for the apple varieties, for cider you'll need something sharper in the mix - can you scrump some cooking apples from a neighbour.

Your pulp will need pressing, a clean pillow case and lots of weight added slowly is the key to it.  A press is just a convenient way of applying the weight.  Two think chopping boards and a sack of bricks will achieve the same effect if you're careful.

For Cider - Adding water will only dilute the juice, which will dilute the sugar content and the flavour.  Adding sugar back deals with the food for the yeasts buy doesn't replace the apple flavour.

Once you get your apple juice, into a fermentation vessel (or demijohn), add your yeast (unless you're going to chance it with wild yeasts), put it under airlock and let it ferment out.  Rack and mature.  Long, slow fermentation is best.. get it started somewhere warm to get the yeast going and a protective CO2 blanket established and then you can leave it somewhere cooler and forget about it for a while.

We also bottle some straight apple juice, pastuerise it in a big pan, add a little vit C and keep it in swing-top bottles.  It will keep unrefrigerated for 3 months (at least that's the longest we managed to keep any last year before it was drunk).

[SG6]

Red apple could be several, one I can find that looks like is Katy, another is Worcestershire Pearmain but it looks too round in shape, although some of the larger ones do seem to have the right shape. As said could be one of about 10 possibilities and the book I have only has 120 varieties illistrated.

The green I have no real idea, one just seen is Tower of Glamis which looks very similar, Dumelows Seedling slightly similar. That's all I can see with what I have. Not many green ones in the book.