Cider making questions

[16gauge]

Hi all;
Read an interesting article in The Backwoodsmanmagazine about making your own cider. I've never done it before, but I would like to try it. Has anyone out there made their own (hard) cider? If so, could you answer the following questions, please.

1.) Which type of apples MacIntosh, Gram Spys, ect) have you found to make the best cider?

2.) Which yeast have you found to produce the best flavor?

3.) How much liquid can I expect to get (roughly) from a bushell of apples?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mad Professor]

Hi all;
Read an interesting article in The Backwoodsmanmagazine about making your own cider. I've never done it before, but I would like to try it. Has anyone out there made their own (hard) cider? If so, could you answer the following questions, please.

1.) Which type of apples MacIntosh, Gram Spys, ect) have you found to make the best cider?

2.) Which yeast have you found to produce the best flavor?

3.) How much liquid can I expect to get (roughly) from a bushell of apples?

Thanks in advance.

A mix of various apples usually gives the best tasting cider.

You can use the natural yeast and allow the apples to ferment, I use champagne yeast.

The amount of juice will vary somewhat with the type and ripeness of apple used. You can increase yield by treating the mash/grind with pectinase enzyme before pressing.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I've made cider in the past, how can you stop the fermemntation process and keep it from turning to vinegar? really good cold, but can't drink too much!

 

[[email protected]]

Hi,
Making cider is easy. You will want to use at least 3 varieties of apples. The flavor out comes can vary year to year depending on weather/soil conditions. Like was stated earlier juice yeild can vary greatly depending on weather conditions, how long the apples have been stored, and at what point in the season they are harvested.
The primary fermenting can be done in a 5 or 6 gal. carboy available from a home brew suppy store. Fill the carboy with the juice (make sure if you buy it that it does not have any preservatives in it) and then add a packet of champagne yeast, seal it with an air lock. Let it sit in a dark place for 4-8 days or until the majority of the foaming and bubbling has passed. The you can siphon it to another 5 gal carboy or preferably an oak barrel. Put it in the basement and let it sit at least 6 months. The last stuff I bottled was put up 2 1/2 years ago and it is like a fine dry white wine with a light fruity aple finish.
This is a rough outline, there are numbers of good recipies if you search online that will give you all kinds of variations, sweet,dry,sparkly, etc.
The harvest for early varieties is starting soon time to break out the press. Good Luck

Cheers
H

PS as long as you have a good air lock on it it should not turn to viniger. It becomes viniger once you add open air to it.

 

[Ridge]

I read the same article and would like to try the same thing. My question is...once you have it made, do you have to keep it refrigerated?

 

[George Holton]

If for any reason your recipe should call for raisins, be sure to keep the air lock clear, I made mead one year and had the best smelling basement in the world when a raisin got into the line , the carboy blew up a t 3/30 in the morning as well lots of sticky fun.

 

[RP3543]

16Gauge,
If you follow Hobbes advice, you can make some excellent cider. The only things I would add are..
- Clean work area and utensils really well. This will help prevent wild yeasts infiltrating your cider and making a bad batch. Use a cleaner with bleach in it.
- Maintain your airlock! Check it once a month to make sure it is still working and the water in the lock has not evaporated.
- Like R.O.Bob says, be careful with raisins (or any other small bits). Anything that can migrate into an airlock probably will. I make a cheesecloth bag and put the raisins in that so I don't siphon any into the carboy. It's not fun cleaning 5 gallons of cider must off the basement ceiling.
- Buy a good brewers yeast and follow the instructions. Bread yeast will work but not as well. Letting nature take care of it for you can be disappointing (Maybe cider, maybe vinegar).
- Like Hobbes said, let it sit for 6 months and the fermentation process will probably be finished. There should be no movement of the airlock for at least a week. If your not sure, you can add a pint of Vodka/Gin to a 5 gallon carboy to kill any yeast that are still active. My bootlegger ancestors used to do this to help "speed" the process up. (an exploded barrel of beer was a dead give-away, could be smelled for days/miles)
Most of all, don't worry! It ruins the "hootch".
Have fun with it and share it with your friends.
Good Luck,
Bob

 

[rabjr]

I'm pretty much doing what Hobbes has posted. I do much prefer going up the street and getting fresh pressed cider with no preservatives in it and using that over having to sit here and press apples all day. Unfortunately thats a seasonal thing though. But I just ran out of the hard cider I put up last year so I'll havta add an extra 5 gallons this year and should be plenty for the year. :grin:

 

[Bubba45]

Is it possible to use the unfiltered cider from the store thats kept in the refrigerated section?

 

[rabjr]

Biggest problem with cider is finding it without preservatives. As long as there isn't any, yes you can use it. You can use apple juice if you want to, just no preservatives.

 

[Bubba45]

Think I'll give it a try then, the label claims no additives or preservatives .

 

[16gauge]

We just got back from a trip out east (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont) where I picked up a couple of books on cider making. I was reading one and the fellow who wrote it stated that he used crab apples in his mix. Are these the same crab apples that I have growing on the ornamental crab apple tree in my yard? Can I use these crab apples?
Thanks again....so far all the info has been most helpful (and appreciated).

 

[rabjr]

As long as those apples on your tree are edible I don't see why not. We have a crab apple tree here out back that we used to try to eat when we were kids but they made much better projectiles than eating them. :haha: Just way to tart.

 

[shmrck1]

Hobbes,
So using reg cider is OK as long as it is
all natural??That being the case the process
would remain the same,correct?
snake-eyes:hmm:

 

[rabjr]

Yes Snake-eyes, you can either buy and press your own apples or buy a good cider with no preservatives in it.