Discussion
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
We have a small orchard and made some cider and some apple wine. I'll report back in the Autumn as to it's quality 
You won't have to wait that long to find out, a couple of months and you'll get a good indication of what it's going to be like.I would say mine is 'complex'.
How come you are tasting in June when apples are harvested and processed in Autumn? Most of mine was bottled by Christmas.
I used some flip top Grolsch type bottles and some 250ml ones so I could get an easy taste of the first batch, when it was a bit tart I altered the recipe for the others and made it better.
Some bottles are a bit lively, I gave some to a mate who opened it at home, it sprayed all over the walls, TV, carpet etc....
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
We have a small orchard and made some cider and some apple wine. I'll report back in the Autumn as to it's quality
You won't have to wait that long to find out, a couple of months and you'll get a good indication of what it's going to be like.I would say mine is 'complex'.
How come you are tasting in June when apples are harvested and processed in Autumn? Most of mine was bottled by Christmas.
I used some flip top Grolsch type bottles and some 250ml ones so I could get an easy taste of the first batch, when it was a bit tart I altered the recipe for the others and made it better.
Some bottles are a bit lively, I gave some to a mate who opened it at home, it sprayed all over the walls, TV, carpet etc....
IanA2 said:
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
We have a small orchard and made some cider and some apple wine. I'll report back in the Autumn as to it's quality
You won't have to wait that long to find out, a couple of months and you'll get a good indication of what it's going to be like.I would say mine is 'complex'.
How come you are tasting in June when apples are harvested and processed in Autumn? Most of mine was bottled by Christmas.
I used some flip top Grolsch type bottles and some 250ml ones so I could get an easy taste of the first batch, when it was a bit tart I altered the recipe for the others and made it better.
Some bottles are a bit lively, I gave some to a mate who opened it at home, it sprayed all over the walls, TV, carpet etc....
IanA2 said:
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
We have a small orchard and made some cider and some apple wine. I'll report back in the Autumn as to it's quality
You won't have to wait that long to find out, a couple of months and you'll get a good indication of what it's going to be like.I would say mine is 'complex'.
How come you are tasting in June when apples are harvested and processed in Autumn? Most of mine was bottled by Christmas.
I used some flip top Grolsch type bottles and some 250ml ones so I could get an easy taste of the first batch, when it was a bit tart I altered the recipe for the others and made it better.
Some bottles are a bit lively, I gave some to a mate who opened it at home, it sprayed all over the walls, TV, carpet etc....
It only needs to go into the DJs until it's cleared or has stopped fermenting - about 3 weeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qYknjqEAWc
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
Evoluzione said:
IanA2 said:
We have a small orchard and made some cider and some apple wine. I'll report back in the Autumn as to it's quality
You won't have to wait that long to find out, a couple of months and you'll get a good indication of what it's going to be like.I would say mine is 'complex'.
How come you are tasting in June when apples are harvested and processed in Autumn? Most of mine was bottled by Christmas.
I used some flip top Grolsch type bottles and some 250ml ones so I could get an easy taste of the first batch, when it was a bit tart I altered the recipe for the others and made it better.
Some bottles are a bit lively, I gave some to a mate who opened it at home, it sprayed all over the walls, TV, carpet etc....
It only needs to go into the DJs until it's cleared or has stopped fermenting - about 3 weeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qYknjqEAWc
IanA2 said:
Just consulted with the head brewer who tells me that most but not all of the DJ's have been bottled. In any case says head brewer, whilst it is preferable to bottle it's not essential. A question of storage space methinks.
My understanding was you get a lot of dead yeast and sludge forming during the first months fermentation in the bottom and the syphoning/filtering into another container helps clear that out. If you drink that stuff then it can upset stomach. Guess it's OK if you can get it out without disturbing the sediment? I made some scrumpy from the eating apples in our garden in October, shredded the entire apple in a juicer and added some wine yeast for a bit of extra poke. Came out nice and cloudy, slightly sweeter than it should be so might try mixing in some cooking apples next time. Fairly happy with the result though, will be getting trialled in the sun today I think!
wombleh said:
IanA2 said:
Just consulted with the head brewer who tells me that most but not all of the DJ's have been bottled. In any case says head brewer, whilst it is preferable to bottle it's not essential. A question of storage space methinks.
My understanding was you get a lot of dead yeast and sludge forming during the first months fermentation in the bottom and the syphoning/filtering into another container helps clear that out. If you drink that stuff then it can upset stomach. Guess it's OK if you can get it out without disturbing the sediment? I made some scrumpy from the eating apples in our garden in October, shredded the entire apple in a juicer and added some wine yeast for a bit of extra poke. Came out nice and cloudy, slightly sweeter than it should be so might try mixing in some cooking apples next time. Fairly happy with the result though, will be getting trialled in the sun today I think!
If you want it fizzy it's better to bottle as soon as poss, they are easier to store as it is then safely sealed and smaller so you can hide them all over the place.
I certainly wouldn't nurture my whole first batch for a year without bottling and/or tasting, you might find out the whole lot is foul and have to sling it. By tasting early you can change the recipe if caught early enough.
You're not anywhere near West Yorks are you Wombleh? I'll trade you some apples, mine are a bit tart!
Evoluzione said:
I think it's called the 'must' and it is said that if you leave the cider on it too long it can pick up a stale flavour from it. I sometimes pipe from one DJ to another to avoid this, help it clear and get it to re-ferment a little.
If you want it fizzy it's better to bottle as soon as poss, they are easier to store as it is then safely sealed and smaller so you can hide them all over the place.
I certainly wouldn't nurture my whole first batch for a year without bottling and/or tasting, you might find out the whole lot is foul and have to sling it. By tasting early you can change the recipe if caught early enough.
You're not anywhere near West Yorks are you Wombleh? I'll trade you some apples, mine are a bit tart!
Thanks for the offer, I'm near Oxford so bit far!If you want it fizzy it's better to bottle as soon as poss, they are easier to store as it is then safely sealed and smaller so you can hide them all over the place.
I certainly wouldn't nurture my whole first batch for a year without bottling and/or tasting, you might find out the whole lot is foul and have to sling it. By tasting early you can change the recipe if caught early enough.
You're not anywhere near West Yorks are you Wombleh? I'll trade you some apples, mine are a bit tart!
I did have a sample when I transferred it but it was pretty nasty at that point, almost binned it then. Left it about a month and it seemed to mature and turn drinkable. Not sure if that's expected or brewer failure, maybe moved it too early.
How have I only just found this thread, I love cider and have been a drinker of the stuff for decades, way before it became trendy.
When I was in my teens all my mates would take the piss as it was a "girls drink" the fact that I could drink the same amount of a far stronger drink than some pissy lager and hold it better than them didn't seem to register.
I'm not that big a fan of the tinned brands such as Strongbow as to me it just tastes synthetic and bloats me out too however Merrydown is nice but Sansbury's and Tesco seem to have stopped selling it.
When I was in my teens all my mates would take the piss as it was a "girls drink" the fact that I could drink the same amount of a far stronger drink than some pissy lager and hold it better than them didn't seem to register.
sgrimshaw said:
Henry Westons Vintage in Bottles 8.2% - lush
Anyway 4 of the above and I'm anyones, also a bit partial to Old Rosie and a couple of days ago I picked up some Sainsbury's Taste the Difference bottled cider as it was cheap and I needed some for gravy I was making; it was very nice too.I'm not that big a fan of the tinned brands such as Strongbow as to me it just tastes synthetic and bloats me out too however Merrydown is nice but Sansbury's and Tesco seem to have stopped selling it.
About twelve years ago I came across a nice cider called Aspall. Drank it for several years. Loved it. You can still buy bottles labelled Aspall, but what's in them I do not know, it's nothing like it used to be, more acidic, vaguely oxidised and lacking the light bright flavour it used to have.
Anyone else noticed that or is it just my tastebuds gone funny?
Anyone else noticed that or is it just my tastebuds gone funny?
The Weston's Oak Aged 8.2% stuff is £1.50 a bottle in Morrison's at the moment. Not my favourite but it's a good one; I like the similarly bottled Perry too but that goes down far too quick. I've probably had about 30 different ciders this past 12 months but for some reason my memory is hazy on my favourites...
Will be the Wetherspoons Cider Festival in a couple of months too I think, for those who dare enter such establishments.
Will be the Wetherspoons Cider Festival in a couple of months too I think, for those who dare enter such establishments.
mad4amanda said:
Thread revival due to me buying some south African cider today from Morrisons Savannah Gold Dry and very nice it is too! £1 a bottle too.
This is the only decent cider I can get here in the UAE and it was the only cider period in Angola when I lived there, hence I've got rather partial to it over the last 7 years.That said, when in the UK Stowford Press is far and away my favourite.
I tried some of that Citrus Strongbow over weekend just for a change its pretty nice.
I love Thatchers Katy its a real nice drink. First time i drank it i had a fair few i got a bit of a wobble on. It wasnt until the next morning i realised the % of it.
Im going to try some different ones this year rather than sticking to the same thing. Tempted to try making my own to.
I love Thatchers Katy its a real nice drink. First time i drank it i had a fair few i got a bit of a wobble on. It wasnt until the next morning i realised the % of it.
Im going to try some different ones this year rather than sticking to the same thing. Tempted to try making my own to.
I tried some of that Citrus Strongbow over weekend just for a change its pretty nice.
I love Thatchers Katy its a real nice drink. First time i drank it i had a fair few i got a bit of a wobble on. It wasnt until the next morning i realised the % of it.
Im going to try some different ones this year rather than sticking to the same thing. Tempted to try making my own to.
I love Thatchers Katy its a real nice drink. First time i drank it i had a fair few i got a bit of a wobble on. It wasnt until the next morning i realised the % of it.
Im going to try some different ones this year rather than sticking to the same thing. Tempted to try making my own to.
SilverSixer said:
Waitrose used to have an own-brand Normandy cider in 500ml brown bottles. It was unspeakably delicious, about 5% I think. Last summer it was not available. Waaaah. I wonder if it'll show up again?
Anyone found Normandy cider in any of the other mainstream supermarkets?
I bought a bottle from Waitrose last night. It was delicious. Sainsburys do something similar, though, if there is none in your local store.Anyone found Normandy cider in any of the other mainstream supermarkets?
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