Home made cider

[baconsarney]

My three apple trees have gone mad this year so I’m in the process of ordering a 30 litre fermentation bucket and an 18 litre fruit press… not done this before, but I have bought a beginners cider making book… any advice or tips most welcome…
TIA Richard

[dundarach]

Clean and clean some more

Mine has always gone off :-(

[AndyTR]

Best tip I can give you is return the press and find somewhere local that will press the apples unpasteurised.

[baconsarney]

dundarach said:

Clean and clean some more

Mine has always gone off :-(

[ATG]

I've never made any myself, but I was talking to a bloke who does very small scale local production and he reckoned it was pretty simple (and it probably is for him as he knows what he's doing, but anyway...) He "just" juiced the apples, but the juice into a fermentation jar and left it. The yeasts already on the apples did the fermenting; he didn't add any yeast himself. Can't remember how long he left the fermentation to run, but I don't think it was all that long; maybe a few weeks?

Looked like there was a very low barrier to just having a go. I'm waiting for our apple trees to grow a bit and then I'll see if I can create something that doesn't make me go blind.

[snoopygoose]

You’re better off not relying on the wild yeast mate.
Do it properly:
Juice the apples, hit it with Campden tablets and leave it 24 hours so the natural yeast is dead.
Add some pectic enzyme for clarity.
Pitch a decent cider or champagne yeast of your choosing.
Stick an airlock on it and let it ferment.
Sanitize the absolute life out of everything as well — most of the “mine always goes off” stories are just dirty kit.
Do that and you’ll have proper cider instead of apple vinegar. Profit.

[fttm]

As has already been said it's critical that everything that touches the cider has been thoroughly sterilized , vessels stirring sticks everything no matter what , and don't put your hands in it !!! Enjoy the hangover