Hello from Baker, West Virginia

[user 46737]

A few years ago I found my father’s press. He fermented apples, tomatoes and other fruits from his garden. So I’m doing the same but instead buying apples from local orchards in the Northern Virginia area. My primary reference has been “Real Cidermaking - On a Small Scale” by Michael Pooley & John Lomax, which I have found to be a tremendous resource. The couple of batches I’ve made (annual fall family fun) have been good, but I’m always trying to improve and think this forum will help (need some help with my current batch).

I picked a UK forum for two reasons, one is my primary resource mentioned above and another is I spend half of the year in Anstruther, Fife and have family near Tomnavaulin. I’ve tasted some good cider from Fife and seems like there’s an increasing interest in making good local ciders. Cheers to that.

 

[An Ankoù]

A few years ago I found my father’s press. He fermented apples, tomatoes and other fruits from his garden. So I’m doing the same but instead buying apples from local orchards in the Northern Virginia area. My primary reference has been “Real Cidermaking - On a Small Scale” by Michael Pooley & John Lomax, which I have found to be a tremendous resource. The couple of batches I’ve made (annual fall family fun) have been good, but I’m always trying to improve and think this forum will help (need some help with my current batch).

I picked a UK forum for two reasons, one is my primary resource mentioned above and another is I spend half of the year in Anstruther, Fife and have family near Tomnavaulin. I’ve tasted some good cider from Fife and seems like there’s an increasing interest in making good local ciders. Cheers to that.

Welcome @HABVEE. If there's one thing I love more than much else it's a pint or two of West Country cider. Do yourself a favour next time you're on this side of the water and book a room above a pub somewhere in Somerset for a week. In fact, Im thinking of doing much the same myself. As for making the stuff, try to get as good a mixture of apples as possible, including crab apples and those that grow by the roadside. Some apples are good for single varietal cider's, like dabinett, Yarlington mill, or Kingston black but they after taste quite odd if you try to use them as dessert apples. I haven't read the book you mention and I'll look out a copy. I generally make a hundred or so litres of cider from my own apples, but it's not as good as the best from the likes of Westons or Sheppys or Gwynt y Ddraig, and that's entirely down to the apple mix. There's no much techniques involved in cider making compared with beer making, unless you want to make sweet cider through keeving, it's just the hard work of scratting and pressing the apples you've got to hand.
You talk about not buying from local orchards-that sounds like dessert apples. It really is worth checking out cider apples. Although good, but different cider's can be made from both.

 

[user 46737]

Thanks An Ankou.That’s all good advice. Really do need to visit Somerset. I used Jonagolds this year, Winesaps previously.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum

 

[starseeker]

Thanks An Ankou.That’s all good advice. Really do need to visit Somerset. I used Jonagolds this year, Winesaps previously.

Come and visit us here in Somerset, about four miles from us we have Perrys cider ,a great place to spend some time sampling a few and then bringing a gallon on with you :)

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

A few years ago I found my father’s press. He fermented apples, tomatoes and other fruits from his garden. So I’m doing the same but instead buying apples from local orchards in the Northern Virginia area. My primary reference has been “Real Cidermaking - On a Small Scale” by Michael Pooley & John Lomax, which I have found to be a tremendous resource. The couple of batches I’ve made (annual fall family fun) have been good, but I’m always trying to improve and think this forum will help (need some help with my current batch).

I picked a UK forum for two reasons, one is my primary resource mentioned above and another is I spend half of the year in Anstruther, Fife and have family near Tomnavaulin. I’ve tasted some good cider from Fife and seems like there’s an increasing interest in making good local ciders. Cheers to that.

Welcome!

My son lives in the next state along. Richmond, VA.

Hope you find what you're looking for here.

 

[user 46737]

Come and visit us here in Somerset, about four miles from us we have Perrys cider ,a great place to spend some time sampling a few and then bringing a gallon on with you :)

I’ll make it a priority! What’s the best time of year to sample the wares?

 

[user 46737]

Welcome!

My son lives in the next state along. Richmond, VA.

Hope you find what you're looking for here.

Thanks Tess. I hope so too. Richmond is a nice town, about 4 hours from the farm.

 

[starseeker]

I’ll make it a priority! What’s the best time of year to sample the wares?

Most of the cider farms sell year round, but you can't beat a few pints on a nice summers day/eve