Hi,
Please bear with me, there is a cider point to this!
Not so long ago I moved to "the country" and have three apple trees at the end of the garden. I've no idea what variety the apples are, only that I've go loads of the things and there's only so much apple crumble you can realistically eat!
As luck would have it my new home is only just up the road from Vigo Presses, so naturally I took a trip up there to have a look at acquiring a fruit press. Naturally I didn't just come away with an apple press but also a starters cider making kit! Obvs!
We've pulped and pressed some of the apples for juice, which was great but know I want to get some cider on the go. Having spoken to the guys at Vigo and having done a bit of research, I've come up with a plan and all I'm really looking for is for someone to tell me that want I'm doing is about right and not completely stupid!
The beginners kit came with two fermenting vessels, bungs, air-locks and some yeast, as well as a Pulpmaster bucket etc.
As I mentioned we've managed to juice the apples with no problem so my understanding is that this is the basic method for turning juice in to cider:-
Put extracted juice in to sanitised fermentation vessel.
At this point you can add campden tablet to kill wild yeast and then add supplied yeast. I don't want to do this, I want to try au naturel, for ease if nothing else. (If I can get enough juice and have the time {expecting second child any day now!} I might try the second vessel with brewing yeast)
Put the juice in FV in a suitable place with the lid on BUT NOT FULLY SEALED. Await initial fermentation phase, which I understand can be vigorous and a bit messy.
Once this initial phase is over (two to three weeks?) top up with further juice / water to exclude any air. Seal the vessel, allowing further fermentation gases to escape through properly primed air-lock.
Wait.
After a couple of months and or when no more bubbles are observed escaping through air-lock sugars should be turned to alcohol and it can be drunk?
Additionally, during the fermentation period the cider can be "racked off" into a second vessel to continue the fermentation. My understanding of this process is just to remove sediments, and other settled detritus to provide a "clearer" final product?
Am I a million miles away?
I am ready for this first attempt to be battery acid and I'll be more prepared next season but I just want to give this a try rather than see the fruit go to waist.
Any advice gratefully received!
Cheers
NICK
Please bear with me, there is a cider point to this!
Not so long ago I moved to "the country" and have three apple trees at the end of the garden. I've no idea what variety the apples are, only that I've go loads of the things and there's only so much apple crumble you can realistically eat!
As luck would have it my new home is only just up the road from Vigo Presses, so naturally I took a trip up there to have a look at acquiring a fruit press. Naturally I didn't just come away with an apple press but also a starters cider making kit! Obvs!
We've pulped and pressed some of the apples for juice, which was great but know I want to get some cider on the go. Having spoken to the guys at Vigo and having done a bit of research, I've come up with a plan and all I'm really looking for is for someone to tell me that want I'm doing is about right and not completely stupid!
The beginners kit came with two fermenting vessels, bungs, air-locks and some yeast, as well as a Pulpmaster bucket etc.
As I mentioned we've managed to juice the apples with no problem so my understanding is that this is the basic method for turning juice in to cider:-
Put extracted juice in to sanitised fermentation vessel.
At this point you can add campden tablet to kill wild yeast and then add supplied yeast. I don't want to do this, I want to try au naturel, for ease if nothing else. (If I can get enough juice and have the time {expecting second child any day now!} I might try the second vessel with brewing yeast)
Put the juice in FV in a suitable place with the lid on BUT NOT FULLY SEALED. Await initial fermentation phase, which I understand can be vigorous and a bit messy.
Once this initial phase is over (two to three weeks?) top up with further juice / water to exclude any air. Seal the vessel, allowing further fermentation gases to escape through properly primed air-lock.
Wait.
After a couple of months and or when no more bubbles are observed escaping through air-lock sugars should be turned to alcohol and it can be drunk?
Additionally, during the fermentation period the cider can be "racked off" into a second vessel to continue the fermentation. My understanding of this process is just to remove sediments, and other settled detritus to provide a "clearer" final product?
Am I a million miles away?
I am ready for this first attempt to be battery acid and I'll be more prepared next season but I just want to give this a try rather than see the fruit go to waist.
Any advice gratefully received!
Cheers
NICK
