Basic Cider

[jebrug]

Not being given to messing about with fancy recipes etc; I just mulched and pressed the apples, poured the juice into a selection of containers ranging from DJ's to 7g barrels a total of 25 gals, fitted the airlocks and let nature take its course.
About 5 gallons of the resulting brew was bottled the week before xmas with about a teaspoon of sugar per bottle and stored in a warm corner of the kitchen.
No added yeast, no special sterilising, chemicals or additives and no spells or incantations. Just apple juice and mother nature.
The result is a very special sparkling cider of about 5% with no underlying tanginess etc.
Perhaps our forebears knew what they were doing after all. :hmm:

 

[Cider Minx]

I was so tempted to do it au natural also but I was toooooooooo scared I didn't want vinegar

glad it turned out for you, it sounds nice

 

[phoenix68]

There is a lot to be said for keeping things simple : : :

Thanks Graham

 

[jebrug]

Its my experience over several years that natural fermented cider is less accident prone than the cultivated sort. And, there is no need to worry about contamination by airborne yeast etc because they are the very beasties that are doing the work.
Just concentrate on keeping the vinegar fly away by keeping the brew under airlocks at all times and nature will do the rest.
However, it is unlikely that cider making with "Tesco's" apple juice will be as forgiving as pressed apples complete with all the inherent imperfections.
Is it possible that cider, like ourselves, is in danger of being hygened out of its health ?.
Now there's a thought :hmm:

 

[evanvine]

Is it possible that cider, like ourselves, is in danger of being hygened out of its health ?.

Too damn right!

 

[evanvine]

I didn't want vinegar

Now there's an art that's not coverd on this Forum!