Cider apple vinegar

[gingerbiscuit]

I've got some cider on the go. How can I make cider apple vinegar?

Yeast makes alcohol... then the alcohol can be turned into vinegar by bacteria.

Is this right..?

How can I allow this process to happen?
Thanks for providing this rescource

 

[Moley]

I've never tried this myself but I know someone who has and I hope this is correct.

You may be able to let some finished cider acetify simply by pouring it into a wide-necked jar, adding a tablespoonful of malt vinegar, covering the jar with a gauze mesh to keep the flies out and leaving it well away from your good cider for a couple of weeks. By “well away” I mean in a shed, greenhouse or some other entirely separate building.

Alternatively, when you press your apples, leave it for a little while and the juice will drop a sediment, syphon off the clearing juice to make your cider from and then put the sediment in a wide-necked, gauze-covered jar as above.

 

[gingerbiscuit]

Nice idea with adding some malt vinegar! I guess it would have to be un-pasteurised/ preserved though?

Indecently, I've left the sediment in with my brewing cider... "dirty farm yard" style! HaHa. I'll juice some more apples for my batch of vinegar.

...lets say hypothetically that someone's cider went horribly wrong and got contaminated, is what they end up with going to be a vinegar? ...A BIG supply of vinegar? HaHa

Thanks everyone, I'm having lots of fun!

 

[gingerbiscuit]

I have found a health food shop locally that sells Cider Vinegar that is unfiltered and unpasteurised. It contains the "mother," bacteria from the vinegar.
This would be perfect to "seed" my vinegar production... Well away from my cider of course!

My question is, do you think I should still use an open container with a gauze covering? Or would I now be able to have full control over the situation and use an airlock?

Thanks again!

 

[Moley]

Take a look at the Harris forum, David's probably the man to ask.
Link

 

[gingerbiscuit]

Thanks!

 

[user 1290]

Take a look at the Harris forum, David's probably the man to ask.
Link

My cider vinegar is coming on nicely (just tried a glass) and have replied to gingerbiscuit's post on the other forum.

 

[Tony]

HI GB
just came across this, you may find it helpful!

http://www.whizbangcider.com/2010/09/heres-how-i-make-apple-cider-vinegar.html

 

[gingerbiscuit]

Wow thanks Tony. Great resource.
It appears that you can't go to wrong with the vinegar production.

Am I right in saying that the worst case senario for all cider production is that it all goes wrong and you end up with apple cider vinegar?

For example, if your cider is nasty tasting you can just let it breathe the air, find the bacteria and let it turn into vinegar?

Win win?

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

Not really win/win when you've got gallons and gallons of the stuff!

I cook a lot, using real ingredients but I could never imagine getting through one gallon of cider vinegar, let along the 5 that I have when I put a batch of cider on!

 

[Tony]

)
I have a bottle cider vinegar in the cupboard - used some of it yesterday for carmelised onions... couldn't tell you when I bought it .... well over a year ago and its only 50cl

Can you pickle onions in cider vinegar...?

 

[gingerbiscuit]

What are the laws with bottling and selling vinegar?

Either way, I am involved with lots of grass roots projects, festivals and events. I think I could sell it all/ give it away as a great present.

Anyway, it's all going to be delicious cider!

 

[jamesb]

I've just had this come in from another place. Doesn't look that useful but may be worth a squizz.

http://www.whizbangcider.com/2010/09/heres-how-i-make-apple-cider-vinegar.html

 

[user 1290]

:Can you pickle onions in cider vinegar...?

Only if the pressed juice contained sufficient sugar (or had some added) and was fermented right out to get >6% ABV which will give 6% acetic acid (pickling strength vinegar) and all the alcohol is turned to acetic acid (use of sulphites will hinder that conversion).

That whizbang stuff looks rather murky - mine is light and crystal clear, just like what's in the shops:

And having just a bit of cloth over the top as in the whizbang pics will allow ingress of dust,fly poo, etc. It needs a bit of plastic sheet suspended just above the top of the cloth (especialy if making it in a greenhouse like I'm doing to keep it well away from my brews).