Firsr ever zoider!

[CeeGee]

There's a small village orchard where I live, and every year the guy who looks after it says anyone can take as much as they like as long as it's not for commercial purposes. Not having a press or scratter I'd figured they were just going to have to stay there, then I read about the 'juice and strain' method.

Bought a secondhand centrifugal juicer for £20 collected, and whilst I didn't have a pipe for the outlet I set up a bucket with a sieve and strainer on it ready to empty the juice jug into.

Off to the orchard, trees were a bit sparse, especially the bramleys, but I came back with two shopping bags full of a good mix of apples.

Now have 14 or so litres of apple juice sitting in a bucket on top of a couple of crushed campdens. Will pitch the yeast tomorrow. Am thinking will let any vigorous fermentation happen in there before siphoning into demijohns. Will also test gravity tomorrow, see where alcohol content likely to end up.

Worth adding pectolase too? Might be clearer at the finish perhaps?

 

[An Ankoù]

Sounds good. What's a centrifugal juicer, pray tell. Never used pectolase in cider, I think it's all in the skins. Don't think it would do any harm, though.

 

[unforgiven]

There's a small village orchard where I live, and every year the guy who looks after it says anyone can take as much as they like as long as it's not for commercial purposes. Not having a press or scratter I'd figured they were just going to have to stay there, then I read about the 'juice and strain' method.

Bought a secondhand centrifugal juicer for £20 collected, and whilst I didn't have a pipe for the outlet I set up a bucket with a sieve and strainer on it ready to empty the juice jug into.

Off to the orchard, trees were a bit sparse, especially the bramleys, but I came back with two shopping bags full of a good mix of apples.

Now have 14 or so litres of apple juice sitting in a bucket on top of a couple of crushed campdens. Will pitch the yeast tomorrow. Am thinking will let any vigorous fermentation happen in there before siphoning into demijohns. Will also test gravity tomorrow, see where alcohol content likely to end up.

Worth adding pectolase too? Might be clearer at the finish perhaps?

sounds good to me but i'm no expert

 

[Clint]

Sounds way more exciting than nipping down Asda for a trolley full of juice.

 

[CeeGee]

Sounds good. What's a centrifugal juicer, pray tell. Never used pectolase in cider, I think it's all in the skins. Don't think it would do any harm, though.

Just a big fast juicer. Takes most apples whole. Drop the fruit down the throat, push it down. It hits the spinning blade of death, juice goes one way, pulp goes the other.

 

[CeeGee]

Sounds way more exciting than nipping down Asda for a trolley full of juice.

Quite good fun to use, if you like that kind of thing!

 

[CeeGee]

Wondering if I should ‘skim the scum’ off the top of my juice before I pitch the yeast.

Any thoughts?

 

[CeeGee]

Removed the thick goo from the top. Yeast pitched, fingers crossed!

 

[freester]

Looks like it started fermenting. You'll be fine! Just keep the fruit flies out of it!

 

[CeeGee]

Was rather concerned when it went into demijohns as was very very cloudy - looked like orange juice! One did come through the lock, but was a brief moment of insanity and has been fine since.

It all seems to be settling out nicely now, not sure it will ever be really clear, but I’ll go by the taste!

 

[freester]

Without adding pectolase it can be a bit hit and miss clearance wise. It will normally settle out though.

Normally I will let it ferment to dry. Carefully rack off to another container and give it at least a couple more weeks. At this point if it's going to clear it will have.

If you want to carbonate at this point add a pinch of yeast as well as priming sugar to the bottle. Obviously the extra fermentation will result in more dead yeast at the bottom. So if you want clear and sparkling pour carefully!

 

[CeeGee]

All bottled. Has cleared nicely. Mouth-puckeringly dry, so guessing I’ll have some apple juice on standby come sampling time!

 

[johncrobinson]

Give it time..!!!

All will come right in the end.

A haze is not pretty (its normally harmless) but if push comes to shove well it will do what it wants.

If one can get fermentation going ASAP most things will turn out healthy,safe,to drink.

 

[CeeGee]

It’s all but clear now. A bit of time in the bottle and it will be about spot on, I think.

 

[johncrobinson]

Glad to hear it.

Time for your next one