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CIDER 101

Started by Will_D, October 16, 2013, 04:50:31 PM

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Shanna

Quote from: Hingo on June 17, 2014, 10:36:27 PM

Quote from: Shanna on June 17, 2014, 07:15:39 PM
Used a counter pressure bottle filler to fill a crate full of 1 litre bottles and unfortunately the bottles have gone kerboom. Got home today to find garage floor covered in cider and broken glass everywhere. 8 litres gone up in a flash.Only plus side is that nobody was injured. Major downer as the cider was actually drinkable.

Another brewing lesson learned. I suspect the pressure rose with the warm weather and the bottles could not take the pressure.

Shanna
Woah!! And you pasturised it too, over carbed? I mean I know its warm out but wouldn't have thought the heat would be that malicious
I used old Bulmers bottles reasealed with Coopers caps. while picking through the debris I noticed that several of the caps were distorted. My shed also has a galvanize roof and is South facing. Perfect storm and I probably overdue the carb when filling them. :(

Shanna
Cornie keg group buy organiser, storeman & distribution point
Hops Group buy packer
Regulator & Taps distribution point
Stainless Steel Fermenter Group Buy Organiser
South Dublin Brewers member

Will_D

I doubt it was the CP and sunshine.

When you CP as soon as you vent the botlle the excess pressure is relieved. Its just the gas disolved in the cider that will remain.

What was your pasteurisation profile? How did you pasteurise in botle or bulk?
Remember: The Nationals are just round the corner - time to get brewing

Shanna

Quote from: Will_D on June 18, 2014, 11:38:00 AM
I doubt it was the CP and sunshine.

When you CP as soon as you vent the botlle the excess pressure is relieved. Its just the gas disolved in the cider that will remain.

What was your pasteurisation profile? How did you pasteurise in botle or bulk?
Hi Will

I pasteurised on the stove top to 72 C for 15 minutes and measured with the mercury thermometer. Pretty sure it was done Ok. I used a copper coil to cool it to 20C in about 20.minutes and kegged and carbed. It was first outing using the home made cp bottle filler and I am pretty sure I overdid the Co2. I talked my technique of using it with Dempsey and I made some elementary errors.I can't sure I vented all bottles correctly. I had no problems or signs of problems till the warm weather. I suspect one or two failing at same time took out some of the others.

Shanna
Cornie keg group buy organiser, storeman & distribution point
Hops Group buy packer
Regulator & Taps distribution point
Stainless Steel Fermenter Group Buy Organiser
South Dublin Brewers member

nigel_c

Just a bit of an update.
With my batch of cider i took a demi full before kegging and let it sit on 10g of sherry oak chips for the last 2 months. Just bottled it now and an WELL impressed. I thought I would have to back sweeten it first but its pulled enough sweetness from the chips not to need it.


Its really nice and worth a go.

Will_D

BUMP!

As aples are starting to swell and GBs are being discussed, its time for the new cider makers to read post #1 of this thread!
Remember: The Nationals are just round the corner - time to get brewing

googoomuck


Came across this stuff (Nougasec) in a catalogue. From skimming through the posts in the thread I thought this stuff might be handy. I'll give them a buzz and see if I can get a break down on the ingredients.

Hingo


Quote from: googoomuck on August 21, 2014, 04:21:55 PM

Came across this stuff (Nougasec) in a catalogue. From skimming through the posts in the thread I thought this stuff might be handy. I'll give them a buzz and see if I can get a break down on the ingredients.

googoomuck

Haha just skimming through the posts and some people used lactose and maltodextrin to sweeten and to add body to the cider.

Will_D

In reply to another post its update time:

Already I have been offered apples for cider!

So someone offers you 5/10/20 kgs of windfalls - not the best quality and certainly not enough for a batch. So what to do?

Find a freezer is the answer!

If you are making cider from donated apples ( the CHEAPEST way to make cider is with FREE apples) then its a great idea to freeze the apples first.

Not only does this allow you to build up the "stash" over time - like raspberries for fruit wines that you pick over 3 or 4 weeks (longer in the case of my autumn rassers)

BUT the bigest bonus is that when the fruit thaws out the cell walls are ruptured so they are much easier to process:

As the windfalls and other ripe apples that friends give you arrive:

Wash, quarter and freeze. When thawed they will scratt/pulp/press so much easier.

If your press could be stronger then another trick is to ferment on the pulp for a week or so:

Scratt the apples, if very dry (ie were under ripe to start with) add a few litres of Lidl Aj and sprinkle or pitch with chosen yeast.

After a week press the bolix out of it and carry on the ferment!

And if you want to impress someone like the local PP: Its called "Carbonic Maceration" [work out yer own puns]

PS: This sort of comment will prolly get the PP foaming at the mouth
Remember: The Nationals are just round the corner - time to get brewing

Hingo

I had a busy couple of weekends anyway there, picking apples there a few weeks ago, let them sit for about 12 days to get the starches into sugars (mainly because I was out of the country to be honest) and pressing them all weekend just gone. Very labour intensive, mainly as I was hand cutting and pulping them in a food processor. Had about 5 or 6 different types of apples, not too big now as the trees have been neglected over the years but managed to get a decent 30 litres from about 6/7 boxes of apples - coddling moth was around a lot this year 



Overall I think it'll be a decent batch, going to go with Champagne yeast for this one, I'll worry about back sweetening again later. Used about 10 campden tabs to kill off anything in the  juice and will prob pitch tomorrow once I get the yeast in

Lessons for next year
-Prune the apple trees
-treat for coddling moth
-Get a scratter/mill

Will_D

Great photos Dave Looking good
Remember: The Nationals are just round the corner - time to get brewing

Will_D

Pasteurising and kegging cider:

Just a heads up about pasteurising and keging cider:

In the Nationals one of my ciders was a gusher! Hmm I thought: Why is this?

Any way totally forgot about it as it did score quite well despite it's over exuberance at carbonation!

Fast foreward 6 months and its time to prepare for the  season cider. Need to process 60 litres of cider.

As usual: Pasteurise/ sweeten with AJ/Sugar etc (NOTE: All are fermentable) and keg. Carbonate and drink or CP bottle fill as required.

NOW, Here is the problem:

Beer makers take a conditioned beer and Cornie it. As long as there is no bad stuff in the Cornie then all is ok. If there is a bit of the previous beer yeast lurking then there will be no problem!
After all, there are no fermentables left

This DOES NOT WORK for sweetened pasteurised cider! One or two of the healthy little fekkers will referment your lovely Past-your-Eyes juice.

Most commercial makers pack P-y-E cider into new bags/bottles

How to totally sanitise a Cornie: No idea yet but watch this space

HTH  Will
Remember: The Nationals are just round the corner - time to get brewing

molc

October 06, 2014, 08:35:34 AM #252 Last Edit: October 06, 2014, 11:09:40 AM by molc
Can you pop cider into a keg and naturally carb like with a beer? This would mean using an artificial sweetener I'd assume so that it doesn't just referment to dry...
Fermenting: IPA, Lambic, Mead
Conditioning: Lambic, Cider, RIS, Ole Ale, Saison
On Tap: IPA, Helles, Best Bitter

Will_D

Quote from: molc on October 06, 2014, 08:35:34 AM
Can you pop cider into a keg and naturally carb like with a beer? This would mean using an artificial sweetener I'd assume so that it doesn't just deferment to dry...
Yes indeed you can. You just have to use a non-fermentable sweetner when bottle or keg conditioning!
Remember: The Nationals are just round the corner - time to get brewing

Hingo

I would recommend this thread be pinned, it's a very comprehensive guide and you could perhaps edit your op to include pasturising and kegging.