The Cider House Rules

[guest1906]

Unfortunately I won't be able to attend as I'll be pressing apples, I know you guys wanted to inspect the variety of apples that I have acquired your welcome to pop around to my home and inspect them for yourselves.

[Shanna]

Unfortunately I won't be able to attend as I'll be pressing apples, I know you guys wanted to inspect the variety of apples that I have acquired your welcome to pop around to my home and inspect them for yourselves.

Maybe you can take some photos and post them on a thread.

Shanna

[guest1906]

[

Maybe you can take some photos and post them on a thread.

Shanna
[/quote]

Maybe

[guest1906]

Look tbh when you guys wanted to know what varieties of apples I was using before I press. It felt like I needed to get permission from you guys. I told a couple of my friends about what you guy's said and being polite they told me to ignore your criticism. I have learnt from you guys where I'm going wrong. At least I don't cheat and waste money on buying commercial juice. I have an abundance of access to apples and will be willing to share.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[molc]

Woah, calm now, no need to start getting personal. We offered some suggestions to help improve your brewing when asked. Feel free to use or ignore our advice; your in no way obliged to follow it and it's just our informed opinions.

As for cheating, we've already discussed this before and we'll agree to disagree.

[Bazza]

Let's be careful with the terminology here.

'Cheating' is rather a strong word to describe folk who don't own or have access to an orchard or an abundance of apples. By that logic, those of us who buy our grain in bags, as opposed to harvesting it, malting it and kilning it are cheats too.

I know bugger all about cider making, but from what I have picked up, the quality relies heavily upon using the right mix of different varieties of apple in a batch. We've an embarrassment of cider experts on this forum, who are always willing to offer help and advice. 'Criticism' (again, a terminology issue here) is a little unfair.

If you're looking to offload some apples, why not start a thread; I'm sure there'll be plenty of interest.


Cheers,

-Barry

[Shanna]

Hi Jam Man,

I am @work at the moment so I don't have time to fully respond to your post, I will post a response later this evening when I have had more time. In the meantime I have asked the moderator to split your original post off & following comments on to a new thread so that we can discuss this further outside the thread for arranging our next monthly meet.

Shanna

[Bazza]

I've split this conversation into a new topic, so the original thread can be used for its original intention of trying to get a club meet sorted.

Cheers,

-Barry

[Shanna]

Look tbh when you guys wanted to know what varieties of apples I was using before I press. It felt like I needed to get permission from you guys. I told a couple of my friends about what you guy's said and being polite they told me to ignore your criticism. I have learnt from you guys where I'm going wrong. At least I don't cheat and waste money on buying commercial juice. I have an abundance of access to apples and will be willing to share.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Hi JamMan,

At home now so can respond properly. During our last meet we suggested to you that before you juice a are batch of juice that you contact us for some assistance. The point was not just RE the types of apples to juice but was more around the techniques to follow for treating the juice and more importantly around the processing of the juice for fermenting in to cider. I don't think I need to remind you as to why that was as during your previous meets you were given honest & accurate feedback on your prior cider making attempts. No one who attends our meets is in the business of putting the boot in when it comes to criticism of people's efforts. All of us are amateur brewers who love it as a hobby. It would be fair to say though that some of us have encountered various problems to do with sanitation, storage, fermentation & processing of.ingredients. Many of our members have won medals @various competitions over numerous years & I would say it's fair to say would know more than the average punter about what to do with respect to home producing alcohol. This would include wine, beer & cider.

The comment from yourself about needing to get permission was probably as a result of an.impassioned plea from myself that if you took on board constructive criticism & feedback that you could drastically improve your cider that you were obviously keen to make. As is 100% your right your fully entitled to ignore the advise and the free offer of help. I.would.ask.however that you reconsider what you posted earlier as in my opinion it's not in the spirit of the advise that member of group of South Dublin, Wicklow & North County brewers gave you over numerous meets over the last few meets you have attended.

As foe your friends telling you to ignore the criticism I would love if you could bring some of them along to our next meet & also bring along some of your cider. This would be a more appropriate forum to continue this kind of discussion.

Shanna

[guest1906]

Guys I was away for the weekend and only looking at this now, I apologies for my outburst. I have listened to your expertise and planning implement your knowledge this year.

[Shanna]

Guys I was away for the weekend and only looking at this now, I apologies for my outburst. I have listened to your expertise and planning implement your knowledge this year.

No problem & good luck with your wedding.

Shanna

[guest1906]

Ok guys I have started on my first pressing and have collected 22ltrs of juice and have added 16 campden (that's all I had left in the bottle). Tonight when I get back from my big day I'll take a reading for sugar content before I add Yeast and pectolase, and next meeting I'll bring a sample with me for you guys who have guided me to this point.

[Shanna]

Ok guys I have started on my first pressing and have collected 22ltrs of juice and have added 16 campden (that's all I had left in the bottle). Tonight when I get back from my big day I'll take a reading for sugar content before I add Yeast and pectolase, and next meeting I'll bring a sample with me for you guys who have guided me to this point.

Jam man no real point in bringing the sample as it won't really tell you anything. The cider takes about six months at least.

Shanna

[guest1906]

At the last meet I attended when you guys brought your cider to taste, many of you remarked on my cider having a bit of a sulfur in the taste and should have fermented a little longer. Molc mentioned when I was making my next batch to take a small sample and bring it to the next meeting.  If I do this three weeks will have past since I started this batch. What I want to know, how long do I need to keep fermenting before I bottle?

[molc]

Personally, I leave the cider on the Lees until January and then take a sample. If it's clear of sulphur, I'd be happy to bottle at that point.

The cider Brewers in the club have always advised me to wait about 18 months before starting to drink, so I keg in the January and start drinking in the summer of the following year.

You can easily bring a wee sample to the next meet and we can chat about how it's developing if you like, but I think the timescale in good cider is just very long.