National Comps

[Will_D]

Ciderhead asked me to post this:

"Currrently there are so FEW cider entries that the "Welsh Git" will probably run off with all the medals again ( well ok, I did get the Silver). Please please enter your ciders! We don't want a two horse race!

What with the 1500 L GB and all the Turbos and kits out there we need to challenge this blow-in to our hallowed isle"

Well I understand his thinking:

Lets make this cider entry HUGH

[Tom]

I know Jack Sheet about cider, but ever the trooper I'll learn and maybe enter some into March 2016.

Built my own press, so would be using different apples and probably a fairly unique technique!

[Will_D]

The judges last year commented that a lot (almost all) of the cider was off the same base juice, so I'm not sure entering 50 ciders that are all more or less the same is the best idea.

If you just ferment the juice and bottle it you will already have slight differences in the taste. However very little commercial craft cider is of the "single ferment and bottle it" type.

The secret is blending and after fermentation modification.

By that I mean: sweetenning to taste, adding in flavours (apples, berries, honey).  Adjusting carbonation

My GB juice is fermented from Notty and Young's, and is otherwise as Ch delivered it, so I'm not sure there's any point in entering it as it's not particularly unique.

You have just contradicted the first paragraph! Maybe the different yeasts will differentitate your cider from the other GB ciders. Also just because you have a heavily oxidised cider try and rescue it!

I have the GEB juice cider, though still on the very young side, I will enter it once I confirm it's not oxidised (I suspect it is).

By all means that will be different!

How come you are getting so much oxidation?

Also the Cider thread has lots of talk about the Turbo ciders - where are these entries. Do not be afraid of Turbo ciders - some are great.

Also Kit ciders: Last year my kit cider impressed the judges big time in cider Ireland. Unfortunately I was the only entry!

So come on cider makers lets enter some ciders!

[lampie]

I know its a national competition and i am a bit late with brewing so will try and get some entries ready for next year .. There is realy a lot of difference in TC`s when you add flavoring. And remember that not all the supermarket juice is the same. There is quite a lot of different brands of juice available. Just take a tesco and a aldi juice and have a normal taste and there is realy a difference.

I live in holland so we dont have a tesco but when i go to different supermarkets and taste the juice there is a lot of difference.

Also adding other juices makes a big difference..

[lampie]

I would love to press some juice myself but dont have the space here . Having a small appartment in the middle of the city so its quite hard..