• Welcome to National Homebrew Club Ireland. Please login or sign up.
March 28, 2024, 02:53:49 PM

News:

Want to Join up ? Simply follow the instructions here
Not a forum user? Now you can join the discussion on Discord


Apple processing - Day 1

Started by willk, September 14, 2017, 06:43:51 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

fishjam45 (Colin)

Maybe try having a sense of humour there JamMan.  Its Christmas, relax and enjoy yourself.

I hope you are not referring to me as being here for me Ego, if you have met me or anybody who has dealt with me then you will know that I'm here to learn and share and have a sense of humour also.

I'll try make it out to the SCD Meet in April to taste your Cider if that's where its going to be at?  I remember tasting one of your Ciders at an earlier SCD Meet.
Garden County Brewers

https://gcbrewers.wordpress.com/

Jonnycheech

Ah lads, tis the season! Kiss and make up!
Tapped: FES, NEIPA, CocoIMS, Flanders 2018, Passion Fruit/Peach BW
Fermentors: Raspberry Wheat, Session IPA
Bottled: Cherry Lambic 2019

willk

Quote from: willk on October 20, 2017, 11:04:03 PM
I have a new apple for the mix this year - Ashmead's Kernel, an old spicy fibrous dessert russet.  I have no idea what it will ferment like so I will make a 30L drum in isolation.  Hopefully it will be the equal of the Katys for blending.

A year later and the 2018 crop is pressed and happily fermenting.  Last year's juice yielded up a very drinkable cider with more noticeable tannins and a slight estery spiciness that I liked.  The crop was larger this year with more trees coming on stream in the decent summer.  A bit more work in the orchard would have helped but my spare time was limited.  At the end I took 500kg of apples and got 250L of juice.  I didn't use the dessert apples for bulk this year, limiting dessert input to Ashmead's Kernel.  I've read since that they do well in cider - being high in sugar and acid.  A small quantity of cookers were used too.  The greater part of the cider apple mix was Dabinet with some Hereford Redstreak and Dunkerton's Sweet.  The ratio was around 85% Cider apples to Others.

The fermentation was started at 20C and once active, dropped back to 15C in a controlled environment.  Even though the room ranged from 5C-17C, I quickly noticed that temps in the "chamber" were being maintained largely by the yeast, not the heater.  If there had been a couple of warmer days I would have had to open the chamber at night to keep it cool.  15C is about right for cider.

I did a few beer kits over the summer (to pass myself on here ;)) and they've come out really well - Craft Range IPA and St Peter's Cream Stout again, this time with some carapils and a bit more love.