Odd cider practice

[LordEoin]

I was reading a few book sections on some more traditional methods of brewing cider, to brush up on wild yeasts etc and came across this in a section about washing the apples:

Another debate arises when it comes to insect damage: some cut this out, others suggest that some insects are good for the yeast and it means you don't have to throw in a dead rat (a process some traditional cider-makers apparently still adopt).
A rat, or any other piece of meat for the matter, was thought to add nutrients to the cider, imparting great flavour. The rat or meat would completely dissolve in the process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FONN-0uoTHI

[LordEoin]

you only read half of that, didn't you... 

[Will_D]

Apparently the protein in the meat (aka Rloand) would provide valuable Nitrogen (True) to act as a yeast nutrient.

It was also reckoned that the collagen (in the skin) would act as a finning agent (True)

Modicum of truth in these old tales of yesteryear!

@HBC/HBW: Dried Rat as a cider adjunct?

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

My father once told me, that his late brother used to make scrumpy back in the day. He used to hang a leg of ham or pork, ( I can't remember which ) in the fermenting cider. He used to say that the cider wasn't ready until the bone was clean. . A novel saccharometer/hydrometrer from the dark ages