Most dangerous cider recipe ever?

[UpsidedownA (Andrew)]

A friend sent me a copy of a cider recipe they've been following for last minute advice before they bottle it.

Here's the info. I think it's very unclear, especially in view of failing to specify that the main ferment should be done in an FV and not in bottles.

"This is a 19th century recipe that is brilliantly easy to make, with no need to peel or press the apples. Makes about three litres (just over 5 pints).
3kg (6.5lbs) cooking apples
900g (2lbs) sugar
50g (2 oz) fresh ginger
3 cinnamon sticks

Grate the apples into an enamel or stainless steel bucket and cover with 7.5 (16 pints)  litres of cold water. Stir with a sterilised wooden spoon every day for a week. Strain. Stir sugar into the juice. Then add spices and leave to macerate for a day. Strain through clear muslin. Pour into sterilised bottles and seal well with screw-top lids. Store in a cold dry place until Christmas."

Darina Allen's "Forgotten Skills of Cooking p.467.

To me this looks like a recipe for bottle bombs. What do ye think?

The week long wait at the beginning serves as a starter to grow up some yeast from the apples which then works on the sugar for the bulk of the alcohol production. 900g to 3 litres of liquid is way WAY to much sugar to be fermenting in the bottle. OK the 900g is added to the 7.5 litres and some of that sugar may be retained by the apple material and the muslin, but lots will obviously make it through. 900g to 7.5l is approximately 10% sugar solution (10Plato or 1.040), right? 900/(900+7500) = 10.7% You shouldn't ferment 1.040 must in bottles even if you are using a wild yeast that may be shit. Any yeast is going to be able to metabolise sucrose.

[Will_D]

As it would only cost about 6 o7 quid why not give it a try.

Just use plastic lucozade bottle or similar to monitor the bombs progress.

BTW: wher does the "900g to 3 litre" reference come from?

[UpsidedownA (Andrew)]

As it would only cost about 6 o7 quid why not give it a try.

Just use plastic lucozade bottle or similar to monitor the bombs progress.

BTW: wher does the "900g to 3 litre" reference come from?

The recipe says it produces 3litres. It calls for 900g sugar.

I guess not all the sugar will make it into the 3litres because it is added at an earlier stage and may be strained out in the muslin and the apple material.

[Will_D]

So how does she loose 4.5 litres of water?

"Makes about three litres (just over 5 pints).


Grate the apples into an enamel or stainless steel bucket and cover with 7.5 (16 pints)  litres of cold water.

[Eoin]

I'd say it's 'make it up' to 7.5l. I'd imagine the rest is lost to must.

Sent using a complex system of semaphore and ninjas.

[UpsidedownA (Andrew)]

So how does she loose 4.5 litres of water?

"Makes about three litres (just over 5 pints).


Grate the apples into an enamel or stainless steel bucket and cover with 7.5 (16 pints)  litres of cold water.

I think the 4.5 litres is presumably lost to must as Eoin says. But I agree it's puzzling.

[Will_D]

Somebody just has to try this recipe out!

[mr hoppy]

Reminds of the comment page on the River Cottage guy's website for his elderflower recipe. Even a rookie brewer would know better than to use the processes some of these celebrity chefs use to make alcohol.

[Will_D]

Right So! (Bloody Hell I am sounding like a Munster man now)

Scratted the apples, added the water, now going to wait a day or two. If it smaells anyways suspicious its getting a pitch of cider yeast trub.

Will keep you posted

[UpsidedownA (Andrew)]

Right So! (Bloody Hell I am sounding like a Munster man now)

Scratted the apples, added the water, now going to wait a day or two. If it smaells anyways suspicious its getting a pitch of cider yeast trub.

Will keep you posted

Good man! How's it turning out?

[Will_D]

Been a bussy old week!

Will post the write up tomorrow!

[Will_D]

So the update:

Followed recipe up to the stage of adding the sugar. I had about 12 litres of cider so added a kilo of white plus the ginger and the cinnamon sticks.

Left for 24 hours gravity was about 1.030
Left for 3 or 4 days gravity still at 1.030

So took out a litre pet bottle full and pitched the rest with some chardonnay yeast and nutrients.

Filling up the bottle must have revived the yeasts a bit as the bottle started to get hard, burped it same again. So fitted an airlock. After nearly 2 weeks it has dropped to about 1.013 and there is still a bit of activity. So this bottle has my "Wild Bramley Strain" yeast.
Taste is very nice ginger has mellowed and a definite hint of citrus!

The bulk as expected has dropped to about 1.002 and is pretty dry and very gingery! St least I have a nice blending cider for the basis to a Xmas spiced cider.

I believe in the old days the grannies didn't use a food processor to shred the ginger. maybe 25 gms would be enough

I think if we followed this recipe then we would certainly have some bottle bombs.

Would recommend others to try it!

Will keep you posted!