Cider Recipe!

[Kofi]

I am new to making cider and have been looking around for a good recipe,
I have heard from several different forums that using apple juice produces poor quality cider, and that the only way to go is to crush your own apples.
Because i have no experience making cider, i would have know idea which apples to use and which would produce the best results.

I live in perth so if anybody has any suggestions on where to purchase apples i would be most appreciative, and i would be thankful for any tips or suggestions.

I want to start the first cider off in a small batch around 20-30 litres.

One last question i have is in regards to either fermenting, or storing the cider in a red wine barrel. I have recently purchased an oak wine barrel and storing beer in the barrel for around 6 months creates a beautiful flavor. I was wondering if anyone had done the same with cider????

kofi

 

[J Grimmer]

I am new to making cider and have been looking around for a good recipe,
I have heard from several different forums that using apple juice produces poor quality cider, and that the only way to go is to crush your own apples.
Because i have no experience making cider, i would have know idea which apples to use and which would produce the best results.

I live in perth so if anybody has any suggestions on where to purchase apples i would be most appreciative, and i would be thankful for any tips or suggestions.

I want to start the first cider off in a small batch around 20-30 litres.

One last question i have is in regards to either fermenting, or storing the cider in a red wine barrel. I have recently purchased an oak wine barrel and storing beer in the barrel for around 6 months creates a beautiful flavor. I was wondering if anyone had done the same with cider????

kofi

I believe Juice makes good cider when compared to kit cider, but using fresh apples would again make a better product, but you could try juice, proberbly make it at $1/L or there abouts.

I have not used fresh apples my self but i would try to get intouch with a grower. I have the granite belt 2hrs drive from my house and have previously apples by the box and even picked my own, so once i am down that way again i will go that route with cider production with what fruit is available. If you cant find a grower im sure their will be farmers market you could get to make contact?

I have read that about 16kG of apple will make about 10-12L of juice, if that helps on the volume scale.

Jan.

 

[Kofi]

Thanks for the reply jan, especially the quantity reference.
kofi

 

[Airgead]

I have read that about 16kG of apple will make about 10-12L of juice, if that helps on the volume scale.

Jan.

Last time I made my cider I had about 40kg of apples which made just over 30l of juice. I ran mine through a good screw press juicer though. Yields with other juicer types may be different.

Nearly apple season again.. can't wait.

Cheers
Dave

 

[troopa]

Just starting to play with cider
So far made 2 20l batches of aldi cider
First was just straight juice with EC1118 which i found not too bad but lacking in everything (My wife found it just a tad too dry)
Second batch i added 500g of Lactose and 3 steeped tea bags for sweetness and tannins
Its made a fair difference to the taste and mouth feel of the cider, getting closer to Monteiths (which i now find almost too sweet (+46 would be over the top nowadays for me) but its almost what my wife wants...
Next batch will be about 500-600 grams again of lactose or maybe 1-2 litres of apple juice back sweetend after ferment as i keg and should be able to get a away with it

On a side note.. if your using store juice invest in an absolute filter if you can (about $60) i doubt you will gain much by storing or aging this type of cider and this way you can start drinking it within 7days clear as glass

I also have access to a small orchard for the first time and gotta say ii would love to have access to an oak barrel to age some decent cider... its certainly an acquired taste

Tom

 

[Kofi]

Well after that then i think should go juice.
Would i be able to get the exact methodology that you used for that "monteiths" style cider??

 

[troopa]

Give the straight juice a go (its $20 of juice and $2 for yeast) if you enjoy it dry .. if you prefer monteiths sweetness then add between 500 and 700 grams of lactose(2-3 tea bags add a little color and some mouth feel... worth it to me so far)
+46, I would guess about a kilo of lactose or start looking at Camden tablets and stopping the ferment about 1.005-1.015 but then you would be also looking at adding sucrose or something else to bump the alc% back up and achieve the sweetness levels
From what ive gathered 500grams of lactose add about .005 to the OG and FG of your brew(really rough)


Bah tooo many ciders sorry
KISS,
10X 2l Aldi juice, EC1118 yeast, Dry = $22
10X 2l aldi Juice EC1118 yeast + 500grams lactose, mid sweet little below montieths + about $25-$27
After that do what ever you want
Oh and if your a cheap arse or wanna have fun farming the 1118 from your first batch, then watch it ferment out in 3-5 days @degrees
So as you can see you cant really go wrong

Also i didnt know this (Im ashamed cause i also drank it out of the bottle till last night) montieths is crystal clear... like soda water

 

[punkin]

I use one of these juicers and get around 60% efficiency out of my apples.
It's not the 80% i've read about with a scratter and press, but a hell of alot easier to store for the rest of the year though.


You can get apples cheap if you are near a growing region by going to the orchard gate and striking up a relationship with the grower. Ask about seconds and they will keep some for you. Most go to the livestock, with pig growers picking them up regularly round our area.
Absolutely nothing wrong with them for an eating apple, let alone for cider.

We were getting them cheap enough, this was about about 80kg for $20





This was a mix of red and green that helped a bit with a fuller flavour in the abscence of cider apples.


The other thing we do now is go round the highways and backroads at this time of year looking for apple trees growing wild on the side of the road. Free is ven better than cheap


I really would encourage you to try and find a cheap source, i just feel that homemade from good apples has to better than reconstituted syrup.