It's cider making time again, folks:

[Compo 10,328]

You don't need yeast but it speeds up the fermentation process and if, like me, you clean your apples, a yeast addition helps. Most of my apples come from alongside a diesel operated railway line so I like to clean off the potential muck first.

[PeverilPeril 3,279]

#25 does any of your cidre get 'improved'?

[PeverilPeril 3,279]

Well, I'm still drinking cider made 2 seasons ago and it is lovely 

I made my first batch of perry in late November and checked it this morning. Didn't think it would ferment in the garage due to the cold weather, but it did. The yeast has dropped nice and solid and the perry is clear. Quite dry and will be great to use instead of white wine with dinner. Got to wash and sterilize 30 bottles now though - a real pain. Maybe add sugar to some bottles to see if they produce a bit of fizz. 

[Compo 10,328]

Just finished a batch of cider from 2015.  The penultimate bottle was a bit iffy but the final one was lovely!

[Compo 10,328]

ARGH! Me cider's turned to acetone!  Don't know what has gone werong with my cider this year but every bottle tastes and smells of acetone.  Any ideas, anyone?

[philmayfield 6,115]

Use it in place of Harpic. If you drink it you may go round the bend yourself.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Caused by bacterial infection, did you drop a  campden tablet in the batch, was everything sterilized before you started??

 

[Compo 10,328]

I did all the usual stuff but this is the first batch that has had an infection. Probably not as sterile as I thought.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Another tip, don't rely on natural yeasts,drop some sodium metabisulphate in the must to kill those off prior to pitching yeast in the must.I have around six gallons of strawberry wine to bottle, probably this week, if the fermentation is completely finished, then it's Mulberry wine making,around 16lbs of fruit in the freezer to  turn into wine.

I sterilize everything with bleach, prior to starting the wine.

 

[catfan 14,793]

I'm quite surprised you do home brew in the US. It can't be much cheaper than supermarket prices to make your own or is it the fun of brewing your own ?

[loppylugs 8,427]

I don't do home brew anymore, Mick because I quit drinking, but it was a lot cheaper in Canada than store bought drink, beer or wine.  Probably much better for you too.  Minimal additives of any kind.

 

Edited to add... It was a lot of fun brewing your own.  You could make the alcohol content whatever you wanted, just vary the sugar content.  It was like living in a brewery for about two weeks at a time while the brew was fermenting in a five gallon bucket.  The smell would make you merry.

[catfan 14,793]

My brother once had a go doing HB when we lived at home, got fed up with bottle tops popping off all the time.

[loppylugs 8,427]

Sounds like he was bottling too soon before the fermentation was completely finished.

 

Over here we used a bottle capper.  You need a bottle opener to open them again.  You have to gauge it just right.  You want a bit of carbon dioxide to make it sparkle. CD. Is a bi product of the fermentation process.  You probably know that.  Anyway you want a tiny bit of fermentation in the bottle to pressurize it, but if you bottle too soon it can literally smash your bottles.  Very messy!

 

I'm surprised how much I remember about it.  It's been many years since I did it.  Started in Nottingham.  You could buy all of your supplies from Boots.

[catfan 14,793]

He never made a decent brew Dave, in truth it was quite awful.

[loppylugs 8,427]

Well,. You might have thought that about mine.  .  It was light years ahead of what passes for beer in North America though.

 

Horrible stuff mostly.  Might be useful as a bug spray for the garden.  I'm sure they wouldn't come back for seconds.  Lol.

[Compo 10,328]

Undeterred by last year's failed cider batch, I shall be gathering apples once again next week.  This time I will take Ayup's advice and campden tablet the lot before fermentation.