Today I am mostly making- Cider

[tony.mon]

Got some apple trees, and every year we save about 10% of the crop, eat a few, and let the rest drop onto the ground and rot.
Eaters and cookers.

And every year I say "that's good cider going to waste, that is".

So this year I bought a new plastic dustbin, and some cider yeast.
Spent most of yesterday chopping apples and mashing them up a bit with a rubber mallet in the bottom of the (Milton sterilised) dustbin.
Threw in 5 gallons of water, then sealed the lid on with silicon sealer.
Slid a length of airline tubing under the lid and ran it down to a jar with water in, to make an airlock.

Then remembered the yeast (Doh!) and re-did the last few stages.

Planning on giving it two or three weeks, opening her up and throwing in some sugar and more yeast. A recipe I dug up on t'internettie suggested a lump of bruised ginger and some lemon juice as well.

Should be ready by Christmas.

Note to self: buy industrial strength Aspirins........

[Jbrebel]

Fookin el Tony-at least you'll have plenty of parts cleaner should things go tits up

[tony.mon]

That's one of me Five A Day, that is.





(Pints, obviously).

[Giddsy]

Ha ha! Good work! Enjoy...

[AMCQ46]

Fookin el Tony-at least you'll have plenty of parts cleaner should things go tits up

agree, but dont leave the bits in too long, it will disolve the metal

keep us posted when you start drinking the 1st pint at christmas.........make sure you have a laptop and WiFi incase you cant leave the toilet

good luck..........hic, barf

[benny hedges]

try distilling some with a home made leibig condenser - evil stuff!
easy to make with a flourestent tube & some 8mm glass tubing from the home brew shop, some rubber bungs and a whistling kettle
used to do it with mashed spuds, sugar, yeast & water, leave it til it stinks & then put it through the still...
seriously it is proper lethal... nice with tropical fruit cordial & lemo though!

i reckon it'd taste ace made out of cider... like apple brandy

[Richy]

More sugar if you want it more potent, but it won't need any more yeast.

Quite big into the home brewing over the last 4 years or so.. Hic..

[rob's red storm]

Swapped out the cider yeast for wine yeast a few years ago, reckoned it turned out bout 10%

Did not feel great the next day

[Twinpotter]

Wicked!
Might have to take a wrong turn and end up in Kent sometime soon.

[tony.mon]

Update:

Bottling it up last night and tonight, filtering it out and taking a little swigarette on the side.

Tastes like Scrumpy, right enough, but not actually unpleasant, more like watered down apple juice.

Which I suppose it is, really!

Alcohol content?
Around the same strength as white wine, according to the specific gravity floating thingy.

But doesn't feel too strong to drink. No idea if it'll keep, though.

Looks like I'll get about 25-30 pints, all in.
Tried a couple of pints last night, and no hangover this morning, so looks to be successful.

Hic!

[marravtr]

feel free to send us a bottle if you want a second opinion tony

[tony.mon]

Drop round anytime before it's all gone.
Not sure it travels well.....

[sirch345]

Should be ready by Christmas.

the way you're going Tony it'll be all gone by Christmas

Chris.

[Richy]

If it's over 10% it'll keep fine. Even gets better with a little age. what was your starting gravity, and finishing gravity.? Can then work out the %vol fairly easily. Beer brewing day for me this Sat

[tony.mon]

Much too technical.

I just stuck fruit, water, yeast and sugar into a dustbin and made something that helps me fall over.

That, my friends, is good enough for me.

Tastes a bit odd, but the third pint goes down just fine.....