Thread: Apple Cider hombrew

next thing you'll be telling us you've taken up cricket

I seem to remember an old pommy Western county recipe called for a cake of fresh meadow hay from a bale, and a leg of mutton. The leg is tied off and lowered into the brew, and all is ready when the bone is clean. I figure the hay lays at the bottom of the vat to act as a strainer, as well as imparting some bitters to the cider.

Once had a rather good book on the subject of old style british home brewing.

shorty.

Sounds good Shorty.Big problem,the missus is a vegetarian,if I brew it that way cant blame her for drinking most of it
Andrew

Bloody good stuff, cider. Conversation and party starter, and pantie dropper. I would say make it the same as any grape wine, mince the apples, and them put through a wine press. Bung the juice in a fermentation vessel of adequate size. Poms making farmhouse cider used to then tie the squeezed mass from the press into a muslin or cheese-cloth (they called it a "cheese") and bung that in as well. I don't know what yeast you would use or just rely on the native yeasts. I think it would be a slow ferment like most fruit wines. The leg of mutton was put in the barrels with the freshly made cider for storage and maturation. This was not done by every maker. I have no knowledge of this practice other than reading of it. Apparently the mutton disappeared leaving only the bone. I gather that in parts ofthe cider country in Devon and Somerset farmhouse mutton cider was much prized.

Hmm, West county Scrumpy, Hmm.

Hi Brian
So running the apples thru the missus juicer would be a good start.Bung in the sugar and champagne yeast(couldnt get any for the apricot brew,used white wine yeast) and let it bubble away.
Any input apreciated,got a can cider in the fridge ready to taste,the last one I tried years ago was rotten,this one smelt good when it went into the keg.
Andrew

Cider makers don't usually add sugar, the alcohol comes from fermentation of the fructose in the apples. I would take a hydrometer reading and do your calculation of final alcohol before adding sugar. You might end up with something so strong you can't drink much of it.

Perhaps I need to spend some of my holidays @ Google doing research
Andrew