Real Cider Forum Forum: Introduce Yourself

Real Cider Forum Forum: Introduce Yourself - Recent Posts http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/forum/introduce-yourself chat about cider and perry making online en-US Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:46:00 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.1 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/search.php jonewer on "Hello" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/hello-1#post-270 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:15:17 +0000 jonewer 270@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Hi, I'm an experienced home beer brewer looking to have a bash at cider. Have made some cheap and nasty turbo cider before but next autumn want to make the real thing. No experience with cider making and dont have any kit other than kegs, fermentation buckets etc. Cheers. Bomber on "Hi, New here" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/hi-new-here#post-268 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:58:02 +0000 Bomber 268@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Hi new here, keen cider maker/drinker of four years. ATB, B. LancashireCider on "Cider Barrals" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/cider-barrals#post-157 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:26:31 +0000 LancashireCider 157@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ We use two barrel and tap suppliers: <a href="http://www.strettonoaktubs.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">http://www.strettonoaktubs.co.uk/</a> (smaller taps) and Ray Stone at Mendip Trading in Frome (larger taps). Both great to deal with. jollydale on "Jollydale Cyder" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/jollydale-cyder#post-142 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:12:16 +0000 jollydale 142@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Hello everyone, My name is Ginny and my family have been producing Jollydale Cyder in Stamford, Lincolnshire for 9 years now. It started as a little homebrew project and we only ever made just enough to cover the needs of an annual cider party! However, as more people started attending the party, the scale of the cider production started to increase also! It was in 2009 that we took the bold step into selling our craft cider locally and things have been going very well for us as initiatives like "Real Cider" have been promoting the delicious art of craft cider making. So i just wanted to join your forum not only to spread the Jollydale word but also to say thanks for promoting all our products!! pomme man on "Another newbie..." http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/another-newbie#post-139 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:51:05 +0000 pomme man 139@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Hello David. I hope that you received my e-mail on the subject and that it was helpful. It also appears that, this time, you were able to open the photo I sent. Hopefully others on this forum will be able also to provide you with useful information concerning tree care and the production of cider from your apples. terrrrrrrr on "Another newbie..." http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/another-newbie#post-138 Sun, 12 Dec 2010 16:06:43 +0000 terrrrrrrr 138@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ I'm David, and I live in France. An Ex-pat, I've been here for 6 years. I've enjoyed a drop of Cider for many years, so when we moved here, finding good French cidre has been no task at all. I've joined up thanks to a new friend recommending you via Flickr. I have an ambition to produce my own cidre from the seven x 100 year old Clochard trees I have in my garden. But first I have to sort the trees out properly. They have not been pruned for near on 8 years, and have grown large. They need work on them, and I am a true novice when it comes to doing this task. I have been looking online at various videos and on websites, so I'm slowly learning what I should do. However I'm ALWAYS ready to listen to any advice that any of you may care to offer. terrrrrrrr (David) woolleycider on "Save my cider!" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/save-my-cider#post-130 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:57:11 +0000 woolleycider 130@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Ok, so we pressed our juice on the weekend of 22 October. We were as cautious as we could be about sterilising. We used a slightly modified 110 litre blue food barrel as our fermentation tank (hole drilled in the top for gurgler and a tap in the bottom/side for racking). I initially left the barrel out in the shed to ferment but it was very cold that week and since nothing seemed to be happening I decided to bring it indoors. At this point I should mention that initial tests had shown the juice to have a sugar content of around 18% and a pH of 3.2 which I then brought up to around 3.5 with some precipitated chalk. For various reasons we decided not to add any sulphite at this point but we added cider yeast and nutrient. So, after bringing it indoors and still no obvious activity i checked the barrel and decided the lid wasn't sealed well enough. However, on removing the lid it stank of CO2 which suggested it was fermenting as expected. I managed to seal the lid and sure enough it bubbled. However, after this it only bubbled vigorously for another day or so. This brought us to about a week after pressing. Now, when I push the lid down a bit of gas would come through the gurgler and sure enough it stinks like CO2 should. I tasted it and it is very acidic and cloudy. Testing also reveals that the sugar content has dropped by over half. I'm not sure what to do know. Am worrying about it too much? Should I just let it do its thing? From what I have read, not sulphiting it has left us with an increased chance of malolactic formation which I gather should reduce the acidic taste of it. But, I have also read that it might be worth racking to avoid problems such as 'mousiness'(because of the heavy cloudiness). I'm slightly worried about racking just in case anything nasty gets in. I was thinking about moving it outside when the weather is really cold and racking it then in the hope that the cold will reduce the chance of bad infection. Any tips, thoughts or suggestions for this? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks Joe smudge on "Apple Mixes and general Cider questions" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/apple-mixes-and-general-cider-questions-1#post-128 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 19:52:25 +0000 smudge 128@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Hi let me first say hello to everybody in the forum. This is my first year of pressing and fermenting my apples and is very experimental. I first did two demijohns one of which is a mix of apples given to me type of which is unknown (first lesson learned know your mix as if it turns out nice you aint got a clue about repeating it) Second batch i did was a Bramley Cox's mix of roughly 2/3 cox's and 1/3 Bramleys (second lesson learned write down your ratio's)both of which look and taste pretty good to me so i think iv'e done ok with these so the confidence has grown and i have gone on to do a 20 liter barrel of which i have Braeburns,Spartans and Bramleys. My first question is this, the first reading for this was 1042 and iam using a packet labeled Cider yeast from a local brew shop could anyone comment as to how this will turn out with regards to taste and strength although strength is not my main aim as i think the taste is more important to me. My second is about strength though and if i was to replicate this mix how could i guarantee a higher strength cider. I hope this is posted in the right forum and thanks for any comments udders orchard on "Cider Barrals" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/cider-barrals#post-110 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:49:35 +0000 udders orchard 110@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ I have acquired 2 whisky casks and was intending storing some of my cider in these and some in plastic tanks, that way I can blend a bit if the whisky taste is overpowering. But has anyone any idea where to get taps for wooden casks? Oddball on "Cider Barrals" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/cider-barrals#post-107 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 14:24:45 +0000 Oddball 107@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ I know you said preferably from the west country but I got a brand new 100 Litre oak barrel from here <a href="http://www.oak-barrel.com/barrels_and_ornaments/cider_barrels.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.oak-barrel.com/barrels_and_ornaments/cider_barrels.htm</a>. Looks great and I currently have it full of juice, fermenting nicely. I think I will rack it off in a week or so, clean out the barrel, and then put it back in for another two months to mature. Cyderist on "Cider Barrals" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/cider-barrals#post-106 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 07:42:35 +0000 Cyderist 106@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Newly coopered oak. Good luck with the Kingston Black. It can make a very good single variety. Fish Legs on "Cider Barrals" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/cider-barrals#post-103 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:15:52 +0000 Fish Legs 103@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Thanks for the reply Cyderist, I always have used plastic bins and barrels (apart from the 1st year’s demijohns) so until I bottle its all plastic. So I was only intending on ageing it for a while to impart some edge to the brew. You have an extremely very valid point about the type of apples I use as for the first few years I only used / was able to get hold of eaters; cookers and the odd crab (urban cyder I love it) Thankfully this year I have all the proper cyder apples I need. With among others enough Kingston Blacks to make a single varietal and this should remedy the flat flavour of the past. But I’m still keen to getting a barrel or two …… ok not used ones as the previous contents will overpower the flavour. So newly coopered oak..? Seasoned oak..? Chestnut…? Regards, Cyderist on "Cider Barrals" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/cider-barrals#post-102 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:19:58 +0000 Cyderist 102@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Why not have a look at <a href="http://www.vigoltd.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.vigoltd.com</a>, they do some handy food grade plastic fermenting bins. I know you asked for wooden barrels but sometimes it is best to avoid wooden barrels especially second hand ones which have had whiskey or brandy stored in them. This can lead to the cyder tasting of whiskey! John Worlidge (an undisputed godfather of cyder making), writing in the late 17th century, recommended the use of earthenware or glass for cyder making (no food grade plastic or stainless steel back then!) as the true flavour of the apples would not be masked or affected by the taste of oak. This is of course subjective. Many people like an oaky flavour whereas I prefer 100% apple. After all cyder fruit has so much flavour already. It may well be better to look at the blend of fruit you are using to sort out the "one dimensional" taste. Well there's the cat amongst the pigeons! All the best Cyderist <a href="http://www.checkleybrookcyder.co.uk"> Cyder at Checkley Brook</a> Fish Legs on "Cider Barrals" http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/topic/cider-barrals#post-99 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:07:33 +0000 Fish Legs 99@http://www.real-cider.co.uk/forum/ Hello Cyder lovers this is my 1st post so I ramble on a bit bare with me there will be a point. I’ve been making cyder for a few years now and after making some good but somewhat one dimensional tasting batch’s its time to get a little more serious and get a barrel. Which is the best wood to go for and would it be better to go for used or new? Where can i buy them preferably somewhere in West Country....?