Hi. I'm really hoping you guys can help me. Can anyone give me a really simple step-by-step guide to making a drinkable cider from apples? Someone with no prior knowledge or experience asked me for some advice on making cider and my only experience was a perry a good few years ago. I'll probably be on holiday when they make it, so won't be able to help out.
Here's how I made the perry (from what I can remember):
Wash fruit with water & campden powder to kill wild yeast.
Cut fruit into pieces and leave outside overnight in a fermenting bin.
Put fruit through juicer.
Take ph reading and adjust as necessary. Add tannin
Add yeast, tannin and leave to ferment.
I understand that you need to have a variety of different kinds of fruit to give the best flavour. If using a mix of eating and cooking apples, what's the ideal ratio? The apples will come from an allotment, so I suspect there will be several varieties, but not sure if any are cooking apples.
Regarding the ph level, I think I may have some papers I can let the guy have, but they're probably around six years old. Do they deteriorate? Also, I bought what I needed to alter the ph, level, but as it was bang on, I didn't open them. One was precipitated chalk, but can't remember what the other was. They'll be out of date, but do you think they'll still be OK to use?
Oh, and I'm not lending him my hydrometer, so any suggestions as to how to get by without one?
Thanks!
Some Advice?
Re: Some Advice?
Hi,
a good start is to look at this site. This will get you on the right path.
Campden (metabisulphite) wont kill wild yeast but will suppress them to allow a cultivated yeast (eg Champagne) to ferment the juice. It should kill spoilage bacteria though. You'll need to add the metabisulphite after the fruit has been pulped, ie to the juice. Amount to use is pH dependent - ideal for cider is 3.2 - 3.8.
pH papers do deteriorate, 6 yrs is probably asking too much.
No practical alternative to hydrometer if you want to know what you're working with and how fermentation is progressing. They're not expensive.
a good start is to look at this site. This will get you on the right path.
Campden (metabisulphite) wont kill wild yeast but will suppress them to allow a cultivated yeast (eg Champagne) to ferment the juice. It should kill spoilage bacteria though. You'll need to add the metabisulphite after the fruit has been pulped, ie to the juice. Amount to use is pH dependent - ideal for cider is 3.2 - 3.8.
pH papers do deteriorate, 6 yrs is probably asking too much.
No practical alternative to hydrometer if you want to know what you're working with and how fermentation is progressing. They're not expensive.