buttheadsmate Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 That's odd about your perception of 'cider weather'. I reckon that most people here consider drinking cider during the summer months rather than thinking of it as a fall drink ....although I have fallen over after drinking it. I'm geared up to squeeze this weekend ,maybe I'll take some pictures ? Maybe I'll have a new thread titled ....'Look what I have' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 It was a good thread while it lasted. On cider weather, I know over here, we like hot cider during the fall and winter, and I guess the association just kind of sticks even for cold cider. I'd love to see some pictures of the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Apples are traditionally in season during the fall, hence 'cider weather'. Summer time is Lemon aid season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 (edited) Making cider: The first picture should have been of the trailer full of apples unfortunately ....er...this is what was left after the process had been completed .....imagine it full of apples The crusher Chopping Apples Chopped apples are placed in the crusher ,the wheel is rotated by hand & the apples are crushed (hard work) ,the mush drops through the crusher & collected in a container below. The mashed apples are added to the press The 'cheese' Add oak 'plate thingy' Apply the hydraulic car jack between top-bar & 'thingy' The apple mush gets pressed & the juice flows through the sides of the round 'other thingy' which resembles a bottomless,slatted oak basket whilst the solids remain within The reward This is just apple juice at the moment PART 2 soon Edited October 31, 2011 by buttheadsmate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Wowzers! That looks like fun, and waaaaaaay more involved than my kit brewing. How many bottles of juice did you get out of the load? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 The trailer was all but full of apples to start with & I took more interest than usual over the details ....each 'cheese' produced approx. 4-5 pints & we produced 155-160 pints of juice ,you tend to drink the juice as your making it ,it's irresistible The demijohns in the picture each hold a gallon & the cider has now been left for the primary fermentation, no yeast, other than what will be on the apples naturally,has been added which can be disastrous if things don't go well .....but fingers crossed all will be well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobsterman Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 That looks like a lot of fun. Do you do anything with the leftover apple mash, or just toss it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 My neighbour puts it on his compost heap but each time I do this I think it's such a shame I don't keep a few pigs . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 TRU story: I stopped in a TRU today and there was a lady looking at zombie toys and cradling a tiny little piglet. I considered snatching it and sending it your way, but thought better of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 A kind thought ....however ....pigs come & go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 What did you do with the apple mush afterwards? Apple sauce? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Temperature is very important in the fermentation & the area that I've put the demijohns in is fairly cool & not ideal but......the initial fermentation has just begun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 How's that cider looking? Have you pitched the yeast yet? I started a batch of IPA this weekend. Very hoppy. My wife was not so thrilled about coming home from the grocery store to that smell, but the odor has pretty much dissipated now. The fermentor is bubbling away in the pantry. This batch has some nice (sanitized) wood chips that mixed with the hops have a really great aroma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I checked on it earlier today & the intial fermentation is gaining momentum....I rely on the yeasts that exist on the apple skins . The method I really upon can be risky but so far so good ,I'll either end up with lots of cider or lots of vinegar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 (edited) This year's cider is now ready for bottling ,I've tasted it & it's a bit dry but I'll add a bit of sugar when I bottle it which will make it sweeter & sparkling. Amber nectar Edited February 5, 2012 by buttheadsmate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Huzzah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 That looks tasty! How long after bottling is it ready for drinking? I've got everything ready to start a gingered black ale... except for the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tones Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Hi all. I just found this topic and figured I'd join in. My wife and I received a home brewing kit for Christmas and just made our first batch last weekend. Luckily, we have 2 good friends who have been brewing for 1 and 5 years each and have been extremely helpful. We made a 5 gallon batch of a Canadian Ale (from a kit) and can't wait to see how it turns out. I figure we'll go the kit route a few more times to get used to the process and then move on to trying a more crafting approach; picking our own ingredients and creating recipes. A local brewing supply store just sent out a newsletter announcing they will have hop rhizomes soon, so I'm planning to pick one up (not sure which strain yet) and attempt growing my own hops too. I've had a blast so far and can see myself getting heavy into this as a hobby...maybe even as much as Minimates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanester Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 BHM, can I just come live with you and be your butler or something?! I'll live in the shed and work for my pints... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 A local brewing supply store just sent out a newsletter announcing they will have hop rhizomes soon, so I'm planning to pick one up (not sure which strain yet) and attempt growing my own hops too. I've had a blast so far and can see myself getting heavy into this as a hobby...maybe even as much as Minimates That sounds fun! I'm reworking my garden right now, and I might try to find some room to try to this as well, now that you've mentioned it. The kits are pretty nice having all of the ingredients and recipes ready to go. I'm now tweaking kit recipes here and there. Let us know how that Canadian ale turns out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tones Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I'm happy to say that our first home brewing attempt was a success! the Canadian Ale turned out great and I've nearly gone through the entire 5 gallon batch. The wife and I have shared it with our friends, family and co-workers and have gotten nothing but positive responses. 2 people even went so far as to compare it to something Sam Adams would produce! High praise indeed, but I can't take that kind of credit since this was from a kit (it was nice to hear though ) some even went so far as to try it with a lemon wedge and were impressed with that as well. If anyone is interested in trying this one out, it was a True Brew Canadian Ale kit. Very easy and a lot of fun. We've already got our next batch ready to bottle once I get a couple free hours. This one is a German Style Dark (also a True Brew kit) this one should be great, at least it looks and smells great already. Can't wait to try it. :biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tones Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 That sounds fun! I'm reworking my garden right now, and I might try to find some room to try to this as well, now that you've mentioned it. The kits are pretty nice having all of the ingredients and recipes ready to go. I'm now tweaking kit recipes here and there. Let us know how that Canadian ale turns out! Did you get to plant any hops Turtle? I looked into it some more and sadly I don't have the outdoor space at my apartment that a hop plant would require :sad: but once I do, a friend offered to split off one of his plants for me. I think tweaking the kits is going to be my next step, it is nice having everything together to start. i've been looking at the True Brew kits and I'm thinking the next one will be an Irish Stout and I might grab another Canadian Ale and try to come up with something interesting to do to it, maybe infuse some fruit or coffee flavor, IDK yet but I'm having fun just thinking about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 I haven't had the chance to look into it. I guess that'll have to wait until next year. Glad to hear that ale turned out well. It's pretty amazing how delicious homebrew can be. By brother-in-law recently finished a hefeweizen kit that I think rivals almost any hefeweizen I've had (but he said the kit itself was pretty boring). The gingered ale I made turned out pretty well. It was a nut brown ale kit modified with added boiling hops and about 5 ounces of ground ginger root. It's pretty good, but it doesn't have quite the bite I was hoping for. It's very mellow, very drinkable ale, but I think a little extra ginger will give it a more refreshing taste. Next time I think I may double the ginger. I've also thought about doing something with fruit- I was thinking about using either raspberry or blackberry in a wheat beer- a summer-time beer. Let me know what you end up doing on your next batch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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