cider question

[the big lebowski]

hi all ,we are lucky enough to have a orchard at the bottom of the allotments that has about 50 apple trees planted, they look like they are all diff type of apple trees and i`d like to try and make some cider, a mate of mine has a fruit press i can use but i was wondering if i just pick some apples from each tree will they work together taste wise as i have heard you can get sweet apples and sour apples ,i have asked other people what the trees are and know one really knows so i`ll just go for it and see what it tastes like (sweet n sour cider anyone? ) ,so im asking any cider people on here for any tips and is this an good idea or am i making a mistake ? any thoughts welcome cheers

[Baldy]

You have nothing to lose but your mind!

Without knowing the varieties its going to be a bit hit and miss but the likelihood is that the apple trees were planted 'cos they produced nice apples. If they were all looking like big / sour apples then you might have a worry but as they seem different I think you'll be good to go. Mate of mine last year got orchard of a former cider maker - even so he took apples from me to add to his stock. It would be nice to know what varieties they all are but I guess that isn't gong to happen.
I'm jealous by the way - had to make do with picking some elderflower today for 'champers'
Good luck with it - definitely give it a go.

https://youtu.be/UX6CAWJQfqI

[Baldy]

Thinking about it - 50 trees is quite a number - you have any idea how long the orchard has been there?

[the big lebowski]

i think your right about most are the ones that people like to eat and as they are walking the dog they can just pick one as they pass by and carry on walking ,there are a few that have the bigger types (are the bigger ones the sour ones ? my mum has a cooking apple tree and they are the bigger type ) if you need a recipe for the elderflower shampers i have one (do you use white grape concentrate in yours ?) also elderflower enfused vodka is ment to be nice ,might be worth a try ,i liked the song too thanks for the link ,cheers

[Alison]

OH makes cider out of foraged apples, always a mix of different varieties and it always works out well. Alcohol levels vary quite a bit but always decent depth of flavour and worth drinking.

[the big lebowski]

from the size of the tree`s id say they have been there 5-10 years maybe abit longer which is why im abit supprised i cant find anyone who doesnt know what they are

[Baldy]

I reckon you'll be good to go. Quite a young orchard so unlikely to be interesting to specialists but the upside is that the apple varieties are likely going to be multi purpose so to speak. I'd take a selection from all and put it all in the mix this year - most likely way to get a balanced x result. Next year you could perhaps try to select from different trees.
It's a problem I'd love to have ��

[Baldy]

A few sour apples in the mix tends to be a good thing.

[Amanda.pope]

My local NT property has a cider festival and they make their own using a complete mix of apples. I was given a tip to include some crabapples in the mix if available, something to do with tartness and flavour, I have a crabapple in my small orchard and didn't know what to do with the apples so had a go at making some cider last year with a mix of eating, cooking and crabapples. Have recently tasted it and it's delish!

[ohbeary]

There y' go AP, getting it just right.

[Vince G]

or if you can't get crab apples, your local home brew shop or Wilkos will sell wine tannin. Teaspoon per 25L bucket has a similar effect

[the big lebowski]

hi all, i have got myself a 12liter press and a crusher and a trug full of apples so i was wondering how picky i have to be with the apples when looking at them ,the ones i picked had no rot on them but some were abit skwidgy not all over just the odd thumb nail size bit and im wondering do i cut those bits out with a knife ? and is there any other things i should look out for ? i was going to wash them all before i mashed them up

i would like to make fizzy cider does anyone know the fg i should aim for ? with my spakling elderflower wine its 1010 so i was thinking about that

does anyone know how much cider i would get from 2 trugs full of apples (roughly )

any thoughts welcome ,cheers

[Baldy]

I'm at the learning stagecould be wrong but my understanding is that other than rot you shouldn't have a worry with r apples

[burnie]

The rule of thumb is if you wouldn't eat it, then it's no good for cider, problem with random mixing is if you get one you like, you can't make it again, also if you make a shocker, you could just do it again. Draw a map of the trees and roughly note how many of each you put in a batch, this way you have a record for the future. Cider apples are quite different from "normal" eating apples, but I use my garden trees fruit and it is acceptable.

[the big lebowski]

hi all, thanks for the comments ,make my 1st trugs worth of apples into cider and got about 3 liters worth of juice out of them which was abit less than i hoped for but it tastes nice and looks good , ihave it in an fv and havent added anything too it ,i was thinking of adding some yeast but i wasnt going to put any sugar in (i`ll get a sg reading tomorrow ),any thought on wether i should add anything ?