Anyone any tips for home cider making?

Just about to bottle my first ever brew, made with apples from the garden and then left to ferment in demi-johns with yeast and some sugar. Seems to have worked but taste’s a bit sharp at the moment. Hoping a few weeks under the stairs will ‘mature’ it and maybe it’ll stop looking like the contents of a colostomey bag 😯

timely question smoothchicken – I’ve got a bunch of apples, some cider yeast a couple of demi-johns and just waiting to borrow an apple press.

Is it as simple as squash apples and add yeast and put in demi john and leave?

What’s the best way to sterilise the demi-johns?

What’s the best temp to leave it at (cellar – coolish or in the cupboard with the boiler – warmish)?

VWP or thin bleach to sterilize EVERYTHING, then a damned good rinse.
Room temp should be fine. May need water and/or sugar as well.

Try http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.UK, see if you can find a recipe under “other brews” in the forum

StuF – as above VWP to sterilise everything. I kept it relatively simple by chopping the apples with one of those Ikea coring things, pulped the chopped bits in a bucket with a fence post. Used a fruit press to squeeze the juice out of the pulp then poured it into the demi-johns. Add a bit of cider yeast and sugar pop an airlock on and watch it go. Couple of weeks at 20 deg or so should do it. Bottle it and leave for as long as you can to mature. I should have a red veiny nose about Christmas time!

Started on my woodfordes wherry last week…little early but it’s good despite the many small errors during production. Yes well happy 😀

Will I be okay to use “Spring water” from one of the many springs on the Malverns for a first brew, or get some cheap water from Morrison’s/Tesco’s?

I would use bottled water from Tesco, it has a pretty good mineral content for brewing (although this less important if you are not mashing). I wouldn’t use spring water from the side of a hill, could easily be contaminated.

Yes. Tap water works too. Sometimes it needs a bit of treatment.

Now we’ve done Theakstons old peculier

from a kit? that could be interesting. One of my favourite brews.[/quote]

Kind of, we got it here.

Twas lovely 😀

That looks good. I’ve used Graham Wheeler’s AG recipe a couple of times and it’s very nice.

[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/81427686/535643_10151095025490974_284530897_n.jpg[/img]
Coming Soon……

Just kegged my first batch of real ale, slight problem though, didn’t calulate the quantity of finings needed and added a bit too much, will this kill the beer?

No, it’ll be ‘fine’.

I have 20 litres of Hobnoblin boiling away in the garage, will be my Christmas supply 🙂

Just finished drinking my first brew it was drinkable gut I wouldn’t describe it as good. Is it too close to Christmas to start another brew and have it ready for then?

Lessons I have learnt are to use a different room for the brew as the cupboard under the stairs is a bit too cold. And use sugar rather than the coopers carbonation drops, the beer just wasn’t fizzy enough and was too yeasty I blame not enough sugar in the bottles.

Anybody got any recommendations for brew kits that will be good for winter drinking?

Well mine will be in the fermenter in about half an hour then into bottles by the 24th latest. Should be coming good just in time so get your skates on!

IME I’ve only ever found kit beer that’s ‘drinkable’, though a few slight improvements might better your experience.

Last kit I brewed for Christmas was a Woodfords Headcracker (?), turned out alright.

Probably not too late if you can get a brew going on the weekend .
Keep it a tiny bit warmer than last time say 22 – 23 ‘C for a week , then put your FV outside for a week .
Then bottle it . If you are really keen and want to get it right treat yourself to a 1000 – 1030 Saccherometer .

Once bottled back in the airing cupboard for a week , then back out in the garage / shed .

I reckon 4 weeks from pitching yeast to drinking.
1 week fermentation, 2 weeks carbonation, 1 week clearing.

I brewed a batch yesterday, American IPA from grain & hops. Should be ready to bottle middle of next week.
Doing a couple of batches for a mate over the next 2 weekends, hopefully they’ll both be ready for him in time for christmas. A porter and a hoppy golden ale. Then if I brew the following weekend, should be ready for NYE

Now would be a good time to stick a darker brew on to be ready for xmas. I make a light ale which can be ready to drink 10-14 days after brewing.

thinking of doing GW’s Old Peculier again