Gone apple picking with the family this week. Hay ride, gonna get some pumpkins too.
Gonna grab four or five gallons of fresh pressed cider. I have three five gallon batches in the basement now.Haven t had any of those yet but I figure I will be bottling one that is just about three years old this season. Next year the next batch down there will be three years old, etc. If I keep it going we will have one nicely aged cider for every year.
Im thinking of trying a wild spontaneous fermentation with this batch. Anybody ever try that?
My first experience with hard cider was when I was about 11, we discovered a jug that had “turned” but my brother and I drankit anyway. It was also my first experience with intoxication. We drank a lot of it. I think I almost pooped my pants a little that night. I dont know, maybe I really did poop my pants and I “blacked” it out.
I spontaneously ferment all of my cider. It does leave for an element of unpredictability, but it will give you a good finished product (I had two ciders - a common and an English - in the second round of the NHC this year (one scored 45), both of which were spontaneously fermented.
Of course, there might not be enough yeast to get things going - if there is no foaming by day three, pitch a commercial yeast.
[quote]My first experience with hard cider was when I was about 11, we discovered a jug that had “turned” but my brother and I drankit anyway. It was also my first experience with intoxication. We drank a lot of it. I think I almost pooped my pants a little that night. I dont know, maybe I really did poop my pants and I “blacked” it out.
[/quote]
Ahh good times… great memories…
From what I’ve heard “spontaneous” always has the best flavor but when it goes bad on you it’s real bad. Why not do a side by side this year?
I think it was more that I learned then of the powerful laxative effects involved with drinking larger quantities of cider. :-[
We had a great time picking apples. Got some wine saps and Ill make some pie for posting in the cooking section.
We were at the cider press line and noticed that they pasteurize. I didnt get any cause I was thinking of going back when it was less crowded to see if they would sell me some not yet pasteurized.
Isn’t it certain that if they pasteurize then the natural yeast needed for wild fermentation will be killed off?
Plus pressing apples is hard work without the right tools. I saw an old machine shop arbor press that was built for broaching. I was thinking of grabbing it to convert to a cider press.
I am gonna stop up there one day this week to see if I can get the raw stuff.
