Jim Streeton reviews Craft Cider Making by Andrew Lea.

Lea  also explains the process step by step on his web-site - 'The Whitten Hill Cider Pages', http://www.cider.org.uk

Every autumn tons of apples fall to the ground and are allowed to rot.  What a waste!  Any book that encourages the making of cider and the preserving of juice is to be commended.

We do not need to be told that Andrew Lea, the author, was a food biochemist, his knowledge shines through on every page.  The book is logically set out, starting with the history of cider and then moving on to the equipment required for cider making, the cultivation of cider fruit, and the processes of juicing and fermenting.  There are then further chapters about producing different styles of cider, the problems that may be met with, and how to put them right.  The final chapter concerns the preservation of apple juice, the making of vinegar, and also touches upon perry.  This is followed by a comprehensive list of useful addresses and websites including the author's own.  There is no index, but there certainly should be.  This is a serious book.  It may be lightly written and easy to read, but it will be of interest to established cider makers as a work of reference, and, as such, it should equipped with the facility for a point to be looked-up quickly.

In the introduction the author says the book is 'primarily for people working on a small scale which could be as little as 10 litres every year up to say 10,000'.  In my opinion the book is really for those who are, either at the top end of these figures, or considering starting small-scale commercial production.  Or, indeed, for anyone seeking a depth of information.  I do not believe however it is suitable for the person who is, with no prior knowledge, setting out to make cider for the first time; for I greatly fear such a person would be put off by some of the author's statements and omissions.

Starting from scratch (i.e. not using kits), cider is less troublesome to make than wine; and it is free from almost all the difficulties that bedevil the brewer of beer; but the author does not tell us that.  Perhaps he thinks we already know.  And that is a fair enough assumption if his book is aimed at the more advanced student, but, if that is the case, the author should to say so.  Then there is the statement 'or any scale of operation in excess of 10 or 20 litres an investment of several hundred pounds may be anticipated.'  What is the tyro to make of that?  Several hundred pounds to make less than 10 gallons of cider!  If he takes notice of that it will stop him dead in his tracks.  But this is simply not true.  With a little ingenuity 50 gallons of cider may be made for the outlay of only a few pounds.  I know.  I have done it.  The spending of a lot of money by the amateur on cider-making equipment is really a matter of choice rather than necessity.

Also, I cannot help feeling, the author is verging on the precious when he tells us that we should choose a cool day with high barometric pressure to rack cider.  Certainly, a carbonated liquid will effervesce more slowly at a low temperature rather that a high one, but is it really desirable to go for a fine day too?  And I am afraid the author leaves me behind when he purports to find a distinction between a grafted and a budded tree.

These are, however, minor matters. The book is a very good one and will be of interest to anyone seeking an in-depth knowledge of cider making, but I really would recommend the absolute novice to read a more basic work first.

Jim Streeton

Craft Cider Making by Andrew Lea, published by The Good Life Press Ltd, 2008, pp160;; illust with colour and black & white photographs.