Home-made Cider
Jim Streeton described how to make home-made apple juice in a previous article, now he gives us his methods for making home-made cider. A number of the steps are common to those used in making juice and so reference should also be made to 'Home-made Apple Juice'.
Apple juice is very good but, I have to admit, I am more interested in cider. Would you like to make some? The notes that follow represent my methods and opinions. They work for me but it is not intended that they should be followed slavishly. By all means use them as a base; but approach matters critically; question methods; think about what you are doing, and build on your own experience. That way you are much less likely to go wrong.
In addition to the items mentioned in the article about juice you will need several buckets of the 'Home Brew' type (10 and 30 litres are useful sizes), some glass jars of the gallon size, plastic siphon-tube and suitable bottles.
Before we get started, a word about cleanliness. I said nothing about this in 'Home-made Apple Juice' as ordinary kitchen standards are acceptable for that, but, if really good cider is to be made, a higher standard is required. I wash all my utensils, bottles etc in a disinfectant and suggest a chlorine based product. After washing, all items should be well rinsed in fresh water. Net curtain, used to contain pulp (pomace) in the press, is best sterilised by boiling.
Apples: use cider apples if you can get hold of them. But if not, all kinds of apples can go into cider, whether they be dessert, culinary, wildings, ornamental or true crab Go steady with the latter; cider made out of true crabs is astringent beyond belief. On the other hand, dessert apples alone make something so thin and tasteless you can hardly call it cider. The answer is a mixture. Generally speaking, the greater the mixture of varieties, the better the result. If a few pears also find their way in they will do no harm. Pears alone, however, are a different story. Perry made from garden pears is good for curing constipation but, in my opinion, is fit for nothing else.
Apples should be fully ripe. I pick them up after they have fallen off the tree. Collect them on a dry day Certainly, they do not want to be wet when they are pulped or the juice will be diluted. In the ordinary way, there is no point in washing them. Discard any apples that are substantially bad. Moderate damage or bruising is of no consequence.
The apples must now be pulped. I have already discussed methods in the article on juice. My preferred method is the food processor, for it produces exactly the right consistency; that is to say very fine particles rather than utter pulp. Secondly, it keeps oxidisation to a minimum. The pomace goes into plastic buckets and, if yeast is to be added, now is the time to do it. Push the pomace well down to get rid of air pockets and when the bucket is nearly full sprinkle a pinch of sodium metabisulphite or a crushed campden tablet on to the surface. These additives are E223 and E224 respectively. I dislike adding chemicals but, at this juncture, they are useful. Once on the surface of the pomace, they evolve a sulphurous gas which prevents oxidisation and inhibits the growth of undesirable organisms. Meanwhile, the yeast, underneath, can multiply in peace, and once it gets started no other organism stands a chance.
I am firmly of the opinion that the very best yeast for fermenting apple juice into cider is the yeast to be found on those apples from which the juice has been pressed. Therefore, I do not add yeast. However, if you are making cider for the first time, or have any doubt on the matter, I suggest you stir in a sachet of wine yeast before sprinkling on the additive. The only other thing to be done at this stage is to put the lid on the bucket and leave it in a moderately warm place.
A few days later - a week would not be too long a time - transfer the pomace to the press as described previously, press out the juice and return it to a plastic bucket. Again, put it in a moderately warm spot. Fermentation should become visible within hours and will probably become quite violent - the photograph is of the head formed on juice by the natural yeast present in the apples about 15 hours after pressing. The bucket contains about six gallons and is the result of pressing 90 lbs of pomace, half of which is shown (in the other photograph) sitting on the net curtain used to contain it in the press. Leave the juice until it simmers down then rack (siphon) the cider - for that is what it is now - into gallon glass-jars. Fill to within half an inch of the top, cover with a little square of plastic, and hold that in position with a rubber band. Store for a month or so in a somewhat cooler place. By then, fermentation should be slight or non-existent and the cider pretty clear, and there will be a heavy deposit in the bottom of the jars.
You now have a choice before you. The cider must be racked off the lees, but then you can drink it immediately, or bottle it for later, or - if you want to go for quality - put it back into glass jars, making sure they are full to the top and sealed as before, and then leave it in a cool place for another month or two. After that bottle it, having first put half a teaspoon of sugar into each bottle to produce a sparkle. Next, you must summon up the patience to leave it in a cool place for a further three months, but after that you should have something that is crystal clear and well worth drinking.
Bottled cider will keep for years. If it tastes rough to start with it will probably improve with keeping. If it is too bland there is not much you can do about it. Next time, remember to put in a few more crabs or cookers. If you make a complete hash of your first attempt, try and work out where it went wrong and then have another go. Given the price of decent quality cider today, it is well worth the effort.
Jim Streeton
Apples illustrated are all cider varieties and part of the Cider Collection at the National Fruit Collections, Brogdale, Faversham, Kent
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