Making Cider with local apples, is it worth it?

RoseburgBrewer · 09-05-2008, 05:30 PM

I've got a lot of friends with apple trees in their yard that just let the apples go to waste. These are all various types of eating apples and it just kills me to see them go to waste. I've been wanting to make hard cider for some time now and thought this would be a perfect opportunity. After reading the fourm I'm kind of hesitant to use these. Is it possible to make decent hard cider with these? I'm not looking to make a competition worthy cider, and I'm not worried about the time it takes, I'm just looking to use the wasted apples up. So.....is it worth my time using these apples? or should I not bother. I have a press I can use and I have the apples why not make cider?

**TheJadedDog** · 09-05-2008, 05:32 PM

If you can make regular apple cider with them, you can make hard cider. I say go for it!

zoebisch01 · 09-05-2008, 05:46 PM

It should turn out ok. Some people like it, others don't. The trouble comes in that it is really one dimensional because of the lack of Tannins mostly. You can monkey around with it to get it right. At any rate, you can always just enjoy freshly pressed Cider which will probably be on the order of $5/gal this year I am guessing based on last years numbers. At least locally here. If you pick a few bushels you'll have plenty to experiment. You can expect around 3 to 3.5 gallons per bu depending on the apple, press, growing season.

I say go for it if you want to put the time and effort into it.

RoseburgBrewer · 09-05-2008, 07:34 PM

thanks guys. I like the oyster mushrooms zoebisch01.

RoseburgBrewer · 09-05-2008, 08:15 PM

what about mixing some pears in with it?

zoebisch01 · 09-05-2008, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoseburgBrewer

thanks guys. I like the oyster mushrooms zoebisch01.

Actually, although it does look like Oysters, it's a really young "Hen of the Woods". Not my pic though. I usually find them a bit more mature. Thanks for the compliment.

zoebisch01 · 09-05-2008, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoseburgBrewer

what about mixing some pears in with it?

Sure why not. I think they have a name for it? "Perry" is hard Pear Cider. I'd go 50/50. Either that or do the two separate.

RoseburgBrewer · 09-06-2008, 01:32 AM

so i picked the apples and filled a 55 G drum with them. Do I need to make it right away? I can let them sit a few weeks right?

lapaglia · 09-06-2008, 02:57 AM

How ripe are they and whats the storage temp?

wait, is the barrel full of apples or Juice. If its juice and you wait a few weeks you will already have wine from the wild yeast.

RoseburgBrewer · 09-06-2008, 05:24 PM

they are whole apples that I picked from under the tree. So some are fully ripe, some are under ripe, and some are a little too ripe. The whole apples (not juice) are in a bareel that is in my garage which is about 70 degrees