vexx64

Recipes 

Hi there,

I would like to brew my first batch of cider from apples, i only have access to apples which are available in stores / markets in England.

Which commonly available apples will work together to make a decent cider and what sort of ratios do i want to use?

Thanks for you help.

gratus fermentatio

Recipes 

Well, most of us here use commercially produced juice from the grocery store, or fresh pressed juice from a local orchard. There are a few here who press their own apples, but even fewer still use actual cider apple varieties. As you're in the UK, I'd think you'd have better luck finding real cider apples than most of us in the USA. It might be worth the effort if you're already planning on pressing your own apples. Here's a link you might find useful: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/scrumpy/cider/homepage.htm Click on the recipes, they list some cider apple varieties & the ratios to use. Click on the UK cider makers list & give some of them a phone call, maybe they'll sell you some of their cider apple juice to ferment at home, same goes for any local (or not so local) orchards. If not, regular old store-bought "mystery" apple juice will do, just so long as it has NO PRESERVATIVES. A lot of juices have added ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and that's OK to use. Hope this info helps. Regards, GF.

Yan

Recipes 

If you're stuck using eating apples, I'd suggest using a tart variety like Braeburn or Granny Smith blended with sweeter varieties, like gala or golden delicious. Granny Smith are best in a cider after they have been stored for a while after picking though, since their sugar increases. McIntosh and spartan can give a good aroma as well, but can be a little weak on acid. Some places in Quebec and New England make very good cider using just these, though. Sometimes tannin can be an issue, for this I would suggest using a small amount of bitter crabapples, but if they aren't available, grape tannin can do the trick. Some people use raisins.

ScottConklin

Recipes 

Here is a fantastic combination for cider from common variety apples.

3 parts Granny Smith

2 parts Golden Delicious

1 Part Red Delicious

Can't go wrong, its tart, goes fast with most yeast and is highly palatable

cinderbike

Recipes 

To piggyback on the original thread, has anyone had luck using Winesap apples? They're fairly tart, but I think they are still technically a table apple.