Adam's Apples
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- Sep 30, 2006
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Hi
I have just bought a house with 3 apple trees, so thought it only right that I make some cider, or at least attempt to!
I have an old book I bought from a car boot sale which advises: chop up 4 pounds of apples, add boiling water, sugar, raisins, then leave for 3 days before adding yeast, stirring, letting this ferment (doesn't mention how long), straining and then bottling. The chap at my homebrew shop advised sterilise the vat I bought and then just place the lid on top (don't seal tight) and put a cloth over to stop stuff getting in.
Now, just from browsing some of the threads on this site I can see that this is a very basic recipe. I was wondering could anybody advise me on a few things...
* How long does fermentation take, ish? (How do I tell when it's finished?)
* Are there any other (simple) things I can do that will make the finished article better?
* Is bottling as simple as it sounds?- Do I just poor the strained juice into bottles?
* How long after bottling is it drinkable?
Thanks in advance for any hints or tips. This is my first attempt at any brewing, however I can see myself getting into it - as long as I can convince the missus to let me use the spare room as a brewing headquarters!
Cheers
I have just bought a house with 3 apple trees, so thought it only right that I make some cider, or at least attempt to!
I have an old book I bought from a car boot sale which advises: chop up 4 pounds of apples, add boiling water, sugar, raisins, then leave for 3 days before adding yeast, stirring, letting this ferment (doesn't mention how long), straining and then bottling. The chap at my homebrew shop advised sterilise the vat I bought and then just place the lid on top (don't seal tight) and put a cloth over to stop stuff getting in.
Now, just from browsing some of the threads on this site I can see that this is a very basic recipe. I was wondering could anybody advise me on a few things...
* How long does fermentation take, ish? (How do I tell when it's finished?)
* Are there any other (simple) things I can do that will make the finished article better?
* Is bottling as simple as it sounds?- Do I just poor the strained juice into bottles?
* How long after bottling is it drinkable?
Thanks in advance for any hints or tips. This is my first attempt at any brewing, however I can see myself getting into it - as long as I can convince the missus to let me use the spare room as a brewing headquarters!
Cheers