no cider for us this year...
- Thread starter dr_al
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LeBreton
Well-Known Member
That sucks, I feel your pain. Pretty much the same story all over although those prices are the most expensive I've seen yet.
roadymi
Well-Known Member
Come to the middle of the mitten. I just bought 35 gallons bulk today from my local mill. They are importing also but they filled my barrels for 6.50 a gallon. They were pressing all the varieties on hand. Mix included Red delicious, golden delicious, Jonagold, Macintosh, cortland, ida red, and northern spy.
OG was shockingly (to me anyways) high at 1.064 which gives me potential abv of around 9.25% if I ferment dry.
OG was shockingly (to me anyways) high at 1.064 which gives me potential abv of around 9.25% if I ferment dry.
LeBreton
Well-Known Member
Good to hear this season worked out ok for ya buddy!
Wonder where the fruit was grown to hit that ABV. In the east, VA, MD or southern PA possibly. The west coast had a great apple crop this year and a late season hail storm pushed a lot of fruit destined to be grocery quality into juice production due to cosmetic damage.
I'm curious, can anybody give a 'typical' OG for west coast (WA & OR) apples?
RugenBrau
Well-Known Member
I'm in the Finger Lakes region of NY and the local crop was reduced by about 80%. Last year I could get cider for 2.50/gal. if I purchased 50 gallons throughout the season. This year it is 5.25 ouch!
roadymi
Well-Known Member
You just missed the mill I go to. Uncle Johns is great for the tourists but everything is priced high. Phillips orchard is just a mile or two north of uncle johns and a few miles to the west. They have a sign on the highway. They will fill your bulk containers for 6.50 / gallon. Last year it was 3.75
roadymi
Well-Known Member
Good to hear this season worked out ok for ya buddy!
Wonder where the fruit was grown to hit that ABV. In the east, VA, MD or southern PA possibly. The west coast had a great apple crop this year and a late season hail storm pushed a lot of fruit destined to be grocery quality into juice production due to cosmetic damage.
I'm curious, can anybody give a 'typical' OG for west coast (WA & OR) apples?
It worked out ok just had too spend too much $$$
I'll find out where they got the apples. Curious myself. I don't keep the best records but I was thinking my og was closer to 1.05 last year.
I'm making 15 gallons of cyser with premier cuvee, 15 gallons plain cider with nottingham, and 5 gallons naturally fermented. I am fermenting in my garage which should be in the 50's and below from here on out. Nice and slow.
I will rack in the spring into 5 gallon carboys and add various flavorings then.
I ended up doing half cider and half apple juice concentrate. It was a lot cheaper. I hope it comes out OK. I had a hard time finding preservative free cider though.
You just missed the mill I go to. Uncle Johns is great for the tourists but everything is priced high. Phillips orchard is just a mile or two north of uncle johns and a few miles to the west. They have a sign on the highway. They will fill your bulk containers for 6.50 / gallon. Last year it was 3.75
i saw their sign and i need to stop their, UJ has become quite the pricy place, we always stop though my parents have been taking me since i was born, back when it was just the big barn.
now im 35 and we started to take our kids just to see if we could catch the press running. i have yet to put any effort into research for mill's i just started making hard cider 2 years ago and i have yet to use ereal cider i was practacing on cheap wally world juice and people like that so the real thing should be much be even better
LeBreton
Well-Known Member
Where'd ya get that deal? Haven't seen anything under $6
I can probably take a couple measurements tonight when I start my batches.
Despite the "good crop", its taking time and the juice is a little late this year. It's also still more expensive than usual.
EDIT: The measurement I took on my first 5g batch of the year yielded right at 1.050 (Skagit Fresh as the cider base), maybe a tiny bit heavier than that. I've got a couple smaller 1g test batches using the same brand's Apple/Blueberry and Apple/Cherry that I expect are in the same ballpark as the apple juice is far and away the main ingredient.
Not sure if Skagit Fresh could be called typical, but it is local to Northwestern Washington.
agent44
Well-Known Member
I was just given five crates of apples and pressed them, but I added some store bought juice just to bump up the quantity to six gallons, I think I only needed two liters. It should come out fine, my best cider was made with just store bout juice.
hmm, i just had an idea make my cider with store bought and prime with real cider and bottle carb. i was going to do an all pressed cider batch this year but i'll work my way up to that next year.
it may be cloudy but ehh i don't care if i can make it taste even better.
it may be cloudy but ehh i don't care if i can make it taste even better.
agent44
Well-Known Member
Yeah what does it matter if it's cloudy as long as the flavor is right.
PattyM
Active Member
Looks like my local orchard (Erwin's) takes the record for high prices. They don't have apples either and are shipping them in from mid-michigan somewhere to feed their cider press. My son bought a gallon last weekend ....$13.00 ! and had to stand in line over an hour to get it.
If anybody is in the west michigan/grand rapids area, Klein Cider Mill off of alpine and 9 mile has it for 6 bucks a gallon this year. Its normally 3.50 if you buy in bulk, but considering his apple prices tripled this yea, i'm not complaining. They also have the best cider in the area if i do say so myself.
