CJJ Berry's Apple Ale

Hi all,

I'm trying the above recipe for the first time (from Home Brewed Beers & Stouts) and getting back into brewing for the first time in over ten years (having only done kits before). I had too may apples off my new house's old tree to eat or freeze, so i had to have a go.

I chopped off any bad bits and froze the fruit to break it down, then soaked with 2 campden tablets in 1 gallon for 24 hours to clean it well (in the bucket). I pitched the yeast yesterday (dried & invigorated with some of the 2nd stage's sugar (using glucose)) and added the yeast nutrient.

I stirred this morning before i went to work and had a flash of inspriation today that I should use pectolase to release the juices from the apples better. I mixed and pitched that when I went to stir it tonight and IT STINKS! I've never brewed anything quite as foul - I've seen posts that cider can stink when fermenting, but is it really meant to smell this rotten?

any advice thankfully received (and let me know if you want the recipe!)

My cider smelled pretty bad during primary.

You should post the recipe

mrzud said:

My cider smelled pretty bad during primary.

You should post the recipe

Click to expand...

Then I will!

all UK/euro measures:

1.5 kilos Apples 3 lb.
(windfalls will do)
30g. Root Ginger 1 oz.
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
675g white sugar 1+1/2 lbs
4.5 litres water gallon
yeast & nutrient

Wash the apples, cutting out any damaged portions & grate or mince. Add cold water, yeast & nutrient, cover & leave for a week. Stir daily
strain on to the sugar, ginger cloves and cinnamon, pressing out extra juice from the pulp. Stir & cover for 5 more days.
Strain into "screw stoppered flagons"
Store in a cool place for at least 2 weeks & enjoy

from Home Brewed Beer and Stouts by CJJ Berry, 1963

Hi Streethawk
I tryed it a few weeks ago but without the ginger,cloves and cinnamon, I did a cold soak for 5 days, when it put it in secondery fermentation it smelled like a little funny but it went after a week, not bottled it yet but it tastes ok.
regards Paul

Hmmm, then I wonder if the apples were not good enough to start with (we have had codling moth problems again and I've had to cut out the majority of the fruit...)

The smell (stench) is kind of rotten eggy - could the sulphur have accumulated in the fruit?

Streethawk
The smell was like sick (vomit), i used about 14 supermarket apples, i washed and grated them and covered them with a plate to hold them under the liquid, its ready to bottle now.
regards Paul

yeah, you could call it sick. did this stop in the 2ndry?
well the primary seems to have finished - there's no obvious yeast action.
i'll strain and add flavours & sugar next, early saturday... watch this space

streethawk
it started in the first few days of secondary, then just seen to go, im bottling this week end ill let you know how it turns out in a week or so
regards Paul

The 2ndry ferment is up and running good and strong - yeast resurfaced after only a couple of hours. I did mine with the full set of spices... we'll see!

Well the 2ndry went fine - left it in a cool place for 5 days then racked into a demijohn
I cleared it with 2-stage finings now it looks loverly and I'm going to bottle it off this weekend...
I'm worried it may be too strong though!

Tasted a little at the siphon - a bit tart, so will condition at least until Xmas, otherwise seems quite a nice brew

manged to stay away from it so far (thanks to turbo cider and pilsner)

Hi All

I have made this a few times just transferred a gallon usually taste good.

Hi there i have just put this into 2nd stage (after you remove apple mash etc) i noticed in first stage there was no bubbling as such (i mean in the air lock) am i correct in sayin that this will happen in the stage im on now? its got all the sugar and spices in it (im doing 5 times the recipe as its for christmas prezzies)