Since I had around a square meter of chamomile growing in my garden I decided to use it in a cider. Chamomile has a smell that can remind one of apple and I thought that it might well help add an extra depth to a cider's taste. I have yet to find a source of cheap apple concentrate here in Japan so I used a Black Rock New Zealand Apple Cider kit as my base. I used the cheapest available 100% pure honey which costs around 4 USD a kilo. To prime I used fine powdered brown raw cane sugar. Anyway, here is my recipe, which at a barbeque yesterday
seemed to go down very well. Growing a patch of chamomile is very , very easy and attracts large numbers of beneficial insects such as butterflies and ladybirds.
Note. This fermentation took place during day time temps of up to 33 C , night time around 26/7.
Sterilize equipment.
1) Pick approx 30 grams chamomile flowers. Dry in sunshine. Put in thin sheet bag ( muslin gauze).
2)
Boil 2 litres of water with 1.5 kg honey . Remove foam with a spoon, keep boiling until most foam has been removed. Add muslin gauze with chamomile inside it and simmer for a further 5 minutes or so.
3) Put cider kit can in basin of very hot water.
Open can and add to 23 liter primary container, in my case a 10 USD water container.
4) Squeeze bag of chamomile to help remove more juice and put it together with honey water in the primary.
5) Add water to primary up to approx 20 liters. Close lid. Use 50 cm pipe going from container's tap into small milk bottle full of Sake as airlock.
6) wait for primary to cool to 28 C . Add cider yeast from kit. Stir. Close lid.
7) Watch the primary ferment like a mad dog on heat for the next 3 weeks.
8) After primary appears to have stopped bubbling syphon into secondary container. In my case a commercial "youngs" fermenter. In the secondary it continued to ferment for another week or so. I could have left it in the primary for even longer!
9) After the secondary had stopped bubbling and had spent a week settling, approx 2 weeks later, I syphoned it into 630ml ,very strong, glass beer bottles adding 4 mg fine brown raw cane sugar as the primer.
After approx 2 more weeks I chilled a few bottles and watched them being enjoyed . I think they need a little longer in the bottle and they should be very fine. The taste is starting to really settle down with the chamomile being taken over by the apple. Initially there was a strong honey taste that suppressed the apple, but with the fermentation the honey has moved far into the background , where an almost medicinal chamomile flavor took its place. I am happy to report that the hints of cough syrup have finally withdrawn and I now have a fine, dryish , refreshingly crisp drink with a subtle depth and flavour that belies its formidable strength.
seemed to go down very well. Growing a patch of chamomile is very , very easy and attracts large numbers of beneficial insects such as butterflies and ladybirds.
Note. This fermentation took place during day time temps of up to 33 C , night time around 26/7.
Sterilize equipment.
1) Pick approx 30 grams chamomile flowers. Dry in sunshine. Put in thin sheet bag ( muslin gauze).
2)
Boil 2 litres of water with 1.5 kg honey . Remove foam with a spoon, keep boiling until most foam has been removed. Add muslin gauze with chamomile inside it and simmer for a further 5 minutes or so.
3) Put cider kit can in basin of very hot water.
Open can and add to 23 liter primary container, in my case a 10 USD water container.
4) Squeeze bag of chamomile to help remove more juice and put it together with honey water in the primary.
5) Add water to primary up to approx 20 liters. Close lid. Use 50 cm pipe going from container's tap into small milk bottle full of Sake as airlock.
6) wait for primary to cool to 28 C . Add cider yeast from kit. Stir. Close lid.
7) Watch the primary ferment like a mad dog on heat for the next 3 weeks.
8) After primary appears to have stopped bubbling syphon into secondary container. In my case a commercial "youngs" fermenter. In the secondary it continued to ferment for another week or so. I could have left it in the primary for even longer!
9) After the secondary had stopped bubbling and had spent a week settling, approx 2 weeks later, I syphoned it into 630ml ,very strong, glass beer bottles adding 4 mg fine brown raw cane sugar as the primer.
After approx 2 more weeks I chilled a few bottles and watched them being enjoyed . I think they need a little longer in the bottle and they should be very fine. The taste is starting to really settle down with the chamomile being taken over by the apple. Initially there was a strong honey taste that suppressed the apple, but with the fermentation the honey has moved far into the background , where an almost medicinal chamomile flavor took its place. I am happy to report that the hints of cough syrup have finally withdrawn and I now have a fine, dryish , refreshingly crisp drink with a subtle depth and flavour that belies its formidable strength.
