2013 Crop Batch #2

[mopar318]

I have started Batch # 2 of our 2013 apple crop cider.

For this batch I plan to age 1 gallon of it on bourbon soaked french oak chips, another gallon with some cherry juice, and the rest just bottle.

Threw in 5 Campden tablets 4 days ago, and let it rest in the garage.



Then Brought it inside and brought the temperature up to 72 degrees before pitching a vile of White Labs Cider Yeast.

Right After pitching



3 hours later and we have a bit of activity.



8 hours after pitching we have nice fermenting already happening.

 

[EpicCider]

Looks good, About to pitch a white labs cider yeast myself.

 

[mopar318]

My cider with the white labs yeast always seems to be really agressive. I see people saying their cider has no foam on top. Mine has a ton!

Before I though it was due to my higher temps but this time even at 64 degrees, the yeast doesn't care. I had to clean out the air lock a few times, but now the foam has settled.

This is about 46 hours from the time of pitching.

 

[WVMJ]

Did you freeze the cider from an earlier pressing or is this from apples you have had stored until now? WVMJ

 

[mopar318]

Did you freeze the cider from an earlier pressing or is this from apples you have had stored until now? WVMJ

It is 50% frozen from earlier varieties, and 50% just pressed

What is being pressed now are a lot of Gold Rush, Melrose, Arkansas black, and winesap,

Earlier pressing were JonaGold, Flourina, and other sweet varieites along with Mutsu

 

[WVMJ]

Great, that is exactly what we were planning to do with ours, freeze the early apple cider to mix with the late maturing varieties. We are planting some Gold Rush, Arkansas black and Winesaps this year. We are planting some early ripening summer apples for eating and was hoping to have enough to use to blend. Have you been sweating your Goldrushes? What part of the country are you guys in? WVMJ

 

[EpicCider]

Have you considered a blow-off, since it's so aggressive?

Maybe too little too late advice.

 

[mopar318]

Here is the cider after 6 days of fermenting. I will be transferring to the secondary this weekend. It is already clearing up nicely

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[EpicCider]

Looks good, You get a chance to get a gravity reading on it?

 

[mopar318]

Looks good, You get a chance to get a gravity reading on it?

Not yet, and not until racking.

My last one finished at 1.005 after 9 days.

~6.5% ABV

I started at 1.055. Just pure pressed cider with nothing added.

 

[EpicCider]

Not yet, and not until racking.

My last one finished at 1.005 after 9 days.

~6.5% ABV

I started at 1.055. Just pure pressed cider with nothing added.

That's a pretty fast turnover for no yeast nutrients added. You have your own press/grinder? I look forward to working with fresh fruit in the near future.

 

[mopar318]

Yes, we have a press and grinder...along with 1000 trees or so.

It is a Lancman 170 liter Bladder press



JonaGold, GoldRush, Winesap, and Empire ready to be pulverized.

 

[Pommeau]

Hey mopar, what's your yield with the Lancman?

My old school screw press gets 2.5 (recently picked/juicy) to 1.75 (fully sweated) gallons/bu.

 

[mopar318]

We get about 30 gallons per pressing and that takes 10 bushels. 3 gallon per bushel depending on how dry the apples are.

Older shrivly looking apples have lost some moisture and net less juice but more flavor.

 

[EpicCider]

Yes, we have a press and grinder...along with 1000 trees or so.

It is a Lancman 170 liter Bladder press



JonaGold, GoldRush, Winesap, and Empire ready to be pulverized.

You are pretty much living my dream life. I've been considering buying land for long-term and planting some trees (maybe about an acre worth), any words of wisdom? Do you own the orchard as a profession or hobby? Any details appreciated.

Thanks for the pictures too.

 

[mopar318]

You are pretty much living my dream life. I've been considering buying land for long-term and planting some trees (maybe about an acre worth), any words of wisdom? Do you own the orchard as a profession or hobby? Any details appreciated.

Thanks for the pictures too.

It is the family orchard that my Dad started. I don't actually own it myself. My dad started it as a hobby but now it brings in a good chunk of change every year so we can buy some tax deductible toys.

Words of wisdom would be to plant hardy trees that have a good breed known for resisting disease.

Your location will depend on what type you want to plant.

There is a lot that needs to be done to have good looking fruit. Correct soil PH, Fertilizers, Nitrogen surplus and good soil. Rain helps the trees get the nutrients they need. Without it the fruit will have calcium deficiencies know as bitter bit.

Learn the art of pruning and thinning and you will have so much fruit on the tree you won't know what to do with it.

 

[mopar318]

If you want to do cider, some easy cider apples to grow are the GoldRush and Arkansas black.

Flourina and Galarina are amazing. They produce perfect fruit and it is amazing flavor.

Personally, I would plant 2 of each of these trees for a small operation

Early apples:
Red Free
Sweet 16

Mid season to late:
Flourina
Galarina
Cortland
Mutsu

Late, harvest before deep frost:
Arkansas black
Goldrush

Early, Middle and Late (Seriously these things just pump out fruit all of the time.)
Asian pears

 

[EpicCider]

If you want to do cider, some easy cider apples to grow are the GoldRush and Arkansas black.

Flourina and Galarina are amazing. They produce perfect fruit and it is amazing flavor.

Personally, I would plant 2 of each of these trees for a small operation

Early apples:
Red Free
Sweet 16

Mid season to late:
Flourina
Galarina
Cortland
Mutsu

Late, harvest before deep frost:
Arkansas black
Goldrush

Early, Middle and Late (Seriously these things just pump out fruit all of the time.)
Asian pears

I actually know a place locally I believe that will let me take some scions from their 24 varieties, and honestly I was thinking 3-4 of all 24 varieties. I also might start 1 backup for each every 3 years or so, really want to have all the varieties (especially cider apples.)

How many acres does your dad have, and does he wholesale his fruit or sell locally? Just curious if it is even viable to make any real cash in the business, it seems like most local orchards are going under.

 

[mopar318]

Saturday, I racked my cider off to the glass carboy. Gravity was at 1.007.

I then added the cherry concentrate diluted in 1/2 the water it called for.

The color looks amazing already and taste great. I can't wait until a few weeks when the flavors improve. I will stick it in the garage and cold crash once I am satisfied with the sweetness.

 

[mopar318]

I actually know a place locally I believe that will let me take some scions from their 24 varieties, and honestly I was thinking 3-4 of all 24 varieties. I also might start 1 backup for each every 3 years or so, really want to have all the varieties (especially cider apples.)

How many acres does your dad have, and does he wholesale his fruit or sell locally? Just curious if it is even viable to make any real cash in the business, it seems like most local orchards are going under.

The orchard is about 7 acres with 800 tress roughly. You can make a good amount of money but for the effort it takes, it is not a lot.

The only orchards that make a lot of money are huge, and do not grow varieties that taste very good. They grow apples that ship and store well, and will stand up to the abuse of the machinery that they are subject too.

 

[EpicCider]

The orchard is about 7 acres with 800 tress roughly. You can make a good amount of money but for the effort it takes, it is not a lot.

The only orchards that make a lot of money are huge, and do not grow varieties that taste very good. They grow apples that ship and store well, and will stand up to the abuse of the machinery that they are subject too.

-

 

[EpicCider]

The orchard is about 7 acres with 800 tress roughly. You can make a good amount of money but for the effort it takes, it is not a lot.

The only orchards that make a lot of money are huge, and do not grow varieties that taste very good. They grow apples that ship and store well, and will stand up to the abuse of the machinery that they are subject too.

My real question is, what kind of money can you make with 500-1000 trees. I read so many college studies (which are surprising a TERRIBLE resource) about how anything under 5-acres is automatically losing money.

I would absolutely love to pull 10-15k year via orchard/garden/farm. I'm kind of at a turning point in life when it comes to my next house/land. Do I go 5-10 acres and try to pull some side hustle income or just hit up 1-2 acres (better location) and keep it strictly hobby.

 

[mopar318]

My real question is, what kind of money can you make with 500-1000 trees. I read so many college studies (which are surprising a TERRIBLE resource) about how anything under 5-acres is automatically losing money.

I would absolutely love to pull 10-15k year via orchard/garden/farm. I'm kind of at a turning point in life when it comes to my next house/land. Do I go 5-10 acres and try to pull some side hustle income or just hit up 1-2 acres (better location) and keep it strictly hobby.

We make more than $15k per year, but usually try to make 0 profit and put it back into the business via equipment and toys. Other wise you get taxed on your profit.:fro:

The most costly thing is finding and buying the correct pesticides that work best in your area. We spray as little as possible, but do have to take care of coddling moth, and a few different types of fungi. If you spray at the right time, there is no harm that is done to a human as the half-life in the chemicals are short and break down before you ever would consume it.

Ok....a half life's never really reaches 0 completely, but what you are eating is less harmful than typical air you breath.

These are things you have to know, so you can tell your costumers that are weary of buying non-organic produce. They automatically assume you do not care about them and are bombing your trees every chance you get with deadly chemicals.

Plan on 3-4 bushels per semi-dwarf tree at $40/bushel retails (selling 8 -1/2 pecks at $5)

 

[EpicCider]

We make more than $15k per year, but usually try to make 0 profit and put it back into the business via equipment and toys. Other wise you get taxed on your profit.:fro:

The most costly thing is finding and buying the correct pesticides that work best in your area. We spray as little as possible, but do have to take care of coddling moth, and a few different types of fungi. If you spray at the right time, there is no harm that is done to a human as the half-life in the chemicals are short and break down before you ever would consume it.

Ok....a half life's never really reaches 0 completely, but what you are eating is less harmful than typical air you breath.

These are things you have to know, so you can tell your costumers that are weary of buying non-organic produce. They automatically assume you do not care about them and are bombing your trees every chance you get with deadly chemicals.

Plan on 3-4 bushels per semi-dwarf tree at $40/bushel retails (selling 8 -1/2 pecks at $5)

Do you wholesale at all or are you selling mainly farmers markets?

Any information about your process would be appreciated. Glad to hear you guys are making it work. Also, how many hours would you say you average working the orchard?

 

[mopar318]

My cherry infused cider is done now and taste great!

This is after added the pure cherry concentrate



I let it go for another week before it finished at 1.007 Final Gravity. It was at 1.002 before the cherry was added. There seems to be quite a bit of non fermentables in cherry compared to apple.

Cold stabilized for 2 weeks.



Bottled last week. The color is amazing. Very clear just like my other ciders.

 

[EpicCider]

Looks awesome man.

Did you grow the cherries as well?