Help - apple harvest

[stately1967]

Any Help/advice would be great, I am planning to have a go at making cider for the first time and I think I undedtand the basics of it. The only question i have at the moment is should I just use apples that have fallen as I have been given 40lb of apples that have been shaken from a tree. I am not going to make the cider until next weekend. will the apples need longer off the tree or should I chuck these away and wait?

stephen

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

If the apples tastes good enough to eat then make the cider. You know the steps?

Crush, strain into sanitized bucket, add sulfite and airlock, wait 24-48 hours (sulfite will dissipate), add yeast...etc..

 

[gregbathurst]

The good thing about windfalls is they are probably pretty ripe, and ripeness is very important with cider apples. So long as they taste ok they should be good to use, but if you can get more apples it would be good - 40lbs isn't a real lot for cider. If you'r not sure try to get some juice, enough to test in a hydrometer. If they are 1.050 or above they should be good, the higher the better.