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Hi, i'm new to both these forums and wine/cider brewing, and very excited about it i'm started 'the business' with this recipe for scrumpy cider:

Ingredients
3.6 kilos (8lb) Apples, any apples will do.(try and find some unused apple trees)
9 ltrs (2 gallons) water
28grams (1oz) root ginger
Juice of four lemons
some empty resealable bottles
3.6 Kilos (8lbs) Sugar
Step 1

Cut up the unpeeled apples roughly with a non metallic knife. Cover with two gallons of boiling water preferably in a brewers bucket. Incidentally you must not use any metal in this recipe.

Step 2

Leave the mixture for two weeks, returning to crush the apples well, now and again. By now and again I guess you could get away with doing it 4 times as long as the mixture is well liquified. Be careful that mould does not form at this stage.

Step 3

Stick the kettle on. Strain the liquid and add the bruised root ginger, lemon juice and sugar. Give it a good stir to ensure that the sugar has dissolved.

Add quarter of a pint of boiling water and leave the whole thing to stand again for just over a fortnight removing the scum off the top as it rises.

Step 4

You will need two people for this next bit. Strain into resealable bottles and screw on the tops lightly for 2 days, just to the point where they would need another half turn to fully close them.

Step 5

Ok so you have waited almost five weeks, now tighten the stoppers and keep in a cool, dark and most importantly, dry place for two months.


I've done some research on the subject, and I understand that there are natural yeasts in apples and the air. However, most recipes call for a fermentation lock, for covering the bucket, and for yeast. I like this recipe (and have started it; I'm currently on step 1, having started it 3 hours ago - I now have a load of chopped apples soaking in warm water in a bucket in my utility room ), but can anyone fill in the gaps that may have been missed in it? ie. the conditions I should keep the bucket in/should I cover it/do anything else to keep mould out? And will this recipe actually produce cider? I'd rather not start all over again - ingredients cost quite a lot to a first year uni student

Looking forward to the end results, however shambolic they may be

Hello and welcome to the vine audition. I have private messaged you a link that should help answer all your questions on cider and wine making.

To be honest, I have made cider this year under more strict conditions than you have planned and I am still not certain of the outcome. However, if the ingredients haven't cost anything then the trial and error means you have nothing to lose apart from the time you spend at it. I would recommend covering the fermenting bin with something - even a clean teatowel - to keep flies out.

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Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

If you want to use the natural yeasts in the apple I think that'll be fine - just keep the bucket covered as shirl says, and I'd suggest putting it where the temperature doesn't fluctuate too much, like the bottom of an airing cupboard or such. Let us know how it turns out!

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Dwell simply ~ love richly

Basically you need to keep everything really clean. I would cover the bucket with a teatowel or muslin to keep flies (and fruitflies) out. As for yeast, I know most fruits have a certain amount of wild yeast present, but I've never relied on this. Haven't made cider before but used to make lots of wine and always bought yeast. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

I believe the problem with wild yeasts is their tolerance of alcohol isn't high. This may not matter for cider but if you're making wine you want it with a bit of ooomph! Eventually your alcohol kills the yeast but you want it to go on for as long as possible. This is why special wine yeast were selected (and why people don't just use bakers' yeast.)

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Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Hmmm
OH and I tried making cider with water added (as opposed to just juicing the apples) and it was an unqualified disaster...
Try reading this thread for some good links to cider-making websites
Making ciders and perry

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Sarah

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

Adding water will not make your cider fail it will just taste less of apples, about 2/3 less in your recipe. You can use stainless steel to cut up the apples and steel will be a lot sharper than other alternatives and will not taint the product.
The brewers bucket should have a lid so keep it on, it must be covered or it will end in tears. It would have been better to wash the apples in a weak steralising solution to kill the natural yeast then rinse, though the natural yeast could support cider strength fermentation, but uncontrolled. The fermentation on the apple mash should really be started with a good brewing yeast.
No need to scoop of the scum as it will settle after brewing, better to leave the lid on. Personally I would not put into bottles untill the ferment had stopped and I could control the final addition, level tea spoon of sugar per pint then close hard and leave warm for a week then cool three weeks.
Please do not take any of this as critisism, great that you are trying and hope it goes well.