2020…. What more can you say!

Skipping this year’s production, mainly due to a poor harvest from our trees (a blessing in disguise?!) but also because I’ve already got 300+ litres (BIBs) in storage due to all the festivals being cancelled this year. Plus got a load of bottles so storage space is somewhat limited.

Let’s hope the festivals can continue next year and all you lovely folk can enjoy last seasons production that is patiently waiting consumption….

Stay safe everyone 🙂

2019 Production – The Final Boxing…

The last 60 litres of sider has been boxed, along with a number of bottles to use up the remainder of the fermenting bins. This concludes the boxing and bottling for last years production, just need to get a few more labels printed and stuck on boxes/bottles.

2019 Production – More boxing….

Another 50 litres of sider boxed this weekend, along with some bottles to use up the remainder of a fermenting bin. These were the blended bins so now got to come up with some imaginative names for them before labeling! This leaves 3 fermenting bins to box and bottle over the next few weeks and then the garage is semi-back to normal!

2019 Production – Boxing…!

160 litres of sider boxed today, and still got 6 fermenting bins to work through another weekend! Labels designed, just need printing and attaching to the boxes ready for this year’s beer & cider festivals, get your orders in!! ?

2019 Production – Batch 5 (the final batch)

5th and final batch of sider made this weekend and today (a re-pressing), only a small batch to finish the season (as far as pulping and pressing is concerned) with a modest 7.5 gallons.

This takes the season up to a comfortable 69 gallons in total (shame we didn’t quite hit the 70) although does open up a few avenues for names for the final batch!! 😉

Now the fun begins with racking, ageing, flavouring (different flavoured wood chips), blending and boxing/bottling…. Well I might leave it until after Christmas/New Year!! ?

2019 Production- batch 4

Another successful cider making today (following yesterday’s pulping of apples into 10 large buckets).

18 gallons made, thank goodness for the hydraulic press… Made it that much easier!

This takes this seasons total up to 61 gallons so far! If you want to know what that much looks like, see below… Circa 490 pints there!!!

More photos of the day to feature on the FB page in due course!

2019 Production – Batch 3

Using apples that were scrumped yesterday from a roundabout in Bracknell, another 11 gallons have been added to this seasons production. This follows on from a re-press done earlier in the week following last weeks cider pressing.

The total for this season stands at ~42 gallons so far….

2019 Production – Batch 2

Using apples from my garden this time round (and there are still a stack left on the tree) today’s batch came in at 6.5 gallons, and should result in a sensible 4.7% abv.

New press used producing more yield from the pulp than the old press and quite a lot easier, happy days!

2019 Production – Batch 1 Complete!

First batch of the season completed (pulped & pressed) ready for some yeast in a couple of days.

A good start to the season with 20.5 gallons made, with some different variations to start:

  • Apple with honey added (the cider equivalent to mead)
  • Apple & Blackberry
  • Apple & Pear
The apple & blackberry – looks slightly sinister!