Saturday, November 1, 2014

Second Racking Post Fining

Our Second Decanting


The Bentonite fining agent clarified our cider nicely.  Based on my research, I thought I may need to add a positively charged fining agent to further clarify the cider, as Bentonite is negatively charged; but after a few weeks, the cider has such a lovely rich amber glow, clarity and delightful flavor that really requires no further processing.  In this case, less is most definitely more.

Beautifully clarified, with Bentonite at the bottom:


Today's objectives were to:

1.)  Use hydrometer to calculate alcohol content
2.)  Siphon cider and decant to a clean carboy
3.)  Adjust flavor


Using the Hydrometer to Calculate Alcohol Content




I read that the hydrometer is to the wine/cider maker what the compass is to the mariner.

The hydrometer measures the weight (gravity) of a liquid in relation to the weight of water. Because the relation of the gravity to water is specified, the resulting measure is called a specific gravity.

A hydrometer will float higher in a heavy liquid (such as one with sugar dissolved in it) and dips lower in a light liquid (such as in water or alcohol). By knowing how much sugar you started and ended with, you can calculate the resulting alcohol content.

Based on a hydrometer reading that began with 1.070 in September and today's drop to just a shade below 1.000, our projected alcohol content will be around 9%. 

Here's how it works out:

1.070 - 1.000 = .070 (drop) x the K Factor (ranges from 125-130 for cider making - we chose 128)

The result is 8.96, or roughly 9%.

Siphon Cider & Decant to A Clean Carboy


Bernie fashioned a device to keep the siphon tube from disturbing the Bentonite.


The siphoning process begins.



Adjusting the Flavor


After all four of us tasted the cider, we determined it would be even more delicious with the addition of Bernie's super premium Pete's Mountain collected flower honey.

So I imagine that we should refer to the cider as "Cyser" from this point on, because now it is truly a combination of apple cider & mead.




The addition of honey may have the consequence of reinvigorating the fermentation process.  This, in conjunction with moving the carboy to a warmer location, could quite possibly boost the alcohol content. 

It simply means we need to keep a close eye on the cyser's metamorphosis...and taste it frequently!


Although I haven't tried these recipes, this looked like a nice place to start:  Cyser Recipes.


Friday, October 24, 2014

The Illustrated History of Apples in North America

Apple Aficionado?


Then be on the lookout for Dan Bussey's 3000 page Tome de Pome called "The Illustrated History of Apples in North America" addressing 17,000  varieties from 1623 to 2000.

This was quite an article in NY Times.  Here's the link:  An Apple A Day for 47 Years.


Monday, October 13, 2014

Alternative Clarifiers (Fining Agents)

Fining Agents (Clarifiers)

Here is a short list of some of the fining agents you can use in cider making.  The yellow highlighted option (Bentonite) is what I used on our first try.  I prefer non-animal source clarifiers, which is why I won't choose Gelatin, Chitosan or Isinglass.

From all I've read, the most successful clarifying process combines negatively and positively charged clarifiers.  So our first step was to use Bentonite and I believe we'll follow up with Sparkolloid afterwards.


Pectinase- This is more of a pressing aid than a clarifier that needs to be added to the mash when the apples are being ground, prior to pressing, and held at 30 °C for 15min to 2 hrs. Do not add at the same time with another enzyme or clarifier, as it will be absorbed or inactivated.  (We used pectinase immediately after pressing)

Bentonite (- charge): attracts positive charged yeasts and proteins. The lees are fluffy and not as compact. Low potential to over fine. Does not usually affect color or tannin, but can affect overall product quality.

The term Bentonite was first used for a clay found in about 1890 in upper cretaceous tuff near Fort Benton, Wyoming. This particular type of Bentonite is known for an unusually high electrostatic charge along with hydrogen bonding, causing suspended particles to cling to it as it settles to the bottom of the container.

Gelatin (+ charge): attracts negative charged bacteria and polyphenols. Lees aren't as fluffy as bentonite. Can easily over fine. Will strip color and tannin. Less likely to affect overall quality compared to bentonite.  (I would not use this simply because it is animal-derived.)

Chitin or "chitosan" (+ charge): a flocculating agent, very compact lees, good product quality. Does not remove color or flavor, more expensive than other finings, potential allergen from crustacean (made from ground crab shells).  (I would never use this simply because of its allergen potential.)

Kieselsol (- charge): a good flocculating agent if used with gelatin or chitin, medium priced, made from silica.

Isinglass (+ charge): very gentle fining, not very efficient, medium price point, potential allergen from fish (made from fish bladders).  (I would never use this simply because of its allergen potential.)

Sparkolloid (+ charge):  a proprietary blend of polysaccharides and diatomaceous earth. (I plan to use this following my Bentonite clarification, because I've read that using a positive and negative charged clarifier yields the best, clearest result.)

Sparkolloid is a fining agent developed by Scott Laboratories for clarification. It is a blend of polysaccharides in a diatomaceous earth carrier and has a strong positive charge. Sparkolloid is one of the more benign fining materials, and when used in reasonable quantities, it seldom strips wine flavors or aromas.

It neutralizes the repelling charge of particulate matter allowing aggregation and formation of compact lees. It does not remove desirable color constituents. It is not a cold stabilizing, heat stabilizing or odor removing agent. 1 tsp. per gallon clarifies naturally by removing protein haze.

To prepare for adding, it is recommended to use distilled water distilled water. Bring 2 cups to boiling and stir in 1 tsp. per gallon of Sparkolloid. Stir frequently, maintain the mixture at about 180*F. Sparkolloid contains some filter aids that will not dissolve. These particles will be adequately distributed by constant stirring as it is being heated. Agitating the mixture constantly is important. When all the globulues of clarifier have gone into suspension and the mixture is smooth and creamy (about 15 minutes), Slowly stir the Hot Sparkolloid into the wine to be clarified. Sparkolloid produces very fine lees, and the lees settle out of the wine slowly. Consequently, this material should not be used less than 30 days before bottling time, or small amounts may precipitate later in the bottles. Many winemakers allow for an eight-week settling time just to be on the safe side.




Cider Making Assistant #2, Dusty.





Clarifying Cloudy Cider

Clarifying a Cloudy Cider

We returned home from a business trip and quickly assessed the cider's progress.  While it has stopped fermenting now, it was decidedly cloudy.

This is common and the next step was to clarify the cider.

After some online research and reading about the process in a winemaking book, we decided to choose Bentonite as our clarifier.  Bentonite is a negatively charged mineral that will attach to the sediment and pull it down.   I'll show you the process and then tell you about the other options.


Bentonite Powder

According to the ratios I read, we needed 1 oz. of Bentonite to treat 5 gallons of cider.  I carefully weighed up 1 oz. on my digital scale and added it to 1 pint of boiling water, whisking constantly to keep it from clumping.  Treat it like a fine bechamel sauce!


After all the powder has been whisked into the boiling water, remove it and blend it for a solid minute or two to make it creamy and smooth.


Once you've finished, it should look like a thin pudding.  Allow it to cool to room temperature.



We siphoned off half a liter of cider to make room for the "Bentonite Sauce." 

Once it was cooled, we carefully poured it into the carboy, agitating the cider with the end of our siphoning hose. 

We allowed the cider to stand undisturbed overnight and this very morning, only the sky was cloudy!

The cider was substantially clarified with the sediment dropping to the bottom.

LEFT = Before Bentonite
RIGHT = After Bentonite



Want to know more about clarifiers, check my next post where I'll share my research.
 

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Cider & Apple Events Near Portland

Looking to Enjoy Cider Events?

OCTOBER 11
The Home Orchard Society is having a Harvest Fest Potluck on October 11 which includes cider pressing.  Click here to read more:  Home Orchard Society Potluck.   I really wish we were in town for this one.

OCTOBER 11-12
Smith Berry Barn is hosting the 21st Annual Heirloom Apple Festival in Hillsboro.  Click here to read the write up in Travel Oregon:  Heirloom Apple Festival.

OCTOBER 25-26
Try the Heirloom Apple Celebration Weekend October 25-26 in Hood River.  Click here to see their poster:  Heirloom Apple Celebration.


Our Halloween Cat, Dusty, watching me sort apples.





Monday, October 6, 2014

Arkansas Black


Arkansas Black (1870)

This tree originated from a Winesap seedling in an orchard in Bentonville Arkansas in 1870.  A winesap is essential in cider because it adds that bit of tannin, like what you taste in red wine.  It's that taste that leaves your mouth feeling a bit dry.

This is a very hard apple, which is probably why it can be stored all winter long.   It is a brilliant deep red that polishes up beautifully owing to its even, smooth skin.  The flesh is creamy white.

First you taste sweet, followed by tannins. 




Arkansas Black on the left next to the Roxbury Russet (greenish apples) and the Ashmead's Kernel (golden with an orange blush).






Ashmead's Kernel

Today we harvested some of the leftover apples, too few for cider making.

Here is the Ashmead's Kernel.


This apple originates in England in the 1700s and is a russeted a golden brown with an orange or reddish bronze cheek.  

This apple has a different texture than my other cider apples.  Although a russet, the skin is not as leathery, the first bite doesn't produce a strong crack, but yet it is sugary, juicy, aromatic and has a distinctive, acidic sweet flavor.

This one was a pleasant surprise.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Plans to Build Your Own Cider Press

Interested in Building Your Own Cider Press?


Jerry, the cider press operator during our adventure, says he would find a way to make it hydraulic.  

The Applejack recipe included by the author looks very interesting.  We'll have to try that with the next batch.

Here's the link:  Cider Press Instructions

How to Build a Cider Press

September/October 1976
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make this easy-to-build cider press, and start enjoying homemade apple cider and apple jack.
 
http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/build-a-cider-press-zmaz76soztak.aspx
Figure 1. A supporting frame made of 2 x 4's and 4 x 4's, nailed and bolted together.


Illustrations by Jim Nowadnick

To see the slide show with instructions, click on this link:  Cider Press Slide Show
  Before the advent of the pop bottle and urban sprawl, just about every farm had a cider press. These machines were lovingly built by highly skilled craftsmen called coopers, who also constructed the casks and barrels in which families stored flour, sugar, corn, water, beer, pickles, nails and many other commodities.

Nowadays, it's well nigh impossible to come by an old-fashioned barrel press. The very few that still exist are either quietly handed down from one generation to another within families or sold at outrageous prices in antique shops. Which means that if there's an apple orchard in your back pasture and you'd rather high-grade all that fallen fruit into cider than let the cows eat it, you'll have to break out the carpentry tools.

Now, I'm not a cooper (heaven forbid!) and wouldn't know where to begin when it comes to bending barrel staves into compound curves, but I have built a cider press that—while not the world's prettiest or most sophisticated—gets the job done, and cost me only about $30 (1976 prices) to assemble. Besides that, the unit is so stout that I'll betcha someday a father will point his finger at the machine and proudly tell his son, "My grandpappy built that press."

You Can Build a Cider Press

My little cidermaker's not at all difficult to build. Take a look at the accompanying diagrams and photographs (Click on the corresponding thumbnail in the Image Gallery, above) to get a general idea of how the press is put together. There are essentially just four components: [Fig. 1] A supporting frame made of 2 x 4's and 4 x 4's, nailed and bolted together, [Fig. 2] an open-ended "basket"—in which the apples are crushed (made of vertical wooden slats held in place by two horizontal metal hoops), [Fig. 3] a screw to deliver the squeezing force, and [Fig. 4] a trough to collect the drippings. Since the basket is probably the most demanding of the four sub-assemblies to construct, I'll start the instructions with that item.

Use Hardwood for the Press

You'll notice that in the "List of Materials" (Page 6) I've specified hardwood for the basket's slats. This is because softwoods—pine or fir, for example—are likely to impart undesirable flavors to the cider. Thus, make a maximum effort to fabricate this part of your press from hardwood, preferably maple or oak, that has NEVER been soaked in a preservative. Scrounge a little. I cut my basket's slats from a pair of old breadboards that had been collecting dust in my garage.

Bear in mind, as you build the basket, that the spacing between slats (on the inside of the hoop looking out) should be very close to 1/16" after everything has been assembled. If the gaps are much more than 1/16" wide, bits of peel and core will escape through them and end tip floating in the cider, while, if the spacing is much tighter, you'll probably need a bicep transplant after your first attempt at turning the crank of the fully loaded press.

The slats on my machine's basket are 5/8" thick (a thickness, I've found, that can be cut from most breadboards). If you're forced to use wood of another dimension, however, go ahead. First, though, sit down with a pencil and paper and figure out how far apart the holes in the metal straps will have to be in order to maintain the 1/16" spacing between slats on tile finished basket.

Let's assume, for the sake of brevity, that you'll be working with 5/8" stock. The first order of business is to pre-drill the two 38"-long strips of metal which will act as the hoops that hold the slats.
Start by drilling a quarter-inch hole in 19/32" from one end of each strip. Then make additional quarter-inch holes spaced every 1-3/16" apart, for a total of 32 holes per 38" strip. Score the spots with a center punch before you drill them, and don't forget to bathe the drill bit in cutting oil as you use it. (In addition to prolonging the life of the bit, cutting oil makes the job go a lot faster. Motor oil does the trick too, but not quite as well.)

Now bend the two metal straps around a 12"-diameter bucket or wooden jig, apply C-clamps and spot-weld the ends together. (In my opinion, a shop would be taking advantage of you if they charged more than a couple of bucks for this two-minute task.)

Next, you'll need a table saw (or at least access to one) to cut the beveled slats. Before you begin, saw your 5/8"-thick breadboards into 12" by 12" squares. Then tilt the saw's table up 15 degrees, lock it in position, set the blade's cutting guide so that you slice off a 1"-wide strip of wood with each swipe, and—using a push stick (NOT your fingers)—whiz off a couple of trial slats. (Note that you'll have to push the large block of wood through one way, then turn it around and feed it through the opposite way, etc.—reversing the chunk on each pass—to produce the "truncated pyramid" cross section that you want on each slat.)

Drill holes through both test pieces three inches in from either end and bolt the two slats side by side to the inside of the metal hoops. Check the gap between the pieces of wood. Is it 1/16"? If not, adjust the table saw's guide so that the slats measure a little more or less than 1" across the widest face of their cross sections.

Once you've adjusted your saw so that the two trial slats fit next to each other properly when mounted on the metal bands, you're ready to [1] cut the 30 remaining slats, [2] give them a light sanding, and [3] bolt or rivet them into place on the hoops.

The Support Frame

Fasten the 4 x 4 members of the support frame together with carriage bolts. Sixteen-penny (3-1/2") common nails are adequate for the side braces. (Just be sure to drill guide holes in the 2 x 4's first to prevent splitting.)
Notice, by the way, that the ground clearance of the two lowermost horizontal 4 x 4 framing members—the ones that carry the juice trough—is not the same for each 4 x 4: The beam at the front of the frame (as shown in Fig. 1) is 3/4" lower than its mate at the rear. This is so that the juice can flow down the trough and into a collecting pan at the front of the press.

The Trough and Drain

The bottom of the trough can be cut from a 15-1/2" x 36" piece of 1/2" exterior plywood, while an adequate rim can be made with bits and pieces of wood from the scrap pile. The molding should be about 1-1/4" high, measured from the inside of the trough. (Some waterproof glue and a few strategically placed screws will do a good job of holding the trough together without detracting from its appearance.)

Next, you must construct a slotted drain, which will fit in the trough, for the basket to rest on. Here again, I prefer hardwood (although you can—if you choose—substitute kiln-dried fir or pine). You'll need to cut 14 drain slats, each measuring 5/8" x 1" x 15-1/2", but this time make a square cut, not beveled as with the basket slats. While you're at it, cut three extra slats 14-13/16" long.

Now lay the 14 long slats down side by side—spaced 1/16" apart—on a flat surface. Place the three 14-13/16" pieces on top of (and at right angles to) the first 14 pieces of wood and screw (or nail) them down. Then turn the finished drain right side up, place it in the trough, set the basket on the drain and you're ready for the next step.

The Screw Assembly

Begin by searching junkyards, flea markets, secondhand stores, etc., for an old-fashioned piano stool from which to salvage the screw for your cider press. Strictly speaking, the screw needn't come from a piano stool. (Mine didn't.) Any coarsely threaded rod approximately 22" long will work.

In any case, once you've managed to find a long, threaded shaft of some sort, you'll want to [1] affix one end of it to the press's squeezer board, [2] thread the other end through a nut which has—in turn—been mounted to the support frame, and [3] attach a handle to the screw's free end.

A good way to visualize the manner in which the screw is positioned in the cider press is to look at a piano stool upside down. In this context, the seat is analogous to the squeezer board, while the part that the seat screws into corresponds to the upper 4 x 4 framing member at the front of the press.
OK. The first thing you've got to do is find a way to mount the piano stool screw (or threaded rod) to the squeezer board in such a way that [A] the twisting shaft applies pressure evenly across the wooden squeezer plate and [B] the squeezer board itself remains stationary as the shaft turns.

Luckily, the threaded rod I found at an industrial junk store happened to come with a ball-and-socket arrangement at one end and, as a result, I had no trouble attaching the end of the shaft to the squeezer board in the manner described. Since most threaded rods don't come with a ball-and-socket like mine, however, you'll probably want to mount your piano stool screw (or whatever) to the squeezer board in one of the two ways depicted in Fig. 2 (Image gallery, Page 1).

The squeezer board itself can be fashioned from two 10-3/4"-diameter wooden disks cut from 5/8" stock (again, a breadboard works fine) and glued together with the grains running at right angles. Alternatively, a single disk can be cut from exterior plywood. In any case, the wooden "lid" should fit snugly down through the basket, but not so tightly that it binds up easily.

After you've fastened the piano stool screw to the squeezer board, you'll need to mount the screw itself in the cider press frame. To do this, first locate a 3-1/2"-long section of pipe with an inside diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the threaded rod you're using. Then auger a hole, just big enough for the pipe to be hammered into, in the middle of the upper 4 x 4 framing member at the front of the press, and drive the piece of pipe down into the hole. See that this protective sleeve fits snugly in the wooden beam and doesn't wobble with the screw in place.

Next, find a nut which will fit the threaded rod and mount it to the frame, beneath the pipe. If you're working with a piano stool, tear off the legs and/or other parts of the stool's undercarriage until the threaded holder or nut has been exposed, then mount this piece on the underside of the 4 x 4. (If you're using something other than a piano stool screw, weld a nut onto a metal plate as shown in Fig. 3 (Image Gallery, Page 1) and bolt the plate to the frame.) When you've finished, thread the rod through the nut, free end up.

The handle is something you may want to design yourself (I've shown a couple of ways to attack this problem in Fig. 4). The important thing, of course, is to make the crank long enough—the longer, the better—to give you ample leverage when you begin to twist away at your first batch of squeezin's. No sense making your job any harder than it has to be!

How to Use a  Cider Press

At this point, you're ready to start squeezin' cider. Which means it's time for you to round up a few bushels of crisp, juicy apples.

While it's true that each variety of the fruit has its own distinct taste, don't hesitate to mix Jonathans with Winesaps or Red Delicious with Gold or ovoids with oblates, you'll get some of the best qualities of each in the final product. Whatever is out in the backyard or is cheapest at the market is the variety of apple to use. (If you need free apples, quite frequently a farmer will let you pick up his orchard "drops" if you've taken the time to chat with him.)

Make sure your apples are fairly clean. A bruise here and there won't affect the taste of the squeezin's, but rot and mold will, so pare away those bad spots. For the maximum yield, cut the fruit into walnut-sized chunks. (A meat grinder or heavy-duty dicer is a good way to get the job done.)
OK. Now screw the press's handle all the way up, slide the trough and drain into the frame, set the basket on the drain, and fill it to within a couple inches of its top with chunks of apple. Then place a pan under the trough, lay the squeezer board on top of the basket and start cranking. When you reach the point where you'd swear only Charles Atlas could twist the crank any further, lean into that handle a little more to force out those last precious drops of juice.

After stopping for breath, unscrew the handle and take out the squeezer board. Slide the slotted drain to the rear of the trough, lift "the works"—the pulp-packed basket—from the frame, and dump the pulp. (It makes an excellent acidifying fertilizer, particularly for rhododendrons and azaleas.) Then reload the press and repeat the whole procedure again and again, until you've converted all your apples to ambrosia.

Once the collecting pan is brimful of juice, pour the raw squeezin's through cheesecloth or a clean bedsheet into clean containers and bottle the liquid, leaving enough out, of course, for a healthy swig or two.

Something to Savor

When you quaff your first mug of raw cider from your own press, you'll wonder why you ever used to buy that refined, watered-down liquid that the grocery trade sells under the name of apple juice. Homemade and commercial apple squeezin's are about as much akin as frozen orange juice and the pulp-rich exudate of hand-squeezed Valencias.

From just the food-dollar point of view alone (not considering the quality of the cider you bottle at home) having a cider press makes pretty good sense. In Seattle, not far from where we live, raw cider sells for a whopping $4.50 per gallon, which means that my little $30 apple crusher easily pays for itself several times over every year.

And as I mentioned earlier, having a handcrafted cider press isn't a bad idea from the standpoint of giving your great grandchildren something to talk about.

No matter how you look at it, a build-it-yourself cider press is a darn good thing to have around the old homestead!

How to Make Applejack

If you do nothing else with your cider press, use it to create the starting juice for a batch of Applejack. The Applejack recipe shown below was taught to me by a retired Marine pile driver named Ade Youngsman, and I can't recommend it too highly.

I've given the measurements in rather large units. Feel free to scale them down or change their proportions as you see fit, because after all, these amounts simply represent my best approximation of what I usually judge by sight and feel.

INGREDIENTS
10 pounds of sugar
water
3 gallons of fresh cider
10 pounds of crushed raisins
yeast (optional)
Pour the sugar into a large kettle and add just enough water to dissolve all of the sweetener. Bring the solution to a boil, hold it there for one minute, then allow it to cool until it's lukewarm. Combine the cooled sugar water with the cider in a large jug or carboy and stir well. Crush the raisins and dump them into the container too. (You can add a tablespoon of yeast at this point if you want, but it's not really necessary.)

Now cap the fermentation vessel tightly and run a small hose from the stopper to a jar of water. This way, gases which are liberated during fermentation can bubble out through the water in the jar, while air cannot enter into the main jug. (It's important to keep air out of the carboy of fermenting brew, since oxygen promotes the growth of molds and other spoilage organisms.)

Let your Applejack mature at 70° F until you just can't wait any longer, then drink it chilled (in hot weather) or piping hot (at night or on a cold day), and don't forget to eat those raisins, they pack a wallop!

List of Materials

BASKET 
(1) 5/8" x 12" x 40" hardwood board (with grain running in the 12" direction)
(2) 3/16" x 1" x 38" metal straps
(64) 3/16" flathead bolts 1-1/4" long with lockwashers and nuts or (64) 1 "-long 3/16" countersunk rivets

SUPPORT FRAME  
(4) 4" x 4" x 36" wood beams
(2) 4" x 4" x 24" wood beams
(4) 2" x 4" x 26" wood beams
(24) 16-penny (3-1/2") common nails
(16) 5/16" x 4" carriage bolts with flat washers, lockwashers and nuts

TROUGH AND DRAIN
(1) 1/2" x 15-1/2" x 36" exterior plywood
(1) 5/8" x 1-3/4" x 90" wood for molding water-insoluble wood glue
(18) 1"-flathead wood screws
(1) 5/8" x 15-1/2" x 20" hardwood board (with grain running in the 15-1/2" direction)
(42) 1" flathead wood screws or (42) 1" finishing nails

SCREW ASSEMBLY
(1) piano stool screw or other threaded rod 22" long, with nut
(1) 3-1/2" piece of pipe (inside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the threaded rod)
(2) 5/16" x 5" carriage bolts with lockwashers and nuts
(3) 1/2" x 2" carriage bolts with lockwashers and nuts (2 if rod has ball and socket)
(1) 5/8" x 11" x 22" hardwood board (for squeezer board)
water-insoluble glue
(1) 1/2" x 6" circular metal plate
(1) 1/4" x 2" x 6" metal plate for squeezer-board
(1) 2-1/2" flat washer attachment (Fig. 2A) or
(3) 3/8" Allen screws
(1) 1-1/2" piece of pipe for squeezer-board (diameter slightly larger attachment (Fig. 2B) than piano stool screw)

HANDLE
(1) 5/16" x 5" machine bolt with 2 flat washers, 1 lockwasher and 3 nuts
(1) 1/2" x 1" x 8" metal strip
(1) 1" x 4" wooden dowel (hollow)
(1) 1/2" x 1" machine bolt with lockwasher and nut (for bolt-on handle option)

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Life Hack for Picking Apples Easily

Here's a Little Trick for Picking Apples


We purchased this handy little apple picking basket from a farm store (Coastal or Wilco) and Jerry fastened it to the end of a telescoping painter's extension with a metal hose clamp, so now we can reach the tree tops without a ladder!  

 

 

This year we're going to need to some very careful pruning to keep the apples within our reach.



Time to Decant

Step 1 in Clarifying

Two weeks have passed and rather than take daily photos of bubbling cider fermenting, I thought we would allow it a little privacy to mature and tell you about the next steps we took toward clarifying the cider.

Two days ago, Bernie & Elaine came over to decant the 5 gallon carboy into a different, freshly sterilized carboy.  This allowed us to throw away the sediment which could lend bitter notes and unpleasantness to the cider (left carboy). 


After decanting the original carboy, we added 1/2 teaspoon/gallon (2.5 teaspoons) of pectinase to help the sediment drop.  We also topped off the carboy with fresh pressed cider that had been treated with a campden tablet.

Step 2 in Clarifying

Today (October 4) we decanted the carboy for a second time.  This is the carboy before its second decanting.  While it is a lovely color, it is still very sediment-heavy.



 So, we siphoned the cider into a clean carboy.


And waited for the second carboy to fill.


After decanting the cider, we decided to sweeten it with honey from Bernie's own carefully tended beehives (Pete's Mountain Honey).  We're aiming for our cider to be 4% sweetened by natural honey.



As we were adding the honey, the fermentation process went wild and bubbling in the airlock resumed at an even faster pace.  You can see the process starting with white frothy bubbles in the carboy below.



In retrospect, I wish I had waited a couple of weeks to make the cider, because today's freshly picked apples had a sweeter, juicier quality than just two weeks ago.

Esopus Spitzenberg

I'm with Thomas Jefferson.  This is one of my favorite fresh off the tree eating apples.  It is deliciously sweet with a nice hard flesh that is beautiful golden yellow inside.  We harvested some from the tree top today and they were sun-warmed and very sweet.

In my orchard, the pollinators for this apple are the Winter Banana and the Calville Blanc.

 

 

 

 

Golden Russet

Even sweeter this week, the Golden Russet is probably the most flavorful apple in our orchard.



Sunday, September 21, 2014

Day 7 (Video Clip)

Day 7


Looking very closely at the meniscus of the cider, I see tiny bubbles rising to the top, confirmed by the bubbling sound from the airlock.

The cider's color has noticeably changed from amber to a very golden yellow.






Saturday, September 20, 2014

Day 6 (Video Clip)

Day 6

Compared to yesterday, the bubbling in the airlock is slowing a bit.


The color of the cider looks different today.  The focus of the video clip I took this morning was on the airlock bubbling.  I wasn't so concerned about capturing the color of the cider.  The camera did that for me.  It is more golden today.



Speaking of golden, this is Teddy, the photo bomb king.  Curious about everything, Teddy and his perpetual motion tail manage to get in on everything.  His fur color seems to match the cider!