Soda crushes apple

28 April 2009

We pressed apples from Glen's garden to make cider back in late September and, after a winter of secondary fermentation, our very first vintage, code-named "Bingo's Balls", is ready to drink.

We pulped the apples using a drill and a blade in a bucket. Safety - nil, casualty department - one. The apple pulp was then wrapped in a cheesecloth, pressed and filtered into a fermentation bucket. Having absolutely no idea what we were doing we added wine yeast to the apple juice. Which, in the English tradition, is apparently just not the done thing. English cider ordinarily uses the natural yeast on the apples or a dollop of beer yeast if fermentation doesn't kick in. It seems that we have created something a little bit French. Judging by the carbon bubbles in the inside of the bottles, it might just be sparkling too. Let's hope it isn't vinegar. Fish and chips anyone?