Home Brew

[chesters1]

They make cider brandy next door to me,

 

http://www.ciderbrandy.co.uk/

you need a licence!

Edited July 17, 2010 by chesters1

[Ken L]

Have been reading a few of the home brew forums and it seems that "Turbo Cider" has become something of an obsession among the country's brewers.

Having looked at a lot of recipies, I've decided to go with a trial batch that will consist of 4L of Tesco value apple juice, 150g of sugar, a cup of strong black tea (for the tanin), The juice of a lemon and a teaspoon of pectolse. I'll ferment this out with a wine yeast and prime the bottles as I would for beer.

If this works out well its cider at less than 50p per litre.

[Steve Walker]

My wife was on sax in three of the bands playing a local cider and music festival yesterday, so I tagged along for moral support. Eight different ciders on offer, and we were there from about 3pm until about 11.

 

I have temporarily gone off cider.

[Zigs]

you need a licence!

 

Who ? Me ?

[corydoras]

nonsense apple trees have been here long before the romans came so you cant tell me some brit didn't taste a half fermented apple and realise it was good!

it was thought the french "introduced" it but they probably introduced different or easier ways of making it making it available to the masses i expect ,probably a donkey turning wheel rather than man banging stick to crush apples.

if french cider was any good why does it need to be improved for the men? its easy enough to brew cider to more than 14% with the right yeasts ,once wine making caught on here (probably pre roman in the very south) fermentation of grape and apple (probably anything by the poor) no doubt was common ,as the romans introduced more suited vines it went as far north as they did... vines and all as its known its not as warm now than it was then here (global warming my arse) and grape vines grew far farther north than they do now in the open

 

calvados is ok but also bland for a "spirit" ,my el slurpo was far superior for cataracts etc

 

note if the normans had introduced cider then it would be the norse the normans were not french so its highly unlikely its origins come from a group who's origins are colder than ours probably the reverse we told them how to do it they invaded and demanded we supply more

 

this is interesting but speculative :

http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2003/...003/history.htm

 

now its known that the romans found kentish people drinking stuff made from apples when they arrived then later europe was seen as having cider ! so perhaps cider as i said started here and the romans introduced it to their empire

 

as for apples themselves its well known even in the bronze age we traded in the far east so rather than a slow creep of apples from the middle east we may have just imported apples then ,its well known what happens when you chuck out an apple core ,some grow into apple trees perhaps we had them before they appeared across the channel? unlike grapes which rot or dry apples produce cider naturally so far easier to make than wine ,more importantly far easier to see how its made by the commoner ,wine probably had its hocus pocus values to make sure it had the poor wineless

Cider has been made all over the world chesters. I don't think any one nation can claim it as their own. If you do go back to France make sure the cider you drink is brut and not doux or demi-sec

[Ken L]

Ziggy.

 

As you are as you put it "in the middle of nowhere", have a look at these guys for your brew kit.

Good prices and free delivery - even on bulky and heavy stuff like fermentation vessels and kits once your bill is more than about £8.

Mine arrived within 4 days.

 

Ken

[chesters1]

blimey just watched "victorian pharmacy" (bbc2) ,half the quackery on that site probably originated then probably still not working yet either

Edited July 19, 2010 by chesters1

[Zigs]

I watched that too Chesters, just made 2 litres of cream soda off the back of it. bicarb, citric acid, sugar & vanilla. Better than toothpaste ! Must adjust the balance a bit.

 

Cheers Ken, got that site bookmarked.

 

Will try the latest wine brew tommorow & give live on line degeneration into madness as I drink it.

[Ken L]

Another one that's all over the home brew forums is WOW.

 

I shall be putting on a trial batch tomorrow or Wednesday and if it lives up to the billing I'll have am 18L brew going sharpish - and bottled before i need the fermenting vessel for the elderberries.

[Zigs]

Wine not ready yet, had to resort to shop gnats wee, horrible. Don't buy Marquess de leon, even if it is £3.99.