Cider MkII - update MkII!

Sunday 26th October, and the ferment has been transferred to demijohns.
Slightly less unappetising than before, methinks!

Cider MkII - update

Just thought you might like to know the second batch is fermenting away nicely ...

Yes, I know it looks disgusting, but just think of the story of The Ugly Duckling!

Cider-making Round 2

Wow! Thanks to Karen we now have about 3.5 gallons of the amber fluid on the go!
Caroline, Karen and I spent a happy hour or two on Karen's allotment last saturday, completely filling a brew tub and a toy box with an assortment of wind-falls, conventionally-picked and "shake-fall" apples. (Hmm. Remind me we need to take cycle crash helmets next time!)

Here we are hard at work:




Karen.

The following day (Sunday), Caroline and I set to slicing pummelling and pressing.
I even made a specialist piece of equipment for the pummelling (officially known as "milling"). It's an ultra-modern hi-tech length of 3-by-2 with a length of broom handle through it. A kind of artificial foot - which I intend to use next year for "treading" the grapes!

The previous week's gallon I transferred to a demijohn, and I added a small sample of this fermenting "must" to the new batch, so as hopefully to preserve the generation of yeast. I'm still waiting for it to really get going, but it looks promising.

Here we are:

Caroline ...


... in somewhat more mirthful mode!



Me (well you know that!) with the amazing pummeller.






Assorted debris after pressing finished.


Beneath that piece of bubble-wrap (designed to keep the air out) is 2.5 gallons of apple juice.

Roll-on tasting time!

Please support the Ghurka Justice Campaign

My father, Harry (1913-2005), served in Burma in WW2. He was a notoriously shy man, not given to hyperbolae, but he left us in no doubt of his immense respect for the Ghurka soldiers who fought so loyally alongside him. He never spoke much about their experiences either, and we lucky ones here at home can only imagine what they must have gone through together on our behalf; what it must have been like surviving and fighting in the jungle, sometimes hand-to-hand, for so many years.

To the best of my knowledge the Ghurkas' total support for our small nation, so many thousand miles away, has never once wavered. I hope you will agree with me (and Joanna Lumley) that full recognition of the incredible part played by these good people in safeguarding our freedom and way of life is long, long overdue. It would not, in my view, be an overstatement to say the fact it has not happened thus far is a matter of national disgrace. It certainly does not make me proud to call myself "British".

I do hope you will sign the petition, and ask as many of your family and friends as possible to do the same. Let's end this injustice. Please go to http://www.gurkhajustice.org.uk/ and register your support now.

Thank you so much.

Mike

... and Caroline's recipes

Yet another post-script: several folks were asking about recipes for the snacks that Caroline dished up during the harvesting session. She says if anyone would like them please to email her. If you don't have her email address you can always send me a message and I'll pass it on.
Cheers.

First wine .... then cider!

I forgot to mention this in yesteday's post, but many thanks to Richard & Linda for a grand supply of Worcester Pearmain apples. We'll be eating our way through them for the next month ... or two.

And special thanks to Karen who arrived (unfortunately too late to join in the wine-making festivities) also bearing a huge quantity of the rosy reds. So much so, it got us thinking: we probably wouldn't have much luck storing them, and it would be such a pity to let them rot, and since we have a press anyway, why not try cider? Ooo-aaggh!

So today (Sunday) morning, Caroline, Liz & I got to work slicing, pounding and pressing apples. Note to self: rolling pin not good enough - need 4x4 (not the SUV type, the timber type). "Milling" is best accomplished by bashing the sliced apples with such an implement.

Well much to my surprise we ended up with a good gallon-and-a-glassful of - it has to be said - distinctly suspect, muddy liquid. After much hmm-ing and haa-ing we all sampled said juice ... including Pete. Now Pete is definitely the expert when it comes to apple juice, and would you Adam 'n' Eve it? He gave it a hearty thumbs-up. So looks clearly aren't everything, as is often said.

The remaining gallon is sitting in a demijohn awaiting the addition of yeast. I'll do that tomorrow. It should be interesting. And with all these "free" apples that seem to be around, maybe we'll be able to do another batch or two before the season's over.

Karen: we owe you a few bottles. Cheers!

Can't wait to try it.

Grape Harvest 2008

Another year, another harvest. I'm beginning to lose count!

Thanks to all who came and helped to make another highly successful afternoon of wine (and music) making.

And special thanks to Miles, Tina and Oli for loan of the very handsome gazebo!

We got about 11 kg of black grapes this time. These were added to previously-harvested-and-frozen green grapes (that would otherwise have been heartily consumed by my old pals the wasps), to make something around 9 litres of red-white (rose?) juice after pressing. Pressing, I might add, skillfully carried out by the youngest members.

Overall, the quantity was definitely down on last year, but no more so than I had anticipated, as I am re-organising several of the vines at present.

My viticulture FAQs.

And some pics from the "do" ...