The Process

What is real cider?
Well it is fermented apple juice. So what is the process?

It all starts in the spring when blossom appears on the apple trees.

Then providing there are enough bees to pollinate, and there isn't a frost, the blossom turns into apples.

When they are ready, which could be as early as the end of July, but mainly in September/October, the apples are ready to shake down, or let the wind do it!

Then they all need to be gathered up.

And loaded in the van, and taken back to the farm.

Now in a bath of clean water to wash.

Any rotten ones are discarded, then all the good apples are put in the mill.

Which turns the apples into pulp.

Then the pulp goes in the press.

When full, the press cloths are pulled over the top.

The press is screwed down.

And the juice flows!

Then all the dry pomace is taken out of the press, and goes for pig food.

The juice is now measured with a hydrometer to check the sugar content, which is around 10.50 SG.

The juice now goes into a container. At this stage we add some cultured yeast to get the fermentation off to a good start. You can let the juice ferment on its own yeast, but cultured yeast will kill off any bad yeasts and bacteria.

Then fit an air lock filled with water, which will allow air out but not in. The yeast will multiply, and feed on the sugar, turning it into alcohol. Depending on the temperature, the juice will ferment out completely in three weeks in warm weather, to four months if cold.

When fermentation is complete, the cider is racked off, (pumped) into another clean vessel, as there will be sediment/dead yeast (Lees) on the bottom. At this stage, we try and blend all the cider together to give it some consistency, as we have pressed apples of all sorts of varieties as they have come in. We now add sulphites to keep the cider fresh.

The cider is then left tightly sealed for at least four months to mature, after which it is ready to be used.

Now bottles need to be purchased, by the trailer load!

The cider is now decanted from the big barrels, where some more sulphites are added, then bottled.

And capped.

Or put in poly-pins (bag in box).

Labels need to be designed and purchased.

Then applied to the bottles.

Then ready for sale.

And on the supermarket shelf.

And also in 5 gallon barrels at beer and cider festivals.

Please note. In 2010 we purchased a much larger mill and press and we now contract out most of the bottling, so some of the pictures here are out of date, but will still demonstrate the process.