How do I make cider? Turning apples into cider.

[baldy]

The 4 apples trees in our garden are starting to drop there apples, so its time to turn them into cider (and apple pies).

As a fervent fermentor I know the basics, but was hoping someone could give some first hand advice.

The crop of apples is going to easily fill a laundry basket probably more, so I guestimate it might give 20l of juice.
I haven't found a place to rent or get the apples pressed her in Hampshire, so going to just buy a cheap juicer and try not burn it out too quickly.

Here is my basic plan and questions:
1) juice the apples, do I need to super clean the apples or anything before I juice them?
2) put juice into 25l plastic barrel
3) add sulphur dioxide to kill the natural enzymes (I don't want to risk using wild yeasts), how much sulphur dioxide do I need to use?
4) add yeast again how much and what yeast should I use?
5) put it the garage, how long will it take and how do I know its ready?
6) do I need to worry about going blind?

[Big Good Wolf]

Question 1 is the only one I can help with, not that it's much help.

There's a guy goes round the local steam rallies with a vintage cider press. He just tips the apples in the pulper, then presses them.
He then hands out cups of apple juice as free samples.
Despite having only the most basic of hygiene standards, I've never heard of anyone getting ill from it.
As an aside, it's amusing how many people think that what comes out of the press is cider, they seem to forget about the fermenting bit.

Cider is big in Herefordshire. It's a common joke in the area that there's apples, sheep shit and all sorts of other stuff ends up in the cider.
There's also a widely held belief, which may just be folklore, that there's a dead rat in every vat of cider.
Either way, it's assumed that the fermenting process will kill anything that will harm you.

[baldy]

Cider is big in Herefordshire. It's a common joke in the area that there's apples, sheep shit and all sorts of other stuff ends up in the cider.
There's also a widely held belief, which may just be folklore, that there's a dead rat in every vat of cider.
Either way, it's assumed that the fermenting process will kill anything that will harm you.

I think that is a world wide urban legend in South Africa the story goes you know its ready to drink when the rat is fully dissolved.
My cider will be 100% vegan though. Pressing is the easy bit, fermenting and then getting the bubbles seems to be the complicated bit.

[VexedCoffee]

Cider is by far my favorite drink. I went ahead and bought a whole wine kit for myself but thats not really necessary with cider.

I would use the directions on this website http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/How-to-Make-Hard-Cider.aspx

That should answer all your questions. If you have more I'll dig out my wine making book and look them up for you.

[daf]

Good timing. I met a bloke in the wholefoods/brewing shop in Pontypridd yesterday who said he knocked together a basic cider press using a bodged timber frame, net curtains, a plank and a scissor car jack, if that's any use.

[baldy]

Good timing. I met a bloke in the wholefoods/brewing shop in Pontypridd yesterday who said he knocked together a basic cider press using a bodged timber frame, net curtains, a plank and a scissor car jack, if that's any use.

It is kind of tempting to make up a press but realistically its cheaper just to buy a rubbish juicer and accept that it will burn out.

[Goob]

My father made cider and a few times when I was in high school. He bought special cider yeast from a brewers shop and the directions said 1 teaspoon for every 1 gallon of juice. It took about a month of fermenting and another couple months in the bottles for it to be done. Not sure about sulphur dioxide, because I don't think he used that.

As far as going blind, I think that is bunk. There was a a guy that used to make 14 day wine and sell it to drunks and teenagers around town and nobody ever went blind. Lots of people got really sick for a day or two though.

Probably need to find an exact recipe for making cider though. I imagine that guessing could end up with something not so nice.