hard cider anyone?

Picked it up today from gantz farms in lyons, NY. 130 for the barrel and 92 for the juice. Nice people. they do farming also. Who else does hard cider? If your near elba, NY around january join me for a
Glass.

Do you have to vent the barrel of cider as it hardens to keep it from popping the staves or the bungs? I made a batch of mead once when I was keeping bees. Kept a trap on the carboy and cooked that in a heated egg washer to crank up the yeast. I do like hard cider but have only had the commercial stuff. There was one particular brand I liked: Hornsby draft style dark, like a porter. Haven't been able to find any for a few years. Most of the others I've had are too sweet for my taste although that just doesn't matter after a while

gitrdonecoal wrote:Picked it up today from gantz farms in lyons, NY. 130 for the barrel and 92 for the juice. Nice oeople. Tthey do farming also. Who else does hard cider? If your near elba, NY around janusry join me for a
Glass.

IMG00118-20091122-1636.jpg

janusry

You sure you haven't already been sampling that product?

Once it ferments, does it keep well in the barrel? Does it need any special storage conditions regarding temperature or anything?

My brother is making it right now. He got a recipe, and came over and borrowed my beer-making equipment to ferment it. Yes, the container you ferment it in, has to be completely sealed from letting outside yeasts in, but must let inside pressure, out.
After its done fermenting, just bottle it with sanitary equipment, then keep chilled to stop the fermentation process.
It'll be intresting to sample it....

I'll Bet you I can drink a gallon of it and not get drunk!!

I need to figure out how to make this stuff so I can stop making NH runs for liquor!

I can see it now. And the label reads.......... NEPA Crossroads hard cider

tvb wrote:

gitrdonecoal wrote:Picked it up today from gantz farms in lyons, NY. 130 for the barrel and 92 for the juice. Nice oeople. Tthey do farming also. Who else does hard cider? If your near elba, NY around janusry join me for a
Glass.

IMG00118-20091122-1636.jpg

janusry

You sure you haven't already been sampling that product?

Once it ferments, does it keep well in the barrel? Does it need any special storage conditions regarding temperature or anything?

i know that looked bad, i uploaded the pic from my blackberry and i always misspell words on it. buttons are too small on it. it does keep well in the barrel. as long as you drink it within 6 months or so. then it starts to get just a little different in taste. so either drink like hell or bottle it off. it likes a cooler, dark place; a basement.

jeromemsn wrote:I can see it now. And the label reads.......... NEPA Crossroads hard cider

hey freddy, make me up about 300 lables. everyone on the forum receives a bottle! and then................. and then...........

I made the stuff in the past using cider which was not preserved or pasteurized. You have to add some sodium sulfite to it to kill any natural yeasts and then use champagne yeast with some sugar, preferably corn sugar. Cane sugar can get a little cidery and will add it's own flavor to the cider. To make it like woodchuck does I imagine you have to add it some fresh cider when the fermentation is done.

In France they make a lot of hard cider and also an applejack they call Calvados. Great stuff if you are a whiskey drinker. They also make a drink called Pommeau which is a mixture of Calvados and fresh cider. Pommeau is literally "apple water" but alcoholic. Probably one of the best brandy type drinks I've ever had.

mm-mm applejack
Brings back memories from high school. There was a still on the hill in the orchards and the fellow made it up in little wooden casks. I don't know how old this stuff was but for a newbie whiskey drinker it sure was shmmmooooothh and aged well. Then we went bowling

You didn't really go bowling, it's just that you all fell down as if you had been bowling pins ........Smitty says to only drink a half gallon at a time.....as it causes the sphincter muscle to relax and then....
Gotta love those apples.....and the fine brew they allow themselves to be made into. Fun tapping the bung into the sweet smelling barrel...........