Making cider

When the apple trees fruited up this year there was a glorious surfiet and to utilise this bounty I decided to make cider again there being a limit to the ammount of apple crumble one can eat.
The equipment required is easily aquired and or hired for example the fruit/cider press seen in this series I hire or lend for a share of the product. Wine making clubs do similar!
It is of vital importance to sanitize the equipment with a good efficient product with a bactericide,  a baby bottle sterilizer can be used at a push, but do not wash the apples as the phyto yeasts on the skins are required to kick off fermentation and produce the desired alchohol . Ther is a lot of discussion about the right apples to use for cider but always remember that the best apples are the ones you get for nothing as long as they are eating apples, Sweeter you see!!

Pomace having been "Scratched" that is to say,  grated and lying on the cheesecloth for pressing

Now the pomace is under pressure and the juices flow

The apple "cheese" pressed and dry--If you dry it further it can be used to produce the pectin for setting jams and jellys.

Finished and filled, the demi johns full of apple juice airlocked in and awaiting the last of the summer sun to warm the yeasts. all the utensils have been cleaned down and are air drying before storage until the next batch to be pressed.