How'd ya like THEM apples?

[hank]

Well our last pressing didn't turn out like we planned
I transferred the apples from our transporter to the "apple sorting table" and left them for the night.
[img[http://towd.smugmug.com/Boats/2013-funnies/i-L3NM6DV/0/O/ruf-apples2.jpg[/img]
During the night a young grizzly bear came in and knocked the apples and boxes off on the ground and ate his share

our dog Roscoe barked obscenities at it all night
next morning I saw that the bear had eaten more than half and left lots of steaming piles of bear apple surprises
Next night he cleaned the rest up only a few crab apples left.
electric fence next year

[hank]

photo didn't load in the last reply
Hank

[Barrowboy]

Originally Posted by hank

Well our last pressing didn't turn out like we planned
I transferred the apples from our transporter to the "apple sorting table" and left them for the night.
[img[http://towd.smugmug.com/Boats/2013-funnies/i-L3NM6DV/0/O/ruf-apples2.jpg[/img]
During the night a young grizzly bear came in and knocked the apples and boxes off on the ground and ate his share

our dog Roscoe barked obscenities at it all night
next morning I saw that the bear had eaten more than half and left lots of steaming piles of bear apple surprises
Next night he cleaned the rest up only a few crab apples left.
electric fence next year

Just goes to prove what we all know; sh1t happens.

How 'robust' does an electric fence have to be to deter a Grizzly btw?

[hank]

we have a electric fence on our other property around the fruit trees - I smear peanut butter on the wires. The shocker has a tag on it saying it will energize 50 miles of wire
the shocker should do it do something to the griz's nose

[willk]

Jeeze - and I thought I had trouble with wildlife! My biggest intruders were a few Red Deer (Elk).

Anyways, today saw the last of my crop milled, pressed and casked up. The cider apples pressed out at 45% juice and I got a few litres from some cookers I saved too. I will vinify these separately and use the cooker cider for topping up casks or cooking - it will be fairly acidic. The cider apple casks will be blended later with the dessert apple cider which has just been racked. That has turned out very well, so clear at this stage that I was able to quaff a pint on ice. These current casks will probably be racked over Christmas and left to mature for a few months before blending and bottling in March/April. Time will tell - fingers crossed.

...and how much is there, I hear you ask?

About 400 pints

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by willk

Jeeze - and I thought I had trouble with wildlife! My biggest intruders were a few Red Deer (Elk).

Anyways, today saw the last of my crop milled, pressed and casked up. The cider apples pressed out at 45% juice and I got a few litres from some cookers I saved too. I will vinify these separately and use the cooker cider for topping up casks or cooking - it will be fairly acidic. The cider apple casks will be blended later with the dessert apple cider which has just been racked. That has turned out very well, so clear at this stage that I was able to quaff a pint on ice. These current casks will probably be racked over Christmas and left to mature for a few months before blending and bottling in March/April. Time will tell - fingers crossed.

...and how much is there, I hear you ask?

About 400 pints

How about starting a vinegar culture with a gallon of the sour stuff.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

How about starting a vinegar culture with a gallon of the sour stuff.

I'd toyed with the idea. I even had my eye on one of those tall glass jars the French use. There's one problem - vinegar making bacteria are the bogeymen of the cidermaker. They spoil cider so we tend not to want to encourage their numbers around the work area...

A bit of acidity might be needed in the blend anyway. Previously I've mixed the apples in the percentage I thought might be right to get a balanced juice.

[kerny]

400 pints of happy juice that should keep you going for a good month or so willk

[rocknrolla]

Originally Posted by willk

Jeeze - and I thought I had trouble with wildlife! My biggest intruders were a few Red Deer (Elk).

Anyways, today saw the last of my crop milled, pressed and casked up. The cider apples pressed out at 45% juice and I got a few litres from some cookers I saved too. I will vinify these separately and use the cooker cider for topping up casks or cooking - it will be fairly acidic. The cider apple casks will be blended later with the dessert apple cider which has just been racked. That has turned out very well, so clear at this stage that I was able to quaff a pint on ice. These current casks will probably be racked over Christmas and left to mature for a few months before blending and bottling in March/April. Time will tell - fingers crossed.

...and how much is there, I hear you ask?

About 400 pints

I would come ova and srt them red deer f free willk

[willk]

Originally Posted by rocknrolla

I would come ova and srt them red deer f free willk

...and probably sup a few pints while you're waiting for them

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by willk

I'd toyed with the idea. I even had my eye on one of those tall glass jars the French use. There's one problem - vinegar making bacteria are the bogeymen of the cidermaker. They spoil cider so we tend not to want to encourage their numbers around the work area...

A bit of acidity might be needed in the blend anyway. Previously I've mixed the apples in the percentage I thought might be right to get a balanced juice.

My French mucker has a small wooden barrel that's been in the family for yonks, he just tops it up, waits a week or so & pokes a tube through the crust & syphons some off. The culture & barrel are family heirlooms, each family's vinegar has it's own "terroir"

[rocknrolla]

Originally Posted by willk

...and probably sup a few pints while you're waiting for them

say when

[willk]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

The culture & barrel are family heirlooms, each family's vinegar has it's own "terroir"

Ah stop! The one I saw was clear glass. The "mother of vinegar" has drifting around in it like a dalek's brain in pus - barf making stuff!

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by willk

Ah stop! The one I saw was clear glass. The "mother of vinegar" has drifting around in it like a dalek's brain in pus - barf making stuff!

Aye, a bit like an oyster, but tastes wonderful

[hank]

just enjoying a mug of my sparkling cider
so cheers guys
hank

[Pikey Dave]

A couple of sides ready for New Year's Eve , just taken them out of the smoker. Cured in Demerara sugar, sea salt, Old Pultney & crushed coriander seeds. After that, 18hrs over oak smoke. Should go down well with a nice Islay or 3

[kerny]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

A couple of sides ready for New Year's Eve , just taken them out of the smoker. Cured in Demerara sugar, sea salt, Old Pultney & crushed coriander seeds. After that, 18hrs over oak smoke. Should go down well with a nice Islay or 3

Attachment 88634

Mmm!! Now they do look tasty what time do you want us there ??

[willk]

They DO look moreish.

An update on the electric lemonade - Batch 1 is ready for blending but Batch 2 (the Good Stuff) has just had it's first racking and needs a month or so to settle down before blending with Batch 1 and bottling. It looks and smells good though.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by willk

They DO look moreish.

An update on the electric lemonade - Batch 1 is ready for blending but Batch 2 (the Good Stuff) has just had it's first racking and needs a month or so to settle down before blending with Batch 1 and bottling. It looks and smells good though.

Tell you what, the next time we're over, bring some of your cider & I'll bring some salmon, we can have a welcome party in the marina

[tonymac]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Tell you what, the next time we're over, bring some of your cider & I'll bring some salmon, we can have a welcome party in the marina

I'll possibly get as much of that as I got of the cake you brought over last year!!