tastes like victory
bergey and I made a cider press*, which we're going to use for a 5gal batch of hard cider in the next week or so. If you would like to use our cider press to generate your own sweet or hard cider, read the fine print, and then let us know when you're free!
The fine print:
- You should bring apples and a container for the resulting cider. If you can, bring an extra food processor to help chop apples. If you would like to pack out your crushed apples, which would be super nice (otherwise we will haul it to municipal compost), also bring a waterproof container for that.
- This first run yielded 3 qts from ~1/2 a bushel, using Granny Smiths straight from Haymarket. YAMV.
- Unless you pasteurize your cider when you get home, it will probably keep for about a week. If you are really lucky it will go slightly hard next, but I wouldn't count on it.
- If you would like to make bottled hard cider but don't know how, we are capable and willing to advise; so are the staff at the local homebrew shop, which is conveniently nearby. If you don't want a full 5gal and want to team up with other folks, let us know; we'll either matchmake a bunch of you or add you in on our 5gal, or maybe direct to other folks we know are brewing.
I could say a bunch more but I should either be working or confronting grad school apps. Maybe I'll come back with photos and/or construction notes, though! In the meantime, I continue to be baffled by my recent discovery of Notorious B.I.G. sampling Duran Duran, albeit posthumously.
Other upcoming events of note to locals: housewarming Nov. 13, and choir concert Nov. 20. Watch for email, per usual.
*DUDE! Seriously, we made a barrel. Not, like, a watertight one, or anything, but it has slats and hoops and approximates a circle pretty darn well. And the whole setup is, like, 4' tall and fits in our kitchen. Don't ask me how we produced a 12" circle in 5/4" thick white oak, though, it is a terrible story and has already gotten me thwapped once.
The fine print:
- You should bring apples and a container for the resulting cider. If you can, bring an extra food processor to help chop apples. If you would like to pack out your crushed apples, which would be super nice (otherwise we will haul it to municipal compost), also bring a waterproof container for that.
- This first run yielded 3 qts from ~1/2 a bushel, using Granny Smiths straight from Haymarket. YAMV.
- Unless you pasteurize your cider when you get home, it will probably keep for about a week. If you are really lucky it will go slightly hard next, but I wouldn't count on it.
- If you would like to make bottled hard cider but don't know how, we are capable and willing to advise; so are the staff at the local homebrew shop, which is conveniently nearby. If you don't want a full 5gal and want to team up with other folks, let us know; we'll either matchmake a bunch of you or add you in on our 5gal, or maybe direct to other folks we know are brewing.
I could say a bunch more but I should either be working or confronting grad school apps. Maybe I'll come back with photos and/or construction notes, though! In the meantime, I continue to be baffled by my recent discovery of Notorious B.I.G. sampling Duran Duran, albeit posthumously.
Other upcoming events of note to locals: housewarming Nov. 13, and choir concert Nov. 20. Watch for email, per usual.
*DUDE! Seriously, we made a barrel. Not, like, a watertight one, or anything, but it has slats and hoops and approximates a circle pretty darn well. And the whole setup is, like, 4' tall and fits in our kitchen. Don't ask me how we produced a 12" circle in 5/4" thick white oak, though, it is a terrible story and has already gotten me thwapped once.