Re: [Cider Workshop] Are there any cider making courses

[Andrew Lea]

On 19/11/2012 12:00, Mike wrote:
> Hi all, I am new to making cider but considering doing it commercially
> once I have learnt enough about it as I have really enjoyed making about
> 160 pints this year. Can ayone recommend a good course that covers all
> aspeacts of cider making. I want to produce proper traditional ciders.
> And thanks for all of the really helpful and interesting stuff on this
> site.

Peter Mitchell's courses are good and comprehensive but they have a very
commercial slant. http://www.cider-academy.co.uk/peter-mitchell.shtml If
you want to do keeving and wild yeasts and don't believe in SO2, they
are not for you.

Otherwise Pershore do some day courses
http://www.warwickshire.ac.uk/courses/search_results/course_details.aspx?Id=12634
You might enquire if they are offering any longer ones, since they
certainly used to.

Dare I say there is also my book which is cheaper than any course. It is
by no means perfect, but a start!
http://www.goodlifepress.co.uk/craft-cider-making

Andrew

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Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
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[Peter Ellis]

On 19/11/2012 13:31, Andrew Lea wrote:
> Dare I say there is also my book which is cheaper than any course. It
> is by no means perfect, but a start!
> http://www.goodlifepress.co.uk/craft-cider-making

Thank you for the reminder ! Meant to order it sooner. Duly ordered !

Cheers

--
Peter Ellis

Porec Sales Office
Croatia Property Services

Selling in the new Tuscany!

Tel +385 (0) 52 653 025
+385 (0) 92 247 5879
+385 (0) 91 400 3784

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[David Llewellyn]

My suggestion:
Buy Andrew's book, read it from cover to cover, and then if you still feel
you need to do a course, you will derive much more from any course having
already gained the knowledge from Andrew's book.

David llewellyn

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[Tim]

Save your money.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Cider-Making-Andrew-G-H/dp/1904871984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353332564&sr=8-1

 

Tim

 

From: cider-w...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cider-w...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike
Sent: 19 November 2012 12:01
To: cider-w...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Cider Workshop] Are there any cider making courses

 

Hi all, I am new to making cider but considering doing it commercially once I have learnt enough about it as I have really enjoyed making about 160 pints this year. Can ayone recommend a good course that covers all aspeacts of cider making. I want to produce proper traditional ciders. And thanks for all of the really helpful and interesting stuff on this site.

--

[Peter Ellis]

OK. with their free postage and the discount, I could have saved a fiver. OTOH, Ruth seems a nice girl and do I really want to snuff out all the little bookshops leaving Amazon with a monopoly ?  Amazon are very handy, particularly where I live, but long term, allowing one supplier to hold all the aces holds considerable risk.

Cheers

Peter

No virus found in this message.
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Version: 2012.0.2221 / Virus Database: 2629/5405 - Release Date: 11/19/12

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[Andrew Lea]

Also the author's royalty is considerably reduced when sold through
Amazon - it is not just the publisher who loses out. Amazon's business
practices and flagrant tax avoidance verge on the immoral but it is hard
to avoid them :-(

[Sorry this is deeply off topic!]

On 19/11/2012 14:02, Peter Ellis wrote:
> OK. with their free postage and the discount, I could have saved a
> fiver. OTOH, Ruth seems a nice girl and do I really want to snuff out
> all the little bookshops leaving Amazon with a monopoly ? Amazon are
> very handy, particularly where I live, but long term, allowing one
> supplier to hold all the aces holds considerable risk.
>
> Cheers
>
> Peter
>
> On 19/11/2012 14:43, Tim wrote:
>>
>> Save your money.
>>
>> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Cider-Making-Andrew-G-H/dp/1904871984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353332564&sr=8-1
>>
>> Tim
>>

>> *From:* cider-w...@googlegroups.com
>> [mailto:cider-w...@googlegroups.com] *On Behalf Of *Mike
>> *Sent:* 19 November 2012 12:01
>> *To:* cider-w...@googlegroups.com
>> *Subject:* [Cider Workshop] Are there any cider making courses

>>
>> Hi all, I am new to making cider but considering doing it commercially
>> once I have learnt enough about it as I have really enjoyed making
>> about 160 pints this year. Can ayone recommend a good course that
>> covers all aspeacts of cider making. I want to produce proper
>> traditional ciders. And thanks for all of the really helpful and
>> interesting stuff on this site.
>>
>> --
>> Visit our website: http://www.ciderworkshop.com
>>
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "Cider
>> Workshop" Google Group.
>> By joining and posting to the Cider Workshop, you have agreed to abide
>> by our rules, and principles. Please see
>> http://www.ciderworkshop.com/resources_principles.html
>>
>> To post to this group, send email to cider-w...@googlegroups.com

>> <mailto:cider-w...@googlegroups.com>

>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
>> cider-worksho...@googlegroups.com

>> <mailto:cider-worksho...@googlegroups.com>

>> For more options, visit
>> http://groups.google.com/group/cider-workshop?hl=en
>>
>> No virus found in this message.

>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com>

[Mike]

Thanks everyone. I will get the book and see how I get on. I googled and researched prior to starting this year and have made plenty of mistakes in the three lots I have made but I'm getting there. (well a tiny bit). I have loads of questions but will buy the book rather than bother you without doing so. There is just one thing I cant get my head around though:

 

How long should you leave the cider iin the new fermenting bucket after the first racking? (which I did once it stopped fermenting (about 1.005 on hydrometer)).

 

Due to lack of containers i bottled some 3 weeks after first racking and have put it in a dark cupboard in the kitchen. No explosions yet so presume its ok but is that too soon?

 

thanks again

[Andrew Lea]

On 19/11/2012 14:26, Mike wrote:
>
> How long should you leave the cider iin the new fermenting bucket after
> the first racking? (which I did once it stopped fermenting (about 1.005
> on hydrometer)).

> Due to lack of containers i bottled some 3 weeks after first racking and
> have put it in a dark cupboard in the kitchen. No explosions yet so
> presume its ok but is that too soon?

There is no hard and fast rule but if you rack at 1.005 and then bottle
three weeks later, the gravity should have dropped further below 1.005
so the risk of serious explosion is slight. May be a little fizz though.
A fully fermented cider can be as low as 0.998 but sometimes a bit
higher. It is worth checking the SG before you bottle.

The most important thing about racking is to ensure that air cannot get
back into the cider at any time. So if you are using a fermenting bucket
to store a racked cider it should have a good tight-fitting lid and an
effective water-filled airlock.

Andrew

[Tim]

Did not realise that, are there any sellers that are paying their dues?

Tim

-----Original Message-----
From: cider-w...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:cider-w...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Lea

[Lewis]

Not sure exactly where to pose this question so forgive me if anyone feels hijacked...am having big senior moment re racking and could use some help. Have consulted Andrew's book and this forum but am still muddled. Have just finished 1000+litres in 220 blue containers. Pressed, sulphited, and yeasted in the conventional way and they all kicked in nicely: then a week later I racked each of them into a clean container leaving the gross sediment at the bottom. Some questions (perhaps the first should be answered by Mystic Meg or my Therapist) -  Why did I do that? Do any of you? Is it normal? Will it do any harm? I can only assume that I have read or been told that that's what I should do.....help please. Thanks.

[Claude Jolicoeur]

Lewis wrote:
> Not sure exactly where to pose this question so forgive me if anyone feels
> hijacked...am having big senior moment re racking and could use some help.
> Have consulted Andrew's book and this forum but am still muddled. Have just
> finished 1000+litres in 220 blue containers. Pressed, sulphited, and
> yeasted in the conventional way and they all kicked in nicely: then a week
> later I racked each of them into a clean container leaving the gross
> sediment at the bottom. Some questions (perhaps the first should be
> answered by Mystic Meg or my Therapist) -  Why did I do that? Do any of
> you? Is it normal? Will it do any harm? I can only assume that I have read
> or been told that that's what I should do.....help please. Thanks.

There are 2 schools of thought for the best moment for doing the first
racking....

Some like to do this racking as soon as possible after the start of
fermentation, but I must say a week is a bit soon! The advantage of
the early racking is that it promotes a slower fermentation which will
have better chances to be stopped later by a stabilization racking and
yield a cider with natural residual sweetness.

Others will only do the first racking when the active fermentation is
almost finished and SG has reduced to 1.005 or lower. In effect,
before that, there will be a CO2 protective blanket over the cider,
hence racking is not absolutely necessary before this point. Then
maturation will take place in carboys that contain no air.

Naturally, you may also do the first racking anytime between these 2
extremes!

Claude

[Lewis]

Ah, the old "two schools" trick! Thanks Claude, feel reassured but will take a little more time with the few remaining apples left to crush. Going to take a crack at Keeving next.....
Lewis