The View from Woodside
By John Harwood

I started making this year's cider on the 21st of November. Since I have been making cider for quite a few years, it didn't take long to assemble the necessary kit. If you haven't done it before, it would be wise to get all the stuff together in lots of time.

Before we go any further, may I remind you that cider is a food product and that very high standards of cleanliness are required? The place where you chop the fruit, the machines and all other equipment that you use must be clean and sterilized. If you ever want to make cider again, make sure that you clean up everything with great care. It is all too easy to end up with a bad batch or even vinegar! Of even greater concern is E.coli. Fallen apples may have come in contact with animal feces and no amount of washing will cleanse the fruit once it has been infected. The people making the cider could be a source of contamination. There are several well-known adages that apply to cider making. One is that "Cleanliness is next to Godliness".

Here's what you will need to have on hand before you squeeze the apples:

Containers in which to collect the juice. They must be capable of having an airlock fitted. Size is not important but consider that the containers are heavy when they are full ­ as much as 50-60 lbs - and it will be necessary to lift them and move them around. You will always need one more container than the total you wish to fill because it will be necessary to siphon the juice from one container to another during the procedure. You will also need one smaller container, also suitable for fitting with an airlock. Whenever you move the liquid from one container to another, there will be losses so it is necessary to make some extra cider for topping up the main containers. When you decide how many containers to fill, keep in mind that eventually you will need to bottle the finished product. For still cider (not bubbly) ordinary wine bottles can be used. These hold 750 ml. If you want to make sparkling cider, you will need strong bottles. I use the sort that European beer comes in. They are very good, have flip top closures but they only hold 500 ml. The jugs that winemakers use are called carboys (don't ask me why) and come in several sizes 3, 4, and 5 gallon (14,19 and 23 litre). They can be obtained in specialty shops and some supermarkets. You can use one-gallon jugs if you don't intend to make a lot of cider.

A good plastic funnel or two.

Cheesecloth to filter the juice as it comes off the press.

Airlocks. At least one more than the number of containers you intend to fill.

A hydrometer. The hydrometer is a floating device calibrated to measure the Specific Gravity (SG) of the juice. It can be obtained inexpensively from any winemaking supply store. Also needed is a slim clear glass or plastic vessel in which to use it.

Campden tablets. These tablets made from sodium or potassium metabisulphate are used to kill unwanted yeasts and to prevent undesirable airborne contaminants from entering the juice through the airlocks.

Quick dissolving sugar. If the juice is not sweet enough, if you wish to make the cider a bit stronger or if you wish to make sparkling cider you will need to add sugar. I use quick dissolving sugar from EOS in Wolfville. They package it in small lots so if you need much it might be wise to call ahead.

Yeast. Have enough winemaker's yeast on hand to add one package to each carboy of 1 to 5 gal.

Now to the real business of making cider! Clean the carboys even if they have never been used before. Use a chemical cleaner that winemakers use. Ask for "pink stuff" at the wine supply store. Follow the directions. Rinse really well then cover the top with plastic film until immediately before filling. Fill the carboys to within 2" of the bottom of the neck. The cider will be fermented in the same containers not in open fermenters as in winemaking. Air is bad for cider and keeping it away from the juice is very important. Fermentation in the early stages is quite intense. If you don't leave the 2" gap, the juice will bubble over and make a real mess. Cover the filled containers with plastic film secured with a strong elastic band then move them to the place where they are to remain until finished. Be careful when handling the carboys. They are heavy, are slippery when wet, and don't bounce! I use a two-wheeled dolly to move them from the barn to the basement including down the steps. Have someone help you. Place them on a stand/table that is higher than the height of the carboy so that siphoning will be easy later on. They are best kept in the dark at a temperature of about 60o F. Wipe the outside of the carboys with a solution of pink stuff mixed at the disinfectant rate rather than the cleaning one. Once everything is in place, draw off enough juice to measure the SG. Follow the directions that came with the hydrometer and correct the reading for temperature if necessary. Record your findings.

SG of water is 1.000. What this means is that the weight of 1 litre of water is 1000 grams. When sugar or other soluble solids are present in a liquid the SG is higher. The increase in density is reflected by an increase in the decimal points (1.005, 1.010, 1.050, etc.). It can be read directly on the stem of the hydrometer. Follow the directions and use the correct scale. Be aware that the instrument floats higher in denser liquid so it appears the scale is backward to what you might expect.

The next task is to add the campden tablets to kill the natural yeasts. You can make cider by allowing the naturally occurring yeasts in the juice to work but it is not recommended as certain yeasts create unpleasant flavours. For best results, crush the tablets before adding them to the juice. You need one tablet for each gallon. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, crush the tablets between stainless steel spoons. Do not exceed the recommended number of tablets or you could end up killing the added yeast as well. Stir the juice after adding the powder, cover again and wait 24 to 36 hours.

After the waiting period you may need to add some sugar if the juice isn't sweet enough. If the juice has an SG of less than 1.045 the resulting cider will not have good keeping qualities. If, for example your juice measured 1.040 and you wanted to bring it up to 1.050, you would need to add 4 ? oz for each gallon of juice. Juice with a SG of 1.050 would result in a cider containing potentially 6.35% alcohol by volume. Once the sugar has been stirred in it is time to add the yeast. Cover the containers as soon as the stirring is done. I always get Avril to help with the yeast. Make sure you leave yourself enough time. It takes at least 15 minutes per carboy to prepare the yeast plus the time it takes to add it to the juice. Make sure you have the airlocks clean and wrapped in plastic ready for filling with water and installing. They go on right after the yeast has been added.

Here are Avril's yeast tips. We always use Lalvin EC 1118 champagne wine yeast. Each 5 g packet is sufficient for a container from 1-5 gallons (4.5-23 litres). Dissolve the yeast following the directions on the packet. The tricky part is deciding what is meant by "warm" and "not hot" water. Run the tap and adjust the temperature until the water feels nice and "warm" when tested on the inside of the wrist.

The kitchen counter next to the sink becomes your laboratory. Set up a small cereal bowl for each carboy, including the one you intend to use as a top up container. Stick a post-it note in front of each bowl on which to record the time that the yeast is added and the time, 15 minute later, when the yeast is dissolved and ready for adding to each carboy. For more than one carboy start each packet at 5 minute intervals. This will allow time to attend to each carboy in tern.

To ensure each small bowl of yeast and water stays nicely warm for the entire 15 minutes, stand the yeast mixture bowl in a larger bowl containing about an inch of lukewarm water. It's easy to stick a finger in this outer bowl to check that the water is staying nicely warm. Add warm water if necessary. Pay close attention to the timing.

If you think that Avril's laboratory technique is unscientific, remember the old Yorkshire proverb: "Beware of microbiologists bearing good advice".

After the mixture is added to each carboy, stir with a clean plastic tube and fit an airlock. Fermentation should start within 24 hours. If it doesn't, the juice is probably not warm enough. If nothing has happened in 36 hours, place a 60-watt light close to the bottom of the container. I have used a shielded trouble light effectively. Fermentation will be quite violent at first, especially if the temperature is much more than 60oF. Check the containers every couple of hours and have clean airlocks ready. The foam from the fermenting juice will back up into the airlock and overflow if not tended to. After a few days the rate of fermentation will slow. Keep watching and keep the air locks clean. Wait 3 months.

At the end of three months all fermentation should have stopped and the juice should be clear. If you wish, you can stop right there and bottle the cider. If you want a stronger cider and or a sparkling one, read on.

At the bottom of each container there will be a deposit of sediment and expended yeast. In some wine recipes the liquid is allowed to mature on top of the sediment but, in most cases, the wine is moved to a fresh container. I recommend this for cider. You will need a siphon to do this. A simple clear plastic hose will do but it is better to use one with a spring-loaded valve at the bottom. You will find this useful when you come to bottle the cider. It allows the siphon to be moved to a new container without loosing suction.

Clean the siphon and the new carboy with pink stuff solution and rinse well. Add the amount of sugar you would have needed to bring the original unfermented juice up to SG 1.085. Add 2 ? oz of quick dissolving sugar for each gallon for each .005 you wish to raise the SG. If you added sugar earlier, add only the amount you would have needed to raise the juice from 1.050 to 1.085. Now siphon the cider into the new carboy being careful to leave the sediment behind. The siphon kit will contain a gizmo that fits on the bottom of the intake tube that raises it above the level of the sediment. Fit a clean airlock; add a campden tablet to the liquid in the airlock. Hoist the carboy back on the stand. Wait nine months. Check the level of water in the airlocks every so often.

At the end of the waiting period you can bottle the cider, if you wish. Use normal wine bottles and corks. The adage "never put new wine in old bottles" was valid in biblical times because effective cleaners were not available so be careful and use the pink stuff to clean the bottles. Rinse them well and cover them until immediately before filling them. Soak the corks for an hour or so in boiled water before using them. The product should be still cider with good keeping characteristics of about the same alcohol content as wine, l1% by volume.

I like sparkling cider so I bottle in European beer bottles. You can use local beer bottles and crown caps but do not use the modern type that is made for twist tops. The large size that "Propeller" beer comes in are ideal and hold about the same as a wine bottle.
Cleaning is equally important. When cleaning and rinsing the European type beer bottles, pay particular attention to the flip tops and the gaskets. To achieve the "sparkle", I add a quarter-teaspoon of quick dissolving sugar to each bottle before filling it. It is a good idea to have a helper when doing this. Cap the bottles as soon as they are full. Invert them to help mix in the sugar, wipe them clean with a clean cloth soaked in sterilizing liquid and stand upright in a cool place. Wait three months.
Sparkling cider is a refreshing drink in hot or cool weather. It is great with all main courses and with cheeses. It should be served cold ­ fridge temperature. Please remember it is about three times stronger than beer!

Well, that's the view of cider making from Woodside. There is a huge body of literature about making cider, as well as drinking it and cooking with it. I have read several books and pamphlets and have developed a method to suit my taste. I hope it works for you.
If you really want to know what our cider tastes like, we will again be offering an "Evening at Bluebird Orchard" at the next Harvest Fair Auction. For the successful bidder and partner and two other couples, Avril will provide interesting platters of international cheeses , a variety of special breads and biscuits, as well as a selection of fresh fruit. Sparkling cider made from Russet apple juice squeezed and pressed here in November 2000 and bottled in November 2001 will accompany the food. It should be a fun evening for three couples. The date is as mutually arranged but in previous years the event has been held between Christmas and New Year's. Bid high, help the community and enjoy the cider!