Billy, Chuck etc - stupidity update

[George]

45 odd litres of quality organic apple juice sitting in my laundry fermenting away on its way to being some nice, aheam cough, tasty cider.

Fewer mishaps this year than last year.

2 problems.

First issue - cut the bottom out of my plastic bucket to allow the juice to flow out freely. Last year the juice got stuck at the bottom of the barrell. Seemed like a fine idea. Problem being, the bottom added rigidity. As the press plate (2 old cut down chopping boards) went down the bucket was not rigid enough to hold up & started buckling.

Solution - get another bucket and drill holes in it but keep bottom on for rigidity. Sorted.

Second issue - diameter of second bucket a bit smaller than first bucket. Problem, as press plate went down it split the side of the bucket.

Solution - slide second split bucket inside first bottomless bucket. Split bucket added rigidity, bucket with no holea acted like a sleeve to keep everything together. Sorted.

The jig held together this year & using a bottle jack was so much easier than using a scissor jack.

Gravity of the brew points to an alcoholic level of around 6-7%.

Rob

[Billy]

What kind of volume of juice do you get per weight? Is this still cider, or do you do cidre bouchée?

[George]

per weight of apples?

don't know billy as never weighed apples prior.

whats the diff btwn cider & cidre bouchee, apart from one being french.

rob

[Billy]

Cidre bouchée (corked) has bubbles. Both go well with crepes and gallettes.

[Billy]

It's damn near 11 PM. Long after I've told folks to listen to me, burrrp. You get good wine from 150 gallons, or less, per ton (if you calculate in the archaic English system), and acceptable wine at 180 gallons per ton. I suspect that with your set-up, you are running on the low side of high quality :O) And stay away from arsenic, cyanide, and heavy metals, because they will be the death of you.

Let my words, like vegetables, be tender and sweet, for tomorrow I may have to eat them.

- Synonymous

[George]

...or perhaps on quality, or even on acceptability. Although, a bottle from february 2009 was opened last week and proved acceptable to 6 people drinking (me included). The latest stuff will be sweeten as I have left the apples longer to ripen & it will be fizzier. Also, at 7% give or take it will do the job.

rob

[George]

I prefer to think of it as cidre bodgee.

rob

[Billy]

I would 'ave thought that you'd appreciate those little CO2 bubbles relaxing the pylorus, sos the ethanol can rush right through into your blood stream, and race right up to your cerebellum, and give you a good smack up the back of your 'ead. I must have misunderstood your intent.

So, 'ow do you free the body from the tyranny of the mind?

[George]

I slump into bed and temporarily forget the cares of the world.

rob