Cider anyone?

Wayland.

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As autumn approaches here in the northern hemisphere our thoughts turn to the apple harvest and CIDER! We have been making "Rough" since I was a lad and it is always a time to look forward to. Despite the drought (yes thats right, a drought in Ireland) The trees have held up well by and large not so most other crops struggling in the ground. We have about twenty apple trees, mostly of old UK verities. Do any of you lads make Cider?
 

ClissAT

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Im not a big cider fan, prefering to consume my apples fresh DYI chewed or fresh juiced!:p
But Wayland you make an interesting point re the drought.
If you've got drought, and we've got worst drought in decades, also USA has huge areas in drought, where is the rain falling?
Usually the rain is falling over the continent on the other side of the world from the droughted country, but not this time.:dunno:
 

Wayland.

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I didn't know that you are also experiencing drought. We have not had such a summer for seventy years. So seventy years ago it was worse. So just a cycle then. Well Japan recorded its highest temperature ever! France has just experienced major flash flooding after yet another drought. So global warming? I dont think so. Everything equals itself out given time. We also had the wettest longest winter with more snow for seventy years. Just an observation. ClissAT. What varieties do you grow for juicing? I have been grafting apple trees for some time but I dont have a good juicing veriety.
 

ClissAT

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Oh Wayland, how I wish I could grow apples here!
There was one tree already planted in the orchard when i came here which I think might be a Dorset since that was the usual variety sold to people in the tropics/ subtropics. Its about 20yrs old I'd say.
I have been working on its fertility and last year it flowered well. But of course no fruit.
This year I bought it a polinater and hoping they will flower together this spring.
I have once eaten fresh picked red apples off a farm down near Stanthorpe which were absolutely delicious. Sorry I don't know that variety.
Usually apples in the shops have been in storage for from a few weeks up to 9months!
Last year my local fruit shop got a pellet of freshly picked apples just several days since picked so I bought 3x 2gallon buckets full. 4 red apples DIY chewed daily or a big glass of juice! Yummy!:p
 

Wayland.

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Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your apple tree ClissAT. I am not familiar with the Dorset. I shall google it later and see what the craic is. Twenty years makes for a usufall mature tree. If you can find what is the best pollinator is, I would suggest you graft it onto the Dorset. This is a simple process and would be quicker than trying to get a young tree established. I really miss the point here. Subtropical. Why bother with boring old apples when you have all this marvelous citrus at an arms length. Just a bit envious here.
 

ClissAT

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Oh thanks for the little laugh Wayland!:cool:
Still nice to grow an apple!
Yes I do have some nice navel oranges and top rate lemons.
The best mandarin tree is struggling with kanker.
I think you call them clementines.
My water and soil isn't the best so some plants can tolerate it more than others.
Those that can't, suffer with lots of diseases.
 

Wayland.

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After Googling Dorset apples I can see why it is popular in the Subtropics. It would seem that the best pollinator is "Anna" which was developed in Israel. Hope this helps.
 

ClissAT

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Oh thanks for jogging my memory, Wayland.
Yes it was an Anna that I bought.
I had a good look at it today and it looks like it will flower soon because the branch tips are swelling.
So time to pot it up to a much larger container.
Currently it's in a 20lt bucket.
 

Wayland.

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Cider production is now well under way. The last batch will get to 9% so some interesting nights by the fire with Sibelius and Beethoven are in the offing. Do any of you lads ( sorry ladies, lads have no gender meaning here in Ireland) brew your own beer/ wine etc.? With all that tropical fruit around I would think that many of you do.
 

jancas

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I have had a couple of goes at making cider, though only by using juice from the market, as Same as ClissAT, apples dont grow very well here, need to practice a bit more as wasnt real happy with the results, I have also dabbled with a bit of mead, similar results, they didnt get wasted as it tastes good with a little lemonade added and the cider has been very useful in the smoker water bath
 

Wayland.

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Hi Jancas. We have just finished this years pressing and despite the prolonged drought the yield was up on last year. We got about 40 gals of fine quality brew. Very pleased. I keep bees and so have made mead, but have not done very well with it. Probably because I cant wait that long before I drink it. I think perhaps the apple juice that you use from the mart has been pasteurized and so the natural yeast has been killed. Just a thought.
 
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