How to get hold of large quantities of apples cheap

[spudgun]

I`m wanting to make cider from scratch and wondered where i could get hold of a large quantity of apples, they don`t have to be of good quality. The cheaper the better and preferably in or near sheffield

[Strix]

Sainsbury's bins?

 

Seriously - ring the supermarkets and ask about their throw-outs

[spudgun]

I did think of that. Thank you

[fruitisbad]

if you want something drinkable you'd want a mixture of actual cider apples. If you just want to get sloshed cheap, do it from juice, or just buy cheap cider.

[spudgun]

I`ve got a mate who has already done it with a mix 0f different apples. I`ve tried a couple of the big supermarkets with no success. Are there any orchards in sheffield? I thought of asking them

[fruitisbad]

try this, alcoholic ginger beer/wine, water, ginger, and sugar

 

First things first

 

You need a fermentation tub or jug, see pics later down. Make sure even if these are new from a homebrew store that you clean them with disinfectant and reallllly hot water. Any bacteria can and will kill your yeast before your yeast turns the sugar into alcohol.

 

Your tube needs to be air tight, but you get a cheap plastic water-valve which allows excess gas to escape, without allowing outside air/germs in.

 

For one Gallon of water:

 

About 2.5 cups of sugar, a spoonful of yeast, and as much ginger as you want. A little dash of lemon juice, too. The more sugar you put in, the more alcohol, but I would put about 2.5 cups ( about half a bag).

 

you allow 3 weeks of fermentation in the big tubs, with a water valve to let gas out, but nothing in. (I shall edit in pics later). Ideally the temperature should remain fairly constant (dont put next to a radiator or in direct sun light. BUT Too cold and yeast goes to sleep.

 

THEN AFTER 3 WEEKS

 

Try not to disturb/move it about too much.

 

Siphon from your tub on the kitchen side, down a tube (like you are stealing petrol) into another big container, do this with the hose/tube always near the top of the brew so the sediment at the bottom gets left behind as much as possible, you may want a mate to help.

 

(optional step, reseal this container and allow it to sit for a few hours, then repeat the above back into the cleaned out original container - this helps remove more sediment, but some people like sediment in their finished drink!!! up to you)

 

Then after that you put that next container up high on the kitchen side, and syphon it off into cleaned out beer/cider bottles which u have been saving up, each bottle should ALREADY have added to it a tea spoon or two of sugar. You may want to do this in a bath or on a large tray as its easy to **** beer on the floor between bottles. Maybe you can get a tap on the end of your hose from the homebrew shop. Again another reason why this is a 2 person job.

 

Leave an inch of air at the top, CAP them, new caps are cheap and a hand capper machine is about 5 quid, this means gas cannot escape anymore and so the ginger beer builds up a natural fiz

 

takes a couple of weeks to get a good fizz, dont put in the fridge as yeast requires room temp to do its work.

 

(they will keep in a dark cool cupboard for ages)

[barleycorn]

cool stuff

 

As a guide how much ginger should be added, are we talking 10s, 100s or 1000s of grams?

 

jb

[Mecky]

A walk down the railway will throw up loads of apples. Just 2 things, not the season for apples, you might get done for trespassing

[fruitisbad]

As a guide how much ginger should be added, are we talking 10s, 100s or 1000s of grams?

 

jb

 

it's a bit trial and error to be honest, a decent handfull sized root should do and you can always add bits like lemon or honey or cinemon for extra flavour.

[*Peaches*]

Whole sale markets, near Costco