At our new digs on the south side of Salisbury I have my very own shed! No more brewing under the stair or behind the sofa. (True descriptions of the last batches!) I have one batch on the go already that I’m going to call Middleberry Warmer because we had a warm spell right at the critical fermentation period so I think this will give me a very dry batch.  I’ve bottled most of it but left about 4 liters in a secondary fermentation to try and produce some that’s both still and dry.

The yeast is different this time too.  I’ve used the remaining half packet of the champagne yeast I brought from America and a full packet of the generic stuff that came with the John Bull cider kit.

I keep my ears open for a source of actual apple juice but I only ever hear of it in large quantities.  I did add a liter or two of apple juice from the paddock out back which I believe is a combination of Bramley apples and something that is so bitter it must be a cider apple, but we haven’t identified which yet.  It made the last batch taste very authentic but I imagine all fresh ingredients would produce the best taste all around.

ALSO, must mention that I had about 4 bottles of the last batch that aged over 6 months before I opened them. They were marvelous. I have always rushed to start drinking the cider soon as it was ready, sometimes even a three-month wait was too long for me.  But now I know the error of my ways and this batch which is already 2 months old will enjoy a long rest till late September or October. Well, I might sample a bottle or two along the way, just for Quality control you understand…