Cyder orchard maintenance - hedging and dead wooding

Been doing lots of orchard maintenance, recently. Cutting down an over grown hedge. Hawthorn ARRGGGHhh! Nasty spiky stuff. it is important to let light and air into your cyder orchard. This stops the cyder apples rotting on the trees and increases yields. This is also why it is important to deadwood the cyder apple trees too. Managed to manage 200 litres of cyder too from the early windfalls, mainly the Broxwood Foxwhelp apples as these ripen the earliest out of any of the trees we have. Thanks to Mark the Fireman who came out to help me make cyder. Always good to meet another cyder enthusiast!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Pommeau - a taste of Brittany

I was drinking Pommeau de Breatagne last night with a Breton lad I know. It's 17% vol and made from apple brandy and reworked pommace from cyder making. It comes from a place called Lannion. It is dark rich and seriously appley YUM! YUM!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook