Acetification of Cyder

I got a worried phone call from a worried amateur cyder maker the other day. They had found my phone number via my website (this is encouraging news for the visibility of the site). They were worried about whether to leave a gap of air at the top of the cyder's maturation tank. They should of course NOT leave an air gap. Whilst this is not a problem whilst the cyder is vigorously fermenting, all air should be excluded when the cyder has stopped fermenting and it being left to mature.

It is preferable to fill up the gap with water rather than leave it to aerate and acidify the cyder so turning it to vinegar. Of course adding water will weaken the cyder. Some people may actually do this to reduce the strength of a cyder. They only needed to add 2 litres to a 30 litre tank so the impact on the strength and taste of the cyder would be minimal.

Making cyder at Checkley Brook

Checkley Brook Cyder on Countrywise

It's been just under a week since Checkley Brook Cyder was on ITV's Countrywise Kitchen. Apart from the nervous anticipation I quite enjoyed watching. Fortunately we were only on for three minutes or so so it wasn't too excruciating. People have been taking the mike out of my accent; I was trying to sound posh - i.e. not swear on prime time TV. Anyway it was good to see more hits on the website - though no sales have materialised yet. Oh well if it had been too popular I probably wouldn't have enough for demand supplying three pubs already. A big thanks to all the Countrywise crew for making it happen.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

cyder on TV

Another social media advert for my fifteen minutes of fame (ti'll only
be a couple really). Checkley Brook on TV, woo! yay! Watch me trying to
be serious and not swearing. Wonderful cameo rolls for Simon Bates (le
Grand Fromager himself), Sarah tea maker par excellence and Hazel in a
wheelbarrow.
...


http://bit.ly/fliHVX

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder poem

The wine they drink in Paradise
They make in Haute Lorraine;
God brought it burning from the sod
To be a sign and signal rod
That they that drink the blood of God
Shall never thirst again.
The wine they praise in Paradise
They make in Ponterey,
The purple wine of Paradise,
But we have better at the price;
It's wine they praise in Paradise,
It's cider that they pray.
The wine they want in Paradise
They find in Plodder's End,
The apple wine of Hereford,
Of Hafod Hill and Hereford,
Where woods went down to Hereford,
And there I had a friend.
The soft feet of the blessed go
In the soft western vales,
The road of the silent saints accord,
The road from heaven to Hereford,
Where the apple wood of Hereford
Goes all the way to Wales.

G. K. Chesterton


Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

cyder bottling equipment in the post!

Awaiting delivery of my first consignment of 500ml bottles and bottling equipment. This will allow me to sell to private individuals and to off licenses and of course open my online shop! How exciting!!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Champagne style cyder

Last autumn's cyder has finally finished fermenting. So we were over bottling up about 400 bottles to referment in bottles producing a Champagne style cyder, much loved in the sixteenth century. We add a spoon full of sugar to prime each bottle, the cyder is then added and the bottle corked and wired. It is left for a year. Next year we will be drinking wonderful naturally fizzy strong cyder. We aim to produce a commercial version in a couple of years.

Champagne style Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder in the sun 2

Cyder in the sun. The warmer weather has brought out the cyder drinkers. A new real pub in Cambridge has started selling our cyder. The Devonshire Arms in Cambridge offers a large range of local beers from the Milton Brewery. A steadily growing brewery which now at last has a pub in Cambridge, the brewery's local town. Their beers are superb as is the service of Don the bar manager.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cider an Perry trials Putley

Cyder competition. Just returned back from Herefordshire where we attended the blossomtime cider and perry trials in Putley run by those lovely people from The Big Apple. We didn't win any prizes but got loads of helpful advice about the late fermentation of our cyder due to the long winter. We met loads of lovely people too. And drank lots of cider and perry. I do mean lots!

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Cyder in the sun

Cyder in the sun. Well the good weather we have been having has certainly increased demand for our cyder in the real ale pubs in Cambridge. The cambridge Blue, The Empress and the Kingston Arms all had some similtaneously and it's only april! Can't wait for the new cyder batch to be ready. The cyder wil be tested in a couple of weeks and we hope to have a good one for the blossomtime cider and perry trials at the beginning of May.


Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Checkley Brook Cyder at the Kngston Arms

If anyone in the Cambridge area fancies a pint of cider this weekend go to the Kingston Arms off Mill Road for a pint of Checkley Brook's Roger's Jolly or Dabinett. New stock delivered.

Herefordshire Cyder at Checkley Brook

Setting social media for cyder

Setting up all my social media to connect together, will it work?

British winter affects cyder

We all know how long and cold the British winter has been this year. This cold weather has slowed the fermentation of our cyder down considerably. At the begining of March some of the cyder was still sweet to the taste; there is obviously at lot of sugar left to ferment. The cyder will be checked again at the beginning of April. This may mean the cyder is ready a month or so later than last year. We had an order for a couple of beers festivals recently, one at The Empress, Cambridge and another at a beer festival in Newcastle (this is the furthest our cyder has traveled!).