ISO Bulk Sweet Apple Cider (without preservatives)
Every year about this time I make a hard cider in the Hessen Apfelwein style, but unfortunately, and very sadly, my local apple farmer / cider press operator has retired. The preservative free cider (unfiltered pure juice) should be unpasteurized for wine making, but pasteurized will do. Unfortunately, finding an apple orchard pressing their own cider is becoming depressingly difficult.
Does anyone know someone pressing their own apple cider ? Anywhere near the GTA or Golden Horseshoe would be fine.
By PoppiYYZ
on Nov 5, 2011 08:44 AM
View »
Try Al Ferri's in Brampton.
Permalink | Reply
Jack Pot !
Thanks Kagemusha, Ferri's cider is unpasteurized, available without preservatives, and only a buck a liter !
I'd still be interested if anyone else knows additional cider makers. They are unfortunately becoming a dying bread.
Permalink | Reply
They're only about a 15min.drive away from us and one of the few orchards standing their ground against the ticky-tacky tsunami north of Steeles. Nice apples from cold storage all winter and first rate cider.
Permalink | Reply
I take it Al's son Ray now has the reins. He seems like a real character. Good to see that nice people with a good product still can make a go of it. Thanks again.
Permalink | Reply
Try Siloam Orchards just outside Uxbridge I was there yesterday, and their cider was made with 12 varieties of apples. I also love Pieter's Appleyard just east of Colborne, but they might be closed for the season. When I visited 2 weeks ago, there was a man picking up 200 litres of cider for the exact reason you want it. Give them a call and they might make cider specifically for you if it's a large enough order.
http://www.siloamorchards.com/
http://pietersappleyard.com/
Permalink | Reply
There's also Spirit Tree over in Caledon.
http://spirittreecider.com
Permalink | Reply
Thanks earthygoat and mogo. Great to know there are others out there.
I'm really surprised that making hard cider isn't more popular. It's a local tradition, much easier than making grape wine, and with our fantastic apples, tastes really really good...
Permalink | Reply
I would love to hear about how you make your cider...
Permalink | Reply
23L carboy, fill to 6" from top with apple cider (that is : preservative free (an absolute must), preferably unpasteurized, unsweetened, unfiltered apple juice). Mix yeast (I use EC118 but will also try D47 this year) in a little warmed up cider and add to carboy, install an air trap, and store in cool place until completely fermented and mostly clear (about 2 months). Then I rack into a smaller 20L carboy (which I happen to have). When really clear, about a month or two later, rack again into five 4L glass jugs. Done.
Crisp tart apply deliciousness. About 5% alcohol. Awesome on a hot summer day on the patio. Some add a little soda water.
In Hessen they serve Apfelwein in beautiful blue painted ceramic pitchers called a Bembels with cut glass glasses (sorry I can't add a picture, but goggle image Bembel).
Some additional discussion in the middle of this thread :
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/748835
Permalink | Reply
You owe me one!
Permalink | Reply
No problem. I hope to someday be known as Johnny Apfelwein Seed...
Permalink | Reply
Update : A batch each of D47 and EC118 both fizzing nicely in the cool cellar...
Thanks again K, a bottle will have your name on it.
Permalink | Reply
Bump.
Anyone else try making a local Southern Ontario Apple Cider this year ?
Just racked and tasted my two batches (one with D47 yeast, the other using EC1118). Both are fantastic, but there is quite a flavor difference ! I really hope some others in SO also tried making a cider this year.
Hey Kagemusha, looks like you'll be getting two bottles to do a taste comparison !
Permalink | Reply
I'm on the verge of bottling 5 gallons of cider made with Wellesley pasteurized cider that comes in the gallon glass jugs. It fermented beautifully with EC-118 yeast in my basement. I'll be bottling it in Hacker Pschorr flip top bottles to give it some carbonization. Flavour is very pleasant, nose is exquisite. I look forward to enjoying it in the warm weather, especially with a bit of spritzig.
Gallon jugs I reserve for my short term wines of the Italian style, just like I grew up with from my recently arrived Italian friends' families.
BTW - If you contact the Wellesley orchard you can arrange to go out there on pressing days and get a pail of fresh juice unpasteurized and preservative free. It is in Wellesley, Ontario, near Kitchener-Waterloo. A good excuse to take a trip to St. Jacob's or even Octoberfest in season.
Permalink | Reply
Happy it worked out. Just about set to get some apples from Ferri's this weekend. Nice folks, nice produce.
Taste test? Anything for science...
Permalink | Reply
Taste is very mild, slightly acid, which is what I think will make it quite quaffable, especially when carbonated. I also have read that the flavours will become more pronounced with aging.
Not at all like a cider I made about 10 years ago while still on the farm. We had a juice presser and I got mixed case of Cox's Orange Pippin, Russet and Cortland apples. Fermented the juice over the winter in a demijohn in the garage. That cider tasted like a beautifully aged Riesling wine.
Permalink | Reply
Well done slacker1 !
I wouldn't call it a movement, but with two documented makers, and at least one eager customer (I'm counting on Kagemusha), maybe we can revitalize the SO home cider business.
Hot summer sunny patio and cool cider here we come...
Permalink | Reply