This stage is known as racking off. I started by sterilising the demi-john, syphon tube and airlock in a solution of Milton sterilising fluid. Whist that was underway I went out into the garden for a few hours of general autumn border and kitchen garden tidying. I've cut out this season's fruiting canes from the raspberries and tied in the canes in neat rows for next summer's fruit year. It all looks very neat and orderly. Then I addressed the annual bedding which was looking very sorry for itself after our first real frost of the season on Sunday night. The raised beds in the kitchen garden were next on the list for a sowing of green manure; but I ran out of daylight, so back to the kitchen and back to the cider...
The sterilised dj was placed on a small step stool on the floor and the bucket of fermenting juice on the island unit worktop. Then the syphon tube was placed into the juice and then suck on the tube to start the juice down the tube and into the dj, without getting a mouthful of yeasty apple juice, unfortunately NOT! But it didn't taste as bad as I expected, but then why should it? it's going to be tasty cider after all, isn't it?
Lovely Pink Juice |
What struck me most was the lovely pale raspberry colour, this must be from the deep red apple skins and, thinking about it, even when I make apple pies and crumbles with this variety the flesh of the apple has a pinkish tinge. I wonder if it will hold this colour in the finished cider...now I am getting ahead of myself.
I successfully racked off the fermenting juice with a little help from the Handyman; though no photos of this process as there was no-one free to hold the camera! The airlock with some sterilised water in it was inserted into the neck of the dj and then we watched and waited anxiously for the first air bubble to make its way through the airlock...YES!
Fermentation Continues! |
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