I’ve watched a few of these how to make cider videos and I must say, your method is by far the simplest to follow and un-complicated. Thank you

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much !

I just saw this video, what a wonderful presentation on cider making. 👍

@EnglishCountryLife

11 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

Enjoy hard cider 🍺, great video

@EnglishCountryLife

9 ай бұрын

Thanks 👍

Nice and Simple

@EnglishCountryLife

9 ай бұрын

Me or the cider? 😁

Love it, thanks for sharimg

@EnglishCountryLife

2 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome!

Excellent. Well done

@EnglishCountryLife

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Owen

Just found this. Great video. Simple but fairly comprehensive. Slow easy steps and additional info. Thanks I hope to make some ‘uncomplicated cider’ this year. Now subscribed 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

@EnglishCountryLife

6 ай бұрын

Thanks Dan - Welcome 😁

Will make cider next year. Have lots of apples in WA state USA

@EnglishCountryLife

8 ай бұрын

Shame to waste them!

WELL DONE

@EnglishCountryLife

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Hi there, love your videos on here. Wish me luck and I'll be back to tell you how my cider making went! Thank you. Would love to see more videos. Garden tips and making things that's grown...

@lisabarber1843

8 ай бұрын

Your video is the best by far. Re cider making.

@EnglishCountryLife

8 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Thank you 🌷🌷🌷

@EnglishCountryLife

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome 😊

Nicely done.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Cheers!

Just stumbled upon your site. Very interesting and thanks for posting.

@EnglishCountryLife

9 ай бұрын

Thanks Matthew!

@Fox-in-sox

9 ай бұрын

How do you think Kiwifruit would do as a cider?

fantastic explanation

@EnglishCountryLife

8 ай бұрын

Thank you 🍎🍏

Oh I just saw who you both are. Yes city life is crazy.. I have 're small holding in Latvia (long story), but it's mortar free. Small orchard, need planting of plum trees, black/red currant. Small kitchen garden which want to expand.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Sounds great!

Enjoy these videos so much

@EnglishCountryLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Alix

Excellent stuff! I'd probably re-use swing-top beer bottles for a cider with fizz though. Sturdy, and the washer "should" help prevent explosions. On that note, HALF A TEASPOON OF SUGAR PER LITRE, AND NO MORE!!!! And leave somewhere quite cool for secondary ferment, so not too vigorous....unless you fancy picking bits of cider-scented glass out of the woodwork for months.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely right, and make damned sure its fully fermented first

Brilliant as usual. My Nan always used to do this but then she had about four orchards at her disposal. Had not thought about making still cider, then making it into ACV/and/or drinking still cider. That leaves with a lot of options. I have a proper press in the shed from a well known company. Shall have to pay a visit to my local veg shop and see what they have as have never made still cider before. Keep up the good work and the inspiration.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Lucky you having a well made press to hand, that makes it much simpler to start. If you need any advice or tips when you try it, just shout!

Awesome as always.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate!

I love your shows

@EnglishCountryLife

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much 🥰

Love your videos always so informative

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

That's so kind and means a lot, THANK YOU!

Absolutely excellent videos.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

That's really kind Peter, thank you!

As always, an amazing video. Love your work. Two years ago I made my own press and will be using it for the first time tomorrow. My wife and I have been foraging for apples for two weeks now and are ready to commence with the scratting and pressing. Wish me luck!

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

How exiting! Good luck!

@benjaminazariah2773

2 жыл бұрын

Instablaster...

Love the alcohol videos! Keep them coming! Currently got some elderflower wine on the go! (Your recipe) 💪

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Will do Matt! Let me know what you think of the wine when you've bottled it? Hugh

Loved this, more please :)

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I will certainly do more!

It's great to know you can make malt vinegar out of cider. I'm amazed, we an make all this stuff just with a bit of time. We all just running around in a barrow to make ends meet. Crazy world we live in.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Just that Jack, if we can make most of what we need, its possible to spend more time doing and less time earning!

I just received a cider press for my birthday so I’m rewatching this Hugh. Can’t wait to get started when the new season’s apples arrive! Cheers! Deb

@EnglishCountryLife

2 жыл бұрын

Oh fantastic - you are in for some fun!

@geoffanddebshipton6797

2 жыл бұрын

@@EnglishCountryLife literally can’t wait!

Just found your channel - and just in time as we are in the process of moving to a smallholding in Norfolk that has a small orchard 😀. Fingers crossed we’ll have moved in plenty of time to make good use of the apples that are there. Lovely clear, simple instructions. Thank you for that. Can’t wait to have a go. Looking forward to other lessons I can learn from you.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Susan and welcome to the channel! You won't be so very far away from our place (we are just over the Wash in Lincolnshire). So exiting to have a new adventure! If we can help in any way, please shout! There are a bunch of us smallholders who chat over on Twitter (including some Norfolk ones). If you want to chat there we are @engcountrylife (Hugh) & @TheFloofLady (Fiona)

@susanpiper4041

4 жыл бұрын

Morning High. Thank you for the offer of help when needed - I’m sure I’ll be asking lots of questions. I’ve spent the time (years) waiting to get a smallholding doing as much research as I can. Thank goodness for KZread and people like you who post easy to follow lessons. Can’t wait to put it all in practise.

Great to see someone who can show you clearly how to do things. I have a holiday home/small holding place in Latvia, we have land and small orchard. Looking forward to using the ideas from here.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jack that means a lot! I've just filmed the second part of this showing clearing & bottling. I hope to post it on Friday.

@jacknielsen6819

4 жыл бұрын

I just seen the Balls book to preserving, on eBay, which I just ordered. Also looking for a presure cooker like the one you have. Yours looks well used !! If you are able to send me a link where I could buy one. I prefer one which I can use to hear up on gas (this is cheaper than electric in Latvia).

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Jack. Search on "All American Pressure Canner" on Ebay, that's the brand that we use www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=all+american+pressure+canner&_trksid=p2380057.m4084.l1311.R2.TR10.TRC0.A0.H0.Xall+americ.TRS0&_sacat=0

Another brilliant and informative video, thank you. We've watched through many of your country wine videos already. Are you still based in Devon or further afield?

@EnglishCountryLife

3 жыл бұрын

We're in Lincolnshire farming country now Ben - a really lovely spot!

I agree with the comment below. The power of less and simplicity.

@EnglishCountryLife

6 ай бұрын

Thank you!

great video

@EnglishCountryLife

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

I liked this, perhaps a follow on video on Brix S.G. and pH? and how to use etc. I have 7 different cider apple varieties I avoided Kinston Black as it its prone to breaking in high winds, so not suited to my site. I have a Vigo scratter but I'm not as fit as I was and upgraded to a 'Vares' electric scratter, this was a game changer in terms of through put effort and 20% better yield. I take a slightly different method of picking, i let 30% of the apples fall, and pick them daily, and store, (a brix refractometer is on my wish list about £40.00) i then pick or shake the rest. If the seeds are completely black they are ripe. I use a barometer to check S.G. and if 1050 or better (I usually get 1060) it will ferment producing 6.5ABV + anything lower it may not self preserve. I have a pH meter and check for sufficient acidity other wise impurities may form. I use extra Bramley apples for acid correction.

@EnglishCountryLife

Жыл бұрын

Always good to hear other peoples methods - I wanted to keep this one simple and accessible 😉. When you talk about Specific Gravity do you mean a hydrometer rather than barometer?

@peterperigoe9231

Жыл бұрын

@@EnglishCountryLife Yes, that was a slip up!

This might be more our style Mikey✌👣🎶🐾

@EnglishCountryLife

3 жыл бұрын

Simple & delicious!

Thanks for yet another awesome, clear, straightforward video. My partner and I tried to make cider last year, and we bought the haynes manual and boy did we make a meal of it. The racking was the most fiddly, but we have got an auto siphon so it should be easier. Testing the acidity level and the gravity just makes it too complicated to start off, so i think we will leave it this time. If anyone has any suggestions for how we can make sure its acidic enough without actually testing the acidity, id be grateful. As for the gravity, thats just to tell you how alcoholic it is, well for the next few years we will see how many glasses it takes before i cant walk in a straight line any more. Now we're just waiting for the autumn and we'll be off to the pick your own orchard.....Keep making great videos E.C.L.

@EnglishCountryLife

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much James. You are absolutely right, it doesn't have to be complex. Press some apples. Let ferment. Done.

@chrisp4170

3 жыл бұрын

Get some cooking apples like Bramley in the mix and it should be acidic enough.

Good stuff. I make about 400 pints a year. I bought a press and an industrial scratter about 20yrs ago, it was a good investment! Before that I was doing it with a juicer and demi johns.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

400 pints is a good amount. Your own orchard?

@DuncanEdwards1

4 жыл бұрын

@@EnglishCountryLife allotment and a reasonable garden. About 25 trees 😆

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

@@DuncanEdwards1 Excellent!

Better than river cottage!!

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

Could I use crab apples? A friend has loads in his garden! Otherwise we will make jelly instead...

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

You can certainly include some in the mix but not more than 25%. They are brilliant for making pectin though.

Just saw your videos and subscribed yesterday…your videos are very simple to follow and I love how you give alternates for most things One question - I didn’t understand this in your video, what kind of yeast did you use to ferment? Regular (bread) yeast or a wine / brewing yeast? Thanks for all the great videos again!

@EnglishCountryLife

2 жыл бұрын

With cider, you don't actually need to add yeast as there is natural yeast on apples, but I add a little general purpose wine yeast. Welcome to the channel!

@avs117

2 жыл бұрын

@@EnglishCountryLife perfect. On a separate note - I don’t even drink alcohol of any kind, but my wife and others in the family love wine; so I am in the process of procuring all the stuff you laid out in your home wine making video and I hope to start a batch of Strawberry wine soon! And all because your videos have gotten me excited about this challenge!

@EnglishCountryLife

2 жыл бұрын

@@avs117 If you don't drink alcohol, do look at the series on making vinegar - it saves us a fortune!

I love your simple no-nonsense approach! I thought you missed an opportunity though: how do you know your apples are ready to harvest? I've had loads of apples that could have done with a bit longer in the sun.

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

That's a good point. I'll try to remember to cover it this year!

Question: How were you able to do this outside without flies, bees & wasps swarming? The moment my first apple ripens on the tree that entire area of my yard is swarming with yellow jackets, any windfall apples are eaten up by yellow jackets - they're everywhere! Thanks.

@EnglishCountryLife

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Karen! Yes we can do it outside, thankfully we don't have too many wasps here

Hugh - how would you reduce the ABV and still maintain the flavour? 6.9 or 7% is great but IF you want a lighter drinking refreshing cider? Suggestion for an instructional video.

@EnglishCountryLife

Жыл бұрын

That's an interesting thought Kim. It's actually quite hard to stop active fermentation - although stabilizing to prevent it restarting is easy enough...I'll have a think!

Thanks when I made my 1st batch I thought you had to add water maybe they do in the distillery's because you look at how many appales you need to make a pint so when I look at an appale tree I say hoy many gallons or pints will it make?

@EnglishCountryLife

10 ай бұрын

Of course that depends on the tree. The big trick is to wait until the apples are fully ripe as they then give up more juice.

Hello With the left over apple solids from the press... can u deed that to chickens ect.. luv your videos many thanks 😊

@EnglishCountryLife

Жыл бұрын

Hi Johnnie, in the UK you can't feed kitchen waste to livestock so it's important that no-one sees you do that 😉

@johnniepassmore5341

Жыл бұрын

@@EnglishCountryLife oh of course contamination.. but what if the process is all done outside😏

@EnglishCountryLife

Жыл бұрын

@@johnniepassmore5341 That's a thought...

Cider is acoholic en France and all over the world as well, except in America.

@EnglishCountryLife

Жыл бұрын

Strange how words change isn't it?

Hi, when you take it from the demijohns and bottle it , how long before you can drink it from being bottled? Many thanks , John

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

I bottle with 1/2 tsp of sugar per litre, leave in a warm place for a week to ferment out and give a little sparkle. Then leave in a cool place for a month to fully clear. I will do a part 2 video when I get a minute!

Can you show us a traditional Pear cider

@EnglishCountryLife

2 жыл бұрын

I'd love to but as yet our pear trees aren't cropping enough ....soon though!

I suppose if you were lazy you could use a juicer machine to skip all the hard work?

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely for smaller quantities juicers work well.

I know the exact type of farmhouse scrumpy you mean. The kind of stuff where you expect to find a wasp in the bottle.

@EnglishCountryLife

2 жыл бұрын

Which was preferable to a rat 😁

Mad my cider and popped it in the demi John yesterday. It’s very frothy today, almost up to the neck of the demi john. I thought I’d left plenty of room but maybe I didn’t. Is there anything I can do to prevent it frothing up into the airlock?

@EnglishCountryLife

9 ай бұрын

Only to split it into a couple of demijohns for the first day or two!

@davidhall529

9 ай бұрын

Thanks Hugh.

@EnglishCountryLife

9 ай бұрын

@@davidhall529 Any time David, it'll settle down in 48 hours. It's amazing how vigorous it is initially isn't it?

No sugar added?

@EnglishCountryLife

4 жыл бұрын

None needed, just pressed juice