User talk:Splatterbug

Please feel free to add your own views to the questions below and other entries in the Other Comments Section

Apple Mill

Two scratting drums or one?
- From my experience, I know that two rollers / drums are better at lower speeds; those on the wiki use a single drum rotating at quite high rpm. Otherwise, it's down to design preference and what you can get your hands on! Two contra-rotating drums are the best, but obviously gear or chain trains need to be considered which adds complexity -- Ray 17:15, 8 October 2008 (BST)

Muslin Cloth or Netting?
- We chose net curtaining because it is readily available locally, cheap and we could take time over choosing a suitable mesh size. Also terylene is very strong and very resistant to rot and mould - we just sling it in the washing machine when done. I don't know if it is any better than muslin...? -- Ray 17:13, 7 October 2008 (BST)

Do I need to add any crab apples to the fermentation mix ?
- If you are pressing eating / dessert pears, I'd say crab apples are a must. Ripe pears will just turn to mush so need to be mixed with something to give texture and body to the pulp. Slightly under-ripe or hard pears are the best to go for, then mix in any ripe ones to keep the pulp firm-ish. Don't forget that by law, perry can contain up to 25% apple juice, so I'd mix in any apples I can get my hands on. Pears tend to be lower in acid, so a few ripe cookers wouldn't hurt. Do you have any narrow-range Ph indicator papers? You can get these from brew shops or on-line for less than £1 and the ability to control and blend for a balanced acidity (around Ph 3.6 - 3.7) will make a huge difference to the quality of your Cider or Perry, and of course helps take a lot of the guess-work out. Too low a Ph from the pears? - sling in a few cookers -- Ray 17:15, 8 October 2008 (BST)

Scatterbug why are you putting your cider in the warm???
- Wine and ale need warmth, but cider ferments and matures best at temperatures below 12 C. The cider yeast I'm currently using clearly states that it is best to ferment below or equal to 10 C, no warmer. Fermenting cider in a warm place may get the job done quicker, but it is also open to opportunistic bacteria and bugs that like it warm. The flavour will definitely be affected and may be more wine-like than cider-like. Have you an outdoor shed, garage or similar? One with a concrete floor is best, as concrete, flags, tiles or stone tend to keep the cider evenly cool so you get a better, slower fermentation and a richer, fuller flavour. Some of the flavonoids and esters that give Cider it's flavour and bouquet may also be driven off by too warm and/or rapid a fermentation -- Ray 17:15, 8 October 2008 (BST)