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October 2005
For two days during the October half term 2005, Mill House Cider Museum rolled out the barrel to show the public how to make cider, and some of the traditions that go with it.
The Cider Team (staff, and friends roped in to help) all dressed up in traditional costume. The boys in checked shirts and caps, and the girls in frilly mop caps, long skirts and shawls.
  
The gates opened to the public at 10am, and over 80 people came on Sunday, similar on the following Wednesday.
Free tastings of the sweet and dry farmhouse Cider were on offer, as well as the Somerset Royal Cider Brandy and Apple Aperitif drinks.
The hot mulled cider tastings were very popular, to help warm people up. A few gallons of dry farmhouse cider were heated with cider mulling spices (on sale in the shop) and sugar and lemon juice added.
Warm slices of Granny’s homemade apple cake were for sale, also very popular, and many people went home with her recipe cards of how to make it.
There were games for the children (and adults) to play. Throwing the apples into a barrel was a lot harder than it looked, but many people won candy canes, and a few got them all in and won Cider Museum mugs. Apple Quoits is similar to hoopla, with rope hoops, and the chance was there to win sweets and toffee apples. Our home grown pumpkin was out on display and a prize was given to the person who guessed the correct weight (143lbs)
 
Children also enjoyed having their faces painted by Mazzii, Hannah and Alex. The favourite faces were apples, butterflies and dinosaurs!
 
Cider Making - the Traditional Way
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A trailer full of cider apples was donated by Burrow Hill in Somerset and a 19th - Century hand mill and press used to make a barrel of cider. The apples were washed in a huge tub of water, before being tipped slowly into the top of the mill.
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The handle was turned which turns the fluted iron rollers inside to crush the apples.
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The apple pulp (“pomace”) was then shovelled onto the bed of the press, in layers of cloths. The iron screws were then turned to press the “cheese” and the juice ran out of the press to be collected in buckets.
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The juice was then poured into a 40 gallon fresh rum cask, made from oak, and left to ferment into cider.
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Cider Making - Small Amounts at Home
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As well as the traditional cider making, we also showed some simple ways that cider can be made at home, with little cost.
The simplest way to crush the apples is to use a strong plastic bucket and piece of wood (2” x 2” ) as a Pestle and Mortar. This is effective but very tiring on the arms , so is best for small amounts of apples..
(Please Note - It is advisable to sand the wood well before use - got a few splinters the first time we tried it)
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Apple mills of all different sizes and designs can be made or bought from many places (we like www.vigoltd.com ) The ‘Pulpmaster’ is an interesting design of a plastic bucket and lid, with a rotating blade that is powered by an electic drill.
It is important that the apples are not pulped too finely or pureed as the juice will not come out.
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There are endless ways of making a cider press. The frame must be made very strong, as it will have to withstand a large amount of pressure. The method of power could be a screw, or hydraulic jack - even a car jack will do ! The apple pulp is usually wrapped in cloths, or for small amounts put in a jelly bag to filter the juice out.
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For small amounts, glass or plastic demi-johns can be bought from many places. An airlock will need to be fitted, to let the carbon dioxide out while stopping any air getting in. These can again be bought in many places, or a balloon with a hole pricked in by a needle stretched over the neck of the bottle works fine.
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Traditionally nothing is added to the apple juice to turn it into cider, as the natural yeasts in the apples will turn the sugars into alcohol. There are many methods of controlling the fermentation, including killing off natural yeasts with Sulphur Dioxide (the Camden Tablet) , then adding a general purpose wine yeast.
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At the end of fermentation the cider must be racked off. This is best done with a plastic siphon tube fixed to a rod so it rests just above the yeast deposit. The cider can then be bottled and is best drunk within a year.
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