Cider making in SE1

I'll get on board the cider train - although I'm not sure that it'll be an easy job getting agreement on storing some/any cider in our one bed flat - though I think I have an idea that may work. Could be in for up to £50 depending on finances (and how much I have left after the August wedding) but at least £20.

roughly how big (in volume metres X metres) are one gallon jug and 5 gallon containers?

I forgot to mention - I'm in for anything between £20-£50, all costs included.

Roadrunner - those glass winemaking demijohns that you see everywhere are 1 gallon, which is approx. 5 litres. Two 4-pint milk containers is another way of looking at it.

My plastic 5-gallon buckets are 33cm diameter, 40cm high. They hold a little more than 5 gallons, to allow for frothing. Remember 1 litre is the volume of a cube with 10cm sides.

I think we (will) have room for a 5 gallon one.

Half a ton of cider apples ought to produce a yield of around 317 litres (70 gallons) all this for, "Not more than £100, bagged and ready to go".



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 15 June 2004 6.39pm by Tharg, drinker of Pervy.

That's great. Unless we have a rush of further interest, then half a ton should do us just fine.

I wonder how much space half a ton of apples fills up?

I'll ask Dave Kaspar (apple man).

and how much space 70 gallons of cider fills up - that's quite a bit!

... won't we need some kind of liscence to produce an alcoholic beverage?!...

Only if you want to distill your share.

70 gallons of cider would (on my v rough reckoning - based on me imagining lots of 5 gallon polypins) fill up about the same space as a small double bed, or med/large dining table (either of which any self-respecting artisan would gladly sacrifice to make room for his craft).

The license thing is only applicable if you make something like 10,000 gallons, Jon. It means that most (if not all) of the little cider farms that make our countryside so welcoming and relaxing can quite legally escape from paying duty (which perhaps goes some way to explain the phenomenal good value they offer to the thirsty and discerning traveller).

I think we should be alright for this year, but I'll look into it and make sure that we're properly legal for next year's bumper pressing :0)

If you want to know what 70 gallons of cider looks like, you can have a look at my bank statements.