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Showing posts from September, 2010

First Harvest

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The wonderful Indian summer means that the apples have galloped ahead and are falling - harvest number one starts tomorrow. The trees are biannual and 08 seems like a long time ago. Then it was lots of nerves and stress, using a wheely bin to transport the apples, a third of a ton in the back of the car per trip, creaking suspension (the car that is). This year we have the tractor to shift the apples down the hill and a Land Rover and trailer to cart them off for crushing at the Orchard Pig cellars. Can't wait to pick up the juice later next week - it will already be frothing away - wild yeasts = very wild fermentation. I think I'll bottle some quickly in Champagne bottles for a bit of fruity early low alcohol sparkle, it'll be interesting to see how far it goes. Coincidently the man from Customs and Excise called round today - the first 7000 litres of cider are duty free, this was as farms used to pay their workers with it - god bless her majesty! After the cider harv