Pressing on...

I have been just a little bit rubbish at keeping this up to date recently. Mostly its been due to the need to press and get this season out of the way. So, to rectify this, I thought I would write a summary of where 146 Cider is at the end of 2012.

Gathering Fruit for 2013 Hampshire Heritage

Bad news first; Wild West and Hampshire Heritage are both sold out. Well, at least they lasted a little longer than last year! You may still be able to get some bottles from some of the outlets (see my website - www.146cider.co.uk) and there is always the Gosport Winterfest and Winchester Beer Festival where I have saved some of each.

Better is that there is still plenty of Eastern Delight left. I think it was over compensation for having made so little of it for 2011!

Each year, I try to grow the number of outlets a little at a time to ensure supply lasts longer than just a couple of months. As this season closes, I can confirm that the National Trust in Hampshire has selected 146 Cider Co. to supply bottled ciders for their Hampshire houses (well, the gift shops). In addition, I am also talking to another group of historic houses and a posh hotel too... lets see where that takes us!

Pressing

Production has yet again increased by some 80% and is currently expected to be 6,500 litres for 2013. I say expected as I have yet to finish - with about 1.5 tons of apples to press. This means that there will be plenty of all three blends... plus there is a 4th blend, a variation of a blend and some special bottled ciders all fermenting to be ready for next May/June.

The problem is that the cider garage at 146 Cider has a maximum capacity of about 7,000 litres. So, the lovely people at Fruitwise (where all Hampshire Heritage fruit comes from) are in the process of constructing a new 'cider shed'. I only expect to store things here as opposed to working from it. However, next year it will really come into its own by allowing me a little more time before having to buy or rent a property for 146 Cider.

During this Christmas period, I have used the down time to update the website - updating a few things as well as constructing a new image gallery which now contains photo's from throughout the commercial journey of 146 Cider (and before). My hope is that is adds another layer of transparency about what I do and what is involved in making these drinks.


So, Have a wonderful New Year and I hope you enjoy any ciders that you have to hand! I will do my best to keep this blog going (though it will not be a New Years Resolution... I am not good at keeping those!)

The last of the 2009...

Well, there it goes. The last of the 2009 cider. I have to say, it has kept extremely well (it must be all that money I spent on improving storage... so it has paid its dues then:-)

The fine examples of bag in boxes, as well as 24x500ml bottles are fulfilling the final orders until April, when I unpack the shiny new 146 ciders to see if they are fit for human consumption. Actually, I tried them again today (stubbornly remaining above the racking off line!!) and they are (in my humble opinion) possibly even better than last years. We shall see.

So, if you are near Gosport this weekend, 20 litres will be found at the Gosport Winterfest (click here). 20 litres isn't much - but I am told there is a good selection to choose from... lets hope they aren't all Mr Whiteheads eh (sorry Angus, but it is nice to try others too).

The other 30 litres is now in storage until next month, when they will be winging their way to the Winchester Beer Festival. Don't worry, if the cider garage is still cold enough to stop the 2010 cider finishing its fermentation, then it will keep nicely. This is the first Winchester festival for quite a while, so it is a pleasure to support it (click here).

And what of the bottles? Well, they are heading off to the Oakleaf brewery shop (click here), who have been kind enough to let me 'piggy back' a bottle order so that I have plenty of bottles for conditioning some of this years cider.

There is a little more, but unless you were invited to my 40th birthday party (apple themed, of course) then I am afraid you won't see it.

Ending 2010...

Happy Christmas (belated) and a peaceful New Year to all those who read this blog.

I am sorry to say that apart from any 146 Cider left at the regular outlets, the 2009 season’s cider is now done and dusted. However, do not panic or fear. Supplying cider throughout the year is a problem that better cider makers than I have to deal with, although I only have to think about a couple of pubs and retailers.

The issue is made easier for me by the spacing of the two remaining festivals – the Gosport Winterfest, run by South East Hants CAMRA is on for February 25-26. On March 25-26, the Winchester Beer & Cider Festival is being run by South Hants CAMRA. There ought to be enough to last these two events, but once it’s gone, I cannot supply more. More information will be posted closer to the time; I have been asked to help out and ‘be there’ at Winchester for a session if you’d like to meet me, offer any advice or just try the cider and say ‘hi’.

So there is always something to look forward to... and 2010 seasons cider will be ready by May! A proviso though: if the new cider is rubbish, it won’t be going anywhere!!

The 2010 pressing season itself is all but over now; I am hoping to collect a few more very late quality desert apples but the bulk of the pressing is done. Sad man that I am, I can confirm that I have pressed 3.4 tons of apples of varying sorts (I will post up the varieties and percentages at some point closer to launch as a part of the attempt to be transparent in what I offer.

In all there should (hopefully) be over 2000 litres for 2011 – though not all the traditional ‘146 Cider’. In fact, 146 Cider is changing a little for 2011. No, not the cider itself - the blend used is the same as the 2009 season! However, it would seem that the name itself is a bit confusing (I hadn’t considered that calling the cider ‘146 Cider’ AND the company ‘146 Cider’ would be less than simple!). Also, the supply of, and varieties of apple available to me have allowed 146 to push on with plans to produce the three different styles of cider that I aim to offer as a business. So...

As of 2011, 146 Cider will become ‘146 Cider Company’ (did I hear someone yawn?), and the main blend ‘146 Cider’ (which I would describe as a ‘Hampshire’ style – 50% cider and 50% desert/culinary) will become ‘Hampshire Heritage Cider’ for 2011. That’s all that’s changing... honest! There will be about 400 litres more than this year, so it ought to go further?!

In addition to this, 146 is launching two new blends:

‘146 Western’ is (go on, guess) a West Country style of cider – 90% cider fruit. Its gonna be dryer and more tannic than Hampshire Heritage, but as it has a base of 10% sharp, acidic apples, I suspect it’s going to come out more Somerset than, say, Devon or Herefordshire.

‘146 Eastern’ is the one I didn’t expect to make until next year, but with Fruitwise having some market quality desert fruit going spare it seemed the ideal time to start. This is a blend made up of 100% quality heritage desert varieties of apple – no cider fruit, no sharps. Its proving to be the hardest to start fermenting, and (at the moment) there is only 120 litres of it. So its probably going to be a ‘festival special’ for 2011. Who knows though, if more fruit becomes ‘spare’ for Fruitwise, then there may be a little more to go around.

Talking of fermentations, everything is going well (albeit very slowly in this cold weather). Very little ‘fluff’ to skim off the top, although the pectin cap has been absent totally this year – we shall see what difference this makes to the finished product. I suspect it may be a little dryer in the mouth than last year (although I have resisted temptation to artificially sweeten... and shall continue to for now, thank you very much). By the way, the image above demonstrates an important aspect of planning a cider house, shed or garage - make sure there are more than two electrical sockets! I was using two pumps here, and had to use the lamp instead of the main light in order to do so!!

The final thing to report is that 146 Cider has finally been presented with its 'Cider of the Festival' for the 2010 Southampton Beer Festival. Yeah, done to death I know, but its my first award, so here it is:
Happy New Year to all... see you in 2011:-)

146 @ The Golden Lion

A new pub to add to the list – well its entirely new, the landlord of existing outlet The Florence Arms has introduced 146 to his other pub in the small village of Southwick near Fareham. This is a trial for the moment, although the cider has gone down well at the ‘Flo’ so I hope this becomes another regular. The cider is available in 500ml bottles.

Southwick is a very pretty village, and the Golden Lion (renowned as the pub that Eisenhower and Montgomery regularly visited during planning for Operation Overlord during WW2 at nearby Southwick House. Out the back is the Southwick Brewery – although now a museum with an extensive real ale/cider shop, all the old brewing kit is on display. Well worth a trip, if just to try 146 in a new setting:-)

Sadly, stocks of the 2009 blend of 146 cider are running low (I will blog the last events I know it will be at shortly – although there should be enough to ensure it is available at the regular outlets until Christmas). This does mean that the Southwick Brewery shop won’t have any stock of 146 until this years supply is ready... but watch this space!

Oh, and just for those real cider-heads. If you can catch the shop owner, Al, he is the guy who ran Swamp Donkey with Angus Whitehead. Nice chap too!

October Festivals...

What I have found this year is that things don't stand still for very long. That isn't to say that it was not unexpected - I would love to say that I have sat back and watched in amazement as orders came in. This hasn't happened without a few late night emails, conversations (as well as a few very early morning/evening deliveries!)

So, as we drift into the Autumn; as apples bletting* pile up (or stack up - as the case may be) and the cider making gets into full swing, two more festivals have decided to serve up a bit of 146 Cider.

Hampshire Octoberfest, Basingstoke

The first for the calender is the Hampshire Octoberfest, on 2nd and 3rd October (well, the name probably gave it away!). Even with a German Oompah band, I struggle to imagine Basingstoke as the next Munich (the host of the 2010 Oktoberfest in Germany) - however, it all looks as though it is going to be a lot of fun. [click here for directions]

There is a lot more information on the Hampshire Council website, although they state:

"This years Hampshire Octoberfest will see a huge variety and quantity of ales and ciders from all the Hampshire Breweries. After last years overwhelming success, there will be more of all of those old favourites such as Bowmans, Irvings and Andwell breweries plus some beers from four new breweries.

The new Hampshire brewers are Botley Brewery, Flack Manor in Romsey, Hensting Brewery in Owslebury, Winchester and the Upham Brewery in Bishops Waltham. It looks likely too that there will be a few new ciders for you to try, including 146 Cider from Southampton."

Woolston Beer Festival, Southampton

Just to prove that us 'Southerners' do actually like beer and cider, South Hants CAMRA have set up a new festival to be held at Woolston (just over the Itchen bridge from the city). [click for location]

The Woolston Beer Festival is on the 8th - 9th October, and should have a small but good selection of ciders on offer including 146. I may even do a stint behind the bar on the Friday (unless the temptation to be a customer becomes too much!!)

Oh, and whilst I am on plugging October festivals, don't forget the Ale-ing Festival on Hayling Island (near Portsmouth) on the 1st and 2nd October!

So, a few more chances to sample 146 Cider for yourself, as well as a few others I'll wager! Given that the government is going to make us all incredibly poor shortly afterwards, I'd get a few jars in whilst you can;-)

New outlet - The Bugle in Hamble

A pub... in Southampton this time... near where I live too:-)

The Bugle, in Hamble (or Hamble-le-Rice if you really must) is now in the 146 Cider book of outlets as the newest to take us on.

Initially, they will be selling 500ml bottles - an interesting choice, as they are all kind of 'bottle conditioned' in that there should be a sparkle to the cider. Many folk prefer their cider sparkling and as long as there is no mention of ice it should all be good! My hope is that they progress on to a bag in box arrangement - as draught is my preferred choice. But then what do I know, I only make the stuff! (as my mum always used to say about dinner...)

As a place, Hamble is a very lovely village on the edge of the river Itchen with cobbled streets and a very old world feeling to it - smaller but comparable (in my humble opinion) to Lymington. The Bugle fits in to this very well - though I will have to report back on what Real Ales etc. they already serve...

It is also great in that the 'food mileage' of 146 is dipping almost to the single figures for this pub! with a total of about 4 miles from Orchard to 146, its then got to be no more than another 5-6 miles to the pub!

Given that 146 Cider is in its first commercial year, the aim was to keep things small - a couple of pubs, a couple of retail outlets and a few festivals. I am very pleased that this has been achieved within the first 6 months - not at all the places I had figured on, but that is probably a good thing!

As usual, the Bugle is now added to the list of outlets - we shall see if they are a regular!

The Ale-ing Fest 2010

Another festival to add to the diary... the Ale-ing Fest is a beer festival on Hayling Island, near to Portsmouth. Now in its 15th year, it is a relatively small event (well, by some standards) it will feature '24 ales and cider' - though I am not sure what other ciders will be there yet.

This year the Ale-ing Fest is taking place at the Hayling Island Community Centre over the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of October 2010. Another opportunity to sample 146 Cider on draught!

Wickham Charity Beer Festival

Ever keen to supply local events and get as many people as possible the chance to taste 146, it will next be available at the Wickham Charity Beer Festival on 11th September 2010. Click here for location and details.

It will be sat alongside New Forest Cider and Hecks Morgan, so not a vast choice (but a good choice!!)

This will be the 5th Festival for 146 - 80 litres of the stuff was consumed last weekend at the Guildford Festival! Don't forget that the Pompey Beerex is on this weekend - I may even have a go behind the cider bar on the Friday Evening:-)

146 goes to Guildford...

Just confirmed: 146 Cider will be found at the upcoming Guidlford Cricket Club Beer Festival on Friday, 13th and Saturday, 14th August 2010. [Click to access site]

At the moment, I am not sure what else is on offer at the event, although at each evening session there will be Jazz and during the Saturday afternoon there will be some cricket to watch.

A busy couple of weeks for us - and I am starting to worry that I need to make the stock of cider last for the regulars (once its gone, its gone till this upcoming seasons cider is ready in April/May 2011). However, this activity has inspired me to put a couple of hundred litres aside for regular buyers to help ensure that stocks last longer. This seems to make a lot of sense to me - a festival allocation and a regular outlets allocation... just so long as I am disciplined enough to stick to it!

The Festival is now on the events page.

Congratulations to the Flo!

Well, if I thought things were going well for 146 Cider in 2010, the only pub that it can currently be found has gone and won some awards of its own!

The Florence Arms has won this years Portsmouth CAMRA's Cider Pub of the year, but also the Wessex Regions Cider Pub of the Year too! Nice going Greg.

This is very good news for a pub that prides itself on stocking a wide range of ciders - and hopefully in the not too distant future some ciders from around the world too. I attended the award notification on Saturday, and it is a very well loved pub which tries to reach beyond the regulars by holding poetry readings, plays and events regularly.

Winning the regional title qualifies the Flo as an entrant to the national title. 146 Cider wishes them all the very best in this - there can't be many pubs selling as wide a range as you guys!

Bitter Virtue...

It is a great pleasure to announce that Bitter Virtue, Southamptons specialist real ale and cider retailer, now stock 146 Cider. I have to say I am very happy about it! [click for a location]

It has been a goal of mine to find an outlet who are easy to access and local to me who are willing to act as a retailer for 146 to the general public. I have to say, the Oakleaf Brewery Shop would o doubt also be quite happy to do so (although I haven’t asked them and its a bit further to travel).

Ann and Chris (the owners of Bitter Virtue) are lovely people and care a lot about what they do, and they sell a broad range of real ales as well as cider.

So, from now on you can make requests for cider directly to me through the contacts on this website, or directly to Bitter Virtue. I will fulfil the order to Bitter Virtue and then you can buy directly from them... yes, its a little more obscure than coming directly to me but it is safe and legal, means I don’t get it in the neck for having cars pulling onto our driveway and will give buyers a much larger range of beer and cider to choose from (well, whilst you there n’all).

The outlets page has been updated to include full details.

Good news for 146!

How do you like it? Cloudy or clear...

There are different folks for different styles of cider. Some want a cloudy scrumpy; some want a clear and sparkling cider. Some simply refuse to call it cider... preferring cyder or zider. Its all much of a muchness and depends what you’re used to. So, what is 146? Well, its all these things!

If you are drinking 146 from a glass at a festival, or from the Flo, then its likely its come out of a bag in box. This generally means the cider never settles and it will be flat and a little hazy. That is probably the most true that 146 gets to what I intended.

If, however, you have a bottle in front of you then you have options. When 146 is just bottled, it is very much like the bag in box cider. However, over a few weeks (certainly by the time you get it) it has had a chance to settle. This simply means that the remaining yeast will drop to the bottom and leave the cider clear. If it’s left for a few months, it may even develop a bit of a sparkle too. This is also fine – carbon dioxide helps the cider keep for longer.

The fine trace of yeast you see is simply the remnants of a natural process that started last autumn. It’s harmless and, to some, increases the flavour and experience of the cider.

The question is – what to do? If you like your cider clear then simply pour gently off the yeast and leave it in the bottle. If you want it cloudy – well, give it a little shake to ‘wake the drink’ and pour as you like. If you want it sparkling... well, I don’t do requests generally but you may be pleasantly surprised when you come to open the bottle.

Thats the beauty of traditional cider!

Events for 146 Cider

Apart from getting involved in festivals, I have a few other events that are worth mentioning – even tagging on this blog. I have now set up a separate ‘Events’ page, where festivals, markets and special events can be listed. Asides festivals, there won’t be so many of these, as time is ever the enemy. However, its a good chance to meet people and to personally get feedback.

The first, worth a mention as it is happening later this month, is the ‘Dinner at Sunnyfields’ being run by the White Star Tavern in Southampton. This is a meal and opportunity to meet local producers, so its not just a market! There is a cost to attend (please see the event link for details). [Click for location]

146 will be there, selling cider by the bottle (as the event is licenced I am allowed to do this) and offering a taster or two out. Hopefully, the cider will also be available by the glass.

The other event worth noting is the Fruitwise Apple Day at Durley Village Hall on Saturday 25th September (again, details on the events page). The Fruitwise orchards provide the apples that make 146 Cider what it is, so this is an excellent opportunity to ‘get up close and personal’ with the different varieties of apples that go into the cider, try some and even buy a bottle or two. Licencing requirements are being looked into currently, but there is plenty of time to get everything right. [Click for location]

As the Fruitwise Apple Day falls inside the pressing season, I shall be taking my press along with me and giving demonstrations of the fine art of chopping and squishing apples to a pulp!

I will keep everyone informed of any other events 146 will be at this year as they crop up – and even one or two that I will be attending but not selling (the brilliant New Forest Cider Steam Pressing Weekend, for example).

Next up... Pompey Beer Festival 2010

Festivals are turning out to be a good way of ‘introducing’ 146 to the world, and having now got 2 under my belt, the next one is another biggy. The Pompey Beer Festival is held at the Guildhall, Portsmouth on 20th and 21st August [click for location].

Whilst this isn’t a CAMRA event in itself, the festival is run on the same scale as the one in Southampton and is well worth a visit. Expect to see a few from Whiteheads – it would seem that this is his home ‘turf’... Looking at the list from last year, there was also a good choice of ciders from many other parts of the UK.

I am hoping to get a pass out to attend the festival too - well, you have to do quality control checks, don't you!

There are a few other events on the go... but more on those when the cider is confirmed!

Family Fun, Food and Real Ale Festival - Gunwharf Quays Festival

Things are warming up around here... quite literally too. It was good to get down to the Fruitwise orchard yesterday to talk apples, cider and the state of the country with Stephen. The crop is looking good for this year (once again). Such a big part of making 146 Cider is a result of the care and passion that Stephen and Julia have for their orchard, and this shows in the quality of the fruit that comes my way.

Have been bottling (well, bag in boxing) once again. This time for the Beer Festival at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth [click for details]. I understand that there are going to be 6 ciders available there – I suspect that there will be a good amount of Whiteheads too, though I hope that New Forest Cider will be represented.

This is the second festival 146 has been involved in now. With the 20 litre bag in boxes, I am much more happy this time. The cider will keep much better than in a keg, where the air gets in as the first pint is drawn – BiB’s simply collapse as cider is drawn.

The only thing left to sort out for it are the labels! Following a discussion on The Cider Workshop, I need to ensure that the labels comply with the relevant UK regulations. So, from now on will be putting a ‘batch number’ instead of a ‘bottling date’ on the front of the label. Also, the 12 month BBE was too restrictive (I was being over cautious) as cider generally lasts for 2 years plus when bottled well. However, as the bags in bag in boxes are plastic, these need to have a limited shelf life (hence I will only do these to order – just to ensure maximum drinking time).

Its not all fun and games selling cider you know!

Cider of the Festival – CAMRA Southampton Beer & Cider Festival 2010

It makes me very happy to announce that 146 Cider was given the honour of being the ‘Cider of the Festival’ at the recent Southampton Beer & Cider Festival.

This is the first time South Hants CAMRA have awarded this, so I am particularly pleased with the result. As it is nominated by the people who attend the Festival, it is further evidence (to me) that the things are being done properly and that the cider is sellable.

From another point of view, it is also a good result for The Cider Workshop too. As a part of the team that run the Workshop, I can now join the ranks of Ray, Mark and Roy in being producers that are not only commercial, but also have been awarded something for their efforts. I think I may have a little way to go before putting myself on the same level as Mr Gold Award for Service to the Industry Andrew Lea, however. Not a bad line up of people to run a forum though eh!

All the best

Herefordshire Cider Trip... Part 3

This isn’t meant to be a ‘book on Herefordshire cider’, although there was so much to say about it it had to be split up to save any readers from boredom!

One of the purposes of making the visits was to try the cider that I would be up against come the Putley Cider Trials. Not that I think I stand a hope of taking a rosette, but it was very worthwhile finding out how others styled their products and went about crafting their ciders. A bonus was a definite introduction to the world of perry which I hadn’t bargained for, but will now make sure I look out for them. Incidentally, I believe that the new use of the term ‘Pear Cider’ gives a distinction between the real thing and the carbonated, flavoured and mass market stuff... I wish we could get the larger producers to start calling their cider ‘Apple Cider’! Westons even make Raspberry Cider...

However, having bought bottles from Westons, Greggs Pit, Once Upon a Tree and Lyne Down Cider I also wanted others that I hadn’t had time to visit (apologies to Tom Oliver!!!) In order to get a full range, we bought some Gwynt y Ddraig and Dunkertons from a local Waitrose and found some others at Truffles Deli in Ross on Wye (a great place to buy Herefordshire cider, by the way!). I added a bottle of Gwatkins, Amazing Cider Company and Ross on Wye Cider Co to make up a decent representation.

Come our final night, I figured I would get my friends to blind taste several ciders including my own. A bit ambitious, I figured that mine would stand a chance! So I opened 3 other bottles alongside one of mine and dished out the glasses. What a mistake! Mine had the aroma of egg and was really quite foul! I am not even sure why, as we had consumed two other bottles of mine which were fine (I am now doubting whether I can sell the 2008 vintage). This aside, the Dunkertons Black Fox unanimously came out on top of the 4 ciders we tried (Roaring Meg from Lyne Down came second, with the Gwent y Ddraig and Westons Extra Dry following up... mine was firmly last!) I have brought the others home to go through them at more leisure.

Was there a lesson in all of this? I think there might be, coming from the visits this week. The 2008 cider was played around with – I back-blended another cider blend into my main blend once it had finished, which at the time I had hoped wouldn’t be a mistake. On the whole it hasn’t been. However, there have been several bottles with a eggy problem now, so I shall have to take a decision whether to bin it or keep it for personal use only.

Ho hum!!

Herefordshire Cider Trip... Part 2

If you are planning on visiting cider makers in Herefordshire, I can give you several tips to make the experience worthwhile:

1. Don’t trust your Sat Nav to actually get you to the location!
2. Allow several days to get round them – on average 2-3 a day is a max, especially if you intend to drive to them!
3. Make sure you call ahead to ask permission to visit. Even using the ‘Cider Route’ guide, the odds are that a number of the cider makers are small and not always around (Greggs Pit is a good example).

When I planned to visit a few, I was worried that these cider makers would be wary of a ‘hobbyist’ or ‘wannabe’ commercial producer visiting with lots of technical questions. Not so, I have to say that every cider maker I met in Herefordshire was welcoming, knowledgeable and really generous with their time.


My last trip out was to meet two more artisan producers. Once Upon a Tree are a relatively new artisan producer based in Putley. Whilst the chief cider maker, Simon Day, wasn’t available I met up with Norman who owns the farm and Dragon Orchard. This time, I opted to be up front about my own cider making, and also about the Cider Workshop (after all, evangelising about the Workshop is never a chore to me!!). Norman was incredibly generous, showing me around and talking me through the way in which they craft their cider and perry. Craft is the right word to use, as they ferment each variety of apple and pear separately, only mixing them up at blending time.I loved the way that they present their cider in a similar fashion to wine – opting for 750ml wine bottles and still cider, I can wholly recommend it for its clean taste. Its definitely a cider with a purpose, seeming to know exactly what it wants to be and how it wants to taste. Sometimes, I feel my own cider cannot make up its mind and tries to taste like everything!

So, another lesson learned. I probably get too many different varieties to separate them all. However, I can separate cider from desert much better – and I may well try this out next year.


One other recommendation. Once Upon a Tree make a fantastic desert cider from Blenheim Orange apples. This is done by freezing the juice and only fermenting a third that thaws. A bit like apple jack in method, but the taste is incredibly sweet and smooth.

And so on to my final destination, Lyne Down Cider. And another contrast. Whilst both Greggs Pit and Once Upon a Tree really try to craft cider to particular styles (and do well at it too), Lyne Down makes cider to sell – pure and simple, no fuss and very few frills.


Mark, who owns Lyne Down, met me at the gate to his newly built cider house and ‘in progress’ shop and picnic area. I had a feeling it would be rather posh but Mark was very grounded and much more ‘business like’ about his cider business. His operation had more in common with New Forest Cider than the others I had seen locally – vats of cider (although there were single variety Stoke Red and another of Yarlington Mill. He also had the same stone bedded press as Greggs Pitt, although this is to be replaced something more hydraulic later this year.

Mark was, once again, really open and helpful with his knowledge of cider craft. I now have a plan for racking cider that will take out a lot of fuss, bother and errant lees! He also had a couple of 1500 litre tanks for sale – which I can just see in my cider garage!!

As all the others, the meeting ended with a tasting. This cider tasted a lot more like my own, albeit in a Western style that I do not go for. The blend contained many varieties of apple – not the few that the others used, and although this meant that there was less ‘impact’ of individual types of apple (others were very definitely sharp – although these ones usually contained a significant proportion of Browns Apple which is a full sharp cider apple).

So, an enjoyable and educational trip... lets just see how this affects what I take to Putley in May!!!

Herefordshire Cider Trip... Part 1

Easter holidays! Just back from a 5 day trip to the Forest of Dean with some friends. Not only did the weather hold out for us, it was a perfect ‘pre-Putley Cider Trials’ preparation... and it left me wanting to strive to make my cider as professional as possible!

There was only time to visit 4-5 producers (this was a family holiday, after all!), and we started with the surprising choice of Westons, and by contrast the much smaller operation of Greggs Pit. Both are found in Much Marcle – to some, the Mecca of Ciderland... in reality its a small place you could easily drive straight through on the bendy A449.
Westons provide a tourist attraction in itself, with farm animals, a playground, cafe and shop. They even had a bottle museum (bottle collection is more accurate). Whilst the children cooed at the animals, I took my friend on the cider tour to see how things were done.

Some may baulk at the idea of going round an industrial cider producer (I have never really been comfortable with the term ‘industrial’. In fact, you can see that the principles don’t change – apples must be collected, washed and milled, pressed and the juice must ferment. However, this could be hard to see, as the scale and methods are simply much larger and more, well, industrial. Although the topic of chapitalising never came up (and I promised myself not to be so provocative), there was no real effort to hide the fact – one of the guides at the tasting even said “it all starts at 11%”. However, on finding out that they produce more than 4 million gallons per year, with 15,000 tons of apples, the little animal in me had to do the maths on my Blackberry to work it out. Oh, and for those who like to be right about a producer like Westons, even a 75% yield of juice would only make 2.5 million gallons.

Still, its horses for courses and you cannot argue that they aren’t good at what they do. At the tasting, whilst avoiding the ‘stock’ Stowford Press, the Vintage and Extra Dry were very pleasant.

Going on to Greggs Pit (which had been arranged the day before), we found one of the owners, James Marsden, very welcoming. What it must be like to live with a view of an old pear orchard!

After showing us round the orchard, where the trees were almost ready to burst open with blossom, and the apple orchard to the rear of the house – 4-5 perfectly formed lines of standard fruit trees, we moved on to the production and storage area.

My first thought was – this isn’t a whole lot bigger than the area I have for making and storing cider. However, any idea that this would be a like for like comparison vanished when I saw the stainless variable tanks and storage/bottling area. Most of Gregg’s Pitt’s cider and perry is produced by keeving (or, as James preferred, bouche method). This is something I have never tried before (although one of my fermentations naturally produced a cap of pectin – which leaves the juice with fewer nutrients for the yeast and therefore prolongs the fermentation).

We tried several types of perry, including two seasons of the same blend. James was particularly enthusiastic about his perry. Unfortunately, my knowledge of perry is very limited, but it was incredibly light and fruity.

I wanted to do the visit’s without coming across as a ‘cider bore’, mentioning the Cider Workshop - which I feared would lead me to be judged a ‘cider bore’, or mention that I am taking part in the Putley trials – which I feared may label me not only a ‘cider bore’ but also a philistine from Hampshire!

Whilst I think I probably failed on all counts (after about 5 minutes at Greggs Pit I was handed a Putley Blossomtime Festival leaflet and announced I intended to take part), I made every effort to listen to the tips that Jams so freely gave me. I am not sure I have the budget for the stainless tanks, but I will make sure I try for slow fermentations with all my ciders in future!