Dr Fermento's Notes

Day 6 of the apple cider at room temp. Way more noticeable smell when the cloth cover is lifted off – apple-y and more sour. Funky foamy scum on top, which I skimmed off. Taste test: definitely got more of that tangy zing that fermented stuff has. I’m gonna bottle it up and let it sit for a few weeks. There’s still a bit left in the bowl, maybe I’ll leave it out for another 3 days.

day 6

the madness has begun

I’ve been wanting to get into homebrewing beer for a while now. I’ve been slowly building up my supply of Howe Sound Brewery’s reusable 1L bottles (what a chore to drink all that beer). I’ve sat in on my friend Keira making a batch and I have a few other friends who are avid homebrewers, so I figure now’s the time to start playing around. While dog sitting for Brian and Keira, I discovered a couple books of theirs with some great info and recipes for other fermented beverages. So my first official foray into this exciting new hobby of mine is: apple cider!

I’ve used the recipe from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions. Her recipe calls for homemade whey, which I made by simply straining 3% yogurt (with active cultures) through a clean dishtowel. The whey gets dripped out and the yogurt turns into a cheese that has a wonderful spreadable texture. I think this cheese made me sick when I ate it though – next time I try it, I’ll try straining it in the fridge. Not sure if that will work or not. ANYWAY…

I bought 4 dozen apples (not organic, like Sally suggests) and juiced them in my juicer. I used half Golden Delicious and half Red Delicious. I didn’t even bother to stem or core them, I just quartered them up and bzzzzt. Mixed the juice with salt and whey and let it sit (covered by a clean cloth) for 3 days.

mouldy skin

When I unveiled it, I found a scummy lookin’ mould that I skimmed off before stirring up and bottling half of. The taste was still sweet, and not too much unlike regular fresh apple juice. Tonight I came home and stirred and tasted again (no mould grew back) – less sweet. I’m not detecting any alcohol taste though. It’s probably too early for that. Not sure how much longer I’ll leave it to sit out – perhaps another day. Sally says it should eventually develop a rich buttery taste after several weeks, so I’ll let you know how that goes…