Apple cider vinegar.

[Milzy]

Anyone make their own? I have loads of apples I harvested. Was thinking of chopping them up then putting them in a kilner jar of water then cover the top and leave for a few months. What can I use to keep the chunks pushed below the water lever?

 

[fossyant]

Watching - we end up with loads of apples. Used to be called the 'apple pie tree' as our neighbour would pick loads of them, then deliver weekly freshly made apple pies and crumbles to us - magic that tree. She (the neighbour) is no longer with us unfortunately.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

Most recipes suggest daily stirring for at least the first two weeks to rotate the pieces that are sitting on top.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Anyone make their own?

Me, done it loads of times.
Wash the apples, chop them up roughly, put them in the water skin, pips and all.
You will need a heaped tablespoon of sugar for each half a dozen apples.
Stir only once, that will do.
To keep them submerged you can use a saucer, a stone, any porcelain/stone implement that fits the jar - no metal.
Periodically check there's enough water to keep the apples submerged, top up to requirement.
Cover the fermenting brew with a kitchen cloth or similar, to keep the fruit flies out.
You can buy special fermenting kits from the usual outlets quite cheap, it's the glass jar normally that is expensive, but you could even ferment in a stone vase.
The fermenting "teat" is quite handy to have, as long as it fits your fermenting vessel of choice.
Leave to brew for 6 weeks or more - couple of weeks more won't do it any harm - strain into another vessel that has a lid.
Do not tighten the lid or it could explode, because before it becomes vinegar the brew turns into a (weak) apple cider.
Continue protecting it from the fruit flies
When the brew stops being sparkly it's ready to use as vinegar, you can close the lid tight, stop taking precautions about fruit flies.
The longer you leave it at this stage, the more vinegary (less sweet) it will turn.

 

[lazybloke]

Make my own vinegar?

Many times, annoyingly; it was supposed to be wine.

 

[Milzy]

Did you have a spoon full every morning Pat? Did it make you leaner?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Did you have a spoon full every morning Pat? Did it make you leaner?

lol, I'm lean enough.
No, I didn't make it for that purpose, it was because people kept giving me apples.
I gave some of the vinegar away as gifts, at the moment still got about one liter that I use for cooking (instead of white wine) or for salad dressing.

 

[slowmotion]

This thread has been inspiring! I think I'll have a crack at it. The worst that can happen is an explosion of glass fragments and rancid fluid somewhere under the stairs.

 

[Seevio]

I would argue that the worst that could happen is that you end up with strongbow.

And while I'm at it, I may as well mention that apple cider is superfluous. Cider is by definition made from apples.

Edit: typo

 

[Milzy]

Yes I’ve heard if you leave it too long you will get a cider but a very mild one. I’ve found a kilner jar so will get the young child to help later on.

 

[lazybloke]

Yes I’ve heard if you leave it too long you will get a cider but a very mild one. I’ve found a kilner jar so will get the young child to help later on.

I don't think there's any process to turn vinegar into booze.
Otherwise I'd be turning red wine vinegar into Salice Salentino.

Going back to apples, you can make vinegar from cider, but you can't go in the other direction.


Apples naturally have yeasts on their skins, so you can make cider just by juicing apples and they will start fermenting to make cider - as long as air 8s excluded.

If you want vinegar, i think it's oxidation of the alcohol to make acetic acid. Ie aerobic fermentation.
I believe an innoculation with a 'mother' does both phases at once.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Yes I’ve heard if you leave it too long you will get a cider but a very mild one. I’ve found a kilner jar so will get the young child to help later on.

It's the other way around: first the apples, sugar and water ferment into a mild cider.
Then it becomes vinegar.
Similar to wine: if you leave a bottle of wine exposed to air, it will turn into vinegar.
To make proper cider you need cider apples, sugar and brewer yeast.
Maybe other ingredients too, I have never tried to make cider.

 

[lazybloke]

It's the other way around: first the apples, sugar and water ferment into a mild cider.
Then it becomes vinegar.
Similar to wine: if you leave a bottle of wine exposed to air, it will turn into vinegar.
To make proper cider you need cider apples, sugar and brewer yeast.
Maybe other ingredients too, I have never tried to make cider.

And there are a huge number of different yeasts available.
If you want a simply hooch, just use bread yeast.

Otherwise, use a specific yeast.
Champagne yeasts are pretty food for making ciders.
But a white wine yeast might not be the best option for a red wine.
And a lager yeast will be different from a bitter yeast.

The science behind it is fascinating....
Okay, I'm going on Amazon to buy some winemaking ingredients!

 

[T4tomo]

I've just used some cider vinegar to make some apple chutney....

we also made dorset apple cake & made and froze for later apple crumble

 

[PK99]

And while I'm at it, I may as well mention that apple cider is superfluous. Cider is by definition made from apples.

Not for our North American brethren.

Apple cider = non alcoholic Apple juice

Hard cider = what we call cider but made from a range of apples not traditional cider apples.