The Cider Making Process

The Cider Making Process

It is during the autumn months that the harvested apples from the Pure North apple orchard arrive to start the quintessential English tradition of cider making.

We only use top quality cider apples and the traditional cider apples are small, hard and inedible, being very fibrous and bitter. There are two main types of apples used in the production of our ciders, bitter sweet & bitter sharp.

In other areas of the country dessert fruit and cooking apples are used to give sweet and sharp characteristics.  The ciders produced from this fruit differ in character from ciders produced using cider apple fruit.

Ideally we allow the fruit to drop naturally as this indicates that the apple has achieved it’s maximum sugar content. We harvest by hand thus avoiding any damage or distress to the trees.

Once collected the apples are brought down from the orchard to our washing area. Here the fruit is hand sorted with any rotten fruit being discarded. The fruit is then gently washed to remove any grass or mud.

The fruit is then fed through the apple mill which pulps the fruit and turns into what we call the pomace, this is then ready to be pressed.

On the press we build up what is called a cake using layers of wooden racks and cloths which holds the pomace stable as we build up the cake. When we have built up to eight layers we press the cake and the wonderful juice flows out into our primary fermentation vessel.

The pulp that is left after the juice has been extracted is fed to local pigs so nothing is wasted.

The cider is either fermented in oak barrels or food garde plastic vats. The fermentation is a slow process which takes place from winter through to spring.

In springtime we blend the cider and leave for a period of maturation which allows the full flavours and natural characteristics of the cider to develop. All of our ciders are fermented with natural yeasts present on the fruit.

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Contact Pure North

Deanhouse

Netherthong

Holmfirth

West Yorkshire

HD9 3TD

T: 07720 398 706
info@purenorthciderpress.com