Cider Making - Against the Grain
A Cider Adventure: Making Cider at Against the Grain Cidery (PART 1)
In January and February, we had the fantastic opportunity to join our friends at Against the Grain for a unique experience in Tooting, London. As someone who personally enjoys exploring new culinary experiences, I was excited to learn about the real art of cider-making. So here’s a detailed account of our adventure at this charming cidery.
Arrival at Against the Grain Cidery
Nestled in the heart of Tooting, Against the Grain’s Taproom welcomes visitors with its rustic charm and cosy ambience. Greeted by Jono, Against the Grain’s founder, we were rescued out of the cold and into that hearty scent only a cidery can bring. For anyone interested in games, live music or simply a good pint, then Against the Grain’s bar is definitely where to head.
The Cider-Making Workshop
Our workshop began with a sincere introduction from our host, who shared the history of cider-making and his cidery’s mission. We know the rich heritage cider has in the UK, but it was great to hear how Against the Grain focuses on traditional methods while incorporating modern techniques to create unique flavours. A showcase of passion for cider and its history, an ideal start.
Step 1: Selecting the Apples
The first hands-on step involved selecting the right apples for cider-making. We were introduced to various apple varieties, each contributing distinct flavors. Our host explained the importance of balancing sweetness, acidity, and tannins. We sampled a few apples, debating which ones would make the best cider. We chose a mix of dessert and cooking apples for our batch. Personally, I elected for lighter apples as I wanted my final product to have a refreshing taste.
Step 2: Pressing the Apples
After selecting our apples, it was time to press them. We gathered around a traditional cider press, something Jono had owned since the very beginning of his cider journey. Our host demonstrated the process of crushing the apples to extract the juice. It was fascinating to see the archaic transformation from whole apples to apple juice. We each took turns cranking the press and trying the delicious fresh juice making its way out.
Step 3: Fermentation
Once we had collected enough juice, we moved on to the fermentation stage. Our host explained yeasts' crucial role in converting the sugars in the apple juice into alcohol. We were given a chance to add our chosen yeast to the juice and whether we wanted to allow for wild fermentation to take place. Having heard the science behind the fermentation as aforementioned, this part of the process became all the more intriguing.
Wrapping Up
As the workshop came to an end, we left Against the Grain Cidery knowing we’d be back in 2 weeks time, to see how our initial product was going to turn out. We were left with homework from Jono. What kind of cider would we like to drink as our final piece? Still and sweet? Dry and sparkling? Did we want to add more fruit to the mix or something a bit more unique… Like jalapenos?
We’ll cover our cider making finale in Part 2!