Duckchicken Cider

A fish pond full of Bramley apples and, in the background, James is cleaning the hydropress.

Sickness has struck, but we've got 400kg of apples to get pressed today. No rest for us. At least the weather in London is nice.

That's a travesty.

A 300l tank of Cox apple juice childishly labelled "SPIDERS FUCKING"

We are pleased the only cider task on today's to-do list is racking this tank of Cox to another tank in preparation for pressing 300l of Bramley this weekend and next. Then, we are DONE.

Enjoy & feel free to share! Diversity in size, color & shape of domesticated #Apples & their wild relatives! Photo credits, Awais Khan Cornell University.

#GeneticDiversity #CropWildRelatives

Ha! I throw all the bad ones towards the trunk when I pick them off the ground.

I like this technique if you have to do it in separate trips.

What!?!

Howgate Wonder apples bobbing in water.

Finally getting around to pressing the 300+kg of Howgate Wonder apples we picked yesterday. Coming in at a sessionable 6.5%.

We've got another 400+kg of apples in the van from yesterday, but they will likely have to hold on until next weekend.

Two demijohns filled with fermenting cider on a kitchen table. Cider equipment visible through the window behind.

One week after filling, these two demijohns of Cox's Orange Pippin juice are kicking off. Haven't filled these demijohns in a few years. Glad to have their company on the kitchen table for the next few months.

Howgate apple tree

Howgate apple tree, heavily laden with red apples.

Pulp from last week: dumped.
Our one Howgate tree we have access to is absolutely heaving this year: picked.
Onto the other orchard to do a small pick.

Hope you are feeling better soon, Sarah.

Hello!

A fish pond full of apples and 5 bags of apples in the background.

Post lunch update:

We need more apple pickers from this week!🍎

We begin harvest today and are still in need of a few more pairs of hands to help us pick apples.

We pay competitively.

If you're interested and available ASAP, get in touch on harvest@nightingalecider.com.

A fish tank of apples with bags of apples stacked behind. A man looks forlornly at the lot.

Today's task: ~500kg of Cox apples to press into juice.

Cox's Orange Pippin apple tree laden with apples in an orchard.

Beardy guy in shorts picks apples from a tree in an orchard.

Good evening. We've had an exemplary day picking Cox's Orange Pippin in the Easter Hill orchard. This is the best crop we've seen here in 5-6 years. ~800kg picked with apples left behind. Lovely day.

A middle-age chonky cidermaker holds a sandbag in a corridor with Beryl, the black and white cat, in the distance.

Training for cider season by carrying a sand bag up and down the length of the flat.

Taking the @durationbeer.bsky.social Ducks in a Row launch @thedodomicropub.bsky.social very seriously 🤪. Rubber Ducky is delicious.

I am pleased we have a curtailed apple picking window this year due to our trip in October, but it will be a stressful 4 weeks trying to get as much in as possible.

🇸🇯

AI loves hallucinations.

Yesss. 3F FTW

😍

A 100 litre tank filled with cider with a hose in it ready to pump.

Doofus cider maker holding a stick in a 100 litre tank.

Focused cider maker filling keykegs with tasty cider in a kitchen.

A drinks dispenser filled with cider and fresh Chinook hops on a kitchen counter.

Ended up having a very long day racking cider, packaging cider and generally getting things ready for harvest. Luckily our Chinook hops are ripe in the garden so straight into the remainder of our 2024 Demons of Spill Hill racking exercise. Fresh hop season = Best season

Pretty good place to be! Enjoy!

Scotland! We are back on at Dollar Beer Festival this year from 12-13 September. We've shipped 3 boxes of Maisonette up and, I can assure you, it's tasting very good these days. The Jonagolds are shining through giving it lovely, caramel notes.

Most important one.

What a great morning!

You monster.

a little girl in a pink dress is sitting at a table with a surprised look on her face . ALT: a little girl in a pink dress is sitting at a table with a surprised look on her face .

Are you letting the pubs know or moving on?

Happy birthday Anu!!!