Our aim is to make a top quality cider.  The apple is a remarkable fruit, producing a drink which offers a wide range of flavours and sensations to the palate.  Knowledge of the different varieties of apples allows the best cider to be made.

Our Orchards
Some of the apple trees in the old orchard at Hall Court are over 50 years old and are still cropping.  Our cider is made from the two varieties of apple originally planted in this orchard:  
*  Dabinet, an exceptional cider apple, bitter sharp, with tannin and acidity and;
*  Yarlington Mill, a bittersweet apple full of rich flavours and sugar.  
The condition and ripeness of the fruit is extremely important when it is harvested because the quality of the juice dictates the final quality of the cider.

All the production processes which go into making Amazing Cider are carried out on our farm.  When they arrive at the mill, the apples are washed in a large tank of water where debris is removed before undergoing a quality check.  An elevator takes the fruit to the mill where it is crushed using graters which shred and crush the fruit to facilitate the extraction of the juice .  The pulp then passes through a belt press and the juice is pumped into a holding tank where it is sampled and tested.  The specific gravity is measured.  Typically 1.5 SG - the higher the specific gravity, the higher the sugar levels and therefore the greater the alcohol potential.  The natural acids in the juice are also checked because if these are too low the juice can spoil and if they are too high the cider can taste too sharp.

The juice is then pumped into sterile tanks to ferment.  Sodium metabisulphite is added to prevent bacterial infections at this stage.  Although cider will ferment using its own wild yeasts a champagne yeast is used plus nutrients to aid the process.  Our cider undergoes a cold fermentation and, depending on the ambient temperature during the Autumn months, this may last until the New Year.  This, and the fact that it is left to mature slowly for six months at least, produces a product with a fuller flavour.

We are privileged to have the services of Alan Tringham, one of Britain’s top cider makers, to oversee every stage of our cider making process.  Previously working for Bulmers in Hereford, Alan also advises the Boston Beer Company’s cider making department in America.