Alcohol Abuse

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Originally Posted by j.sabourn

For those where this highly intoxicating beverage is made. I was always told from people around the Somerset area that the real stuff the farmers made always had to have a piece of meat in the barrel, so if none was available they used to throw a dead rat in to give it the necessary body so to speak. Any truth in this or wassomeone taking the Pzzz. John Sabourn.

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Quite true John, have a friend who conjures up at least 600 gallons per annum, have seen the rat thrown in, but then again I don't drink cider so it doesn't affect me. At the tasting party I must be the only one drinking wine. He has an old fashioned Press which he renovated, it's a huge thing and the base must be be around 8 foot square. First a layer of straw, then a layer of apples, then a further three layers of the same, then the screw down process begins, with a lot of us on handles like the old fashioned capstans and the fluid begins oozing out. Do this quite a few times. Other farmers take the left over straw/apple mash for their cattle feed.

Wine making here in Oz amongst the Italian background population is very common. In late FEb early March theyw ill buy the grapes and beging, many have their own press. Some of it is very good, but some would be better used to run the car. I have heard some is good as paint remover. Have tried some and can agree with all three sentiments.

I don't know if this was true or the old wind up a visitor routine , but an ex Taunton Cider employee told me they had open top vats , and after teh vats were drained there were always animal bones at the bottom . Rats smelled the liquid , fell in for a drink , and swam to their deaths