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Apple Cider Vinegar 2025

This year’s vinegar began as our Shrewsbury Sagadoa cider, then went through the Noma-style aerated vinegar method using an aquarium pump. Even with the cold weather slowing things down, it wrapped up in about two and a half weeks.

We split the 6-litre batch between two vessels, and they fermented into two very different vinegars: one sharp and intense, the other soft and floral.

Style
Raw, unpasteurised apple cider vinegar
Batch size
~6 litres
Fermentation
Aerated acetic fermentation using aquarium pump
Time to finish
~2.5 weeks
Apple Cider Vinegar Vessel

Details

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is one of the oldest fermentation staples around. Traditionally you start with an alcoholic apple cider, and acetic acid bacteria transform the alcohol into vinegar. The process is slow under normal conditions, especially in cooler weather, because acetic fermentation needs warmth and oxygen to really get going.

People mostly use ACV for cooking, pickling, shrubs, cleaning, and in some cases for health tonics. When it’s raw and unpasteurised, it keeps all its complexity, the apple character, and any funky little twists that the fermentation gives it.

What We Made

We took our Sagadoa cider and ran the aerated Noma method, splitting the batch into two containers:

Narrower vessel (Intense ACV):

Gave a strong, punchy vinegar with a clear apple hit at the end. Great for cooking.

Wide-mouthed bucket (Floral ACV):

Turned out floral, lighter and softer, perfect for dressings and everyday splashing.

Same cider, same method—completely different results.

Production

Ingredients

  • Shrewsbury Sagadoa cider (~6 litres total)
  • Natural acetic bacteria from previous batches and the cider itself
  • Aquarium air pump + stone (Noma method)

No added sugar, no pasteurisation, nothing fancy—it’s all apple, oxygen, and time.

Fermentation Process

  • Split the cider into two vessels
  • Ran an aquarium pump to keep the vinegar aerated
  • Let it ferment for about 2.5 weeks
  • Bottled each vessel separately because the flavours were so different

Aging Potential

Both vinegars have their strongest apple character right now, fresh from fermentation. Over the next few months the flavours will settle and develop—

  • the intense batch will soften and round out,
  • the floral batch will deepen slightly without losing its lightness.

They’ll both continue improving for 6–12 months.