Lügus Laubus
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llaub.bsky.social
Lügus Laubus
@llaub.bsky.social
I’m a cider enthusiast, hobby orchardist, and home cidermaker living in Minnesota. My interests revolve around orchards, apples, and habitat restoration, while my education is in Natural Resources and GIS.

LinkedIn here: http://linkedin.com/in/luke-laub
I’m keeping track of the winter weather in Minnesota this year.

First frost Oct 8, 2025
First snowflakes Nov 8, 2025
First snow Nov 9, 2025 (dusting).
November 19, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Reposted by Lügus Laubus
Last of 2025's apples. Brownlees Russet, all scratted up. Trying something new this year: letting it have a little sit with some pectolase before pressing. Hopeful that will maximise the juice extraction. This will be a SV cider, all being well.
October 25, 2025 at 11:42 AM
I’ll say what nobody else in the upper Midwestern US will.. Kwik Trip coffee is weak and flavorless.
October 19, 2025 at 1:07 PM
First frost this year in Owatonna, MN occurred October 8, 2025. Will also keep track of first snow.

#fall #weather #winteriscoming
October 17, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Reposted by Lügus Laubus
“The cat is such a perfect symbol of beauty and superiority that it seems scarcely possible for any true aesthete and civilised cynic to do other than worship it.”

- H.P. Lovecraft
October 11, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Lügus Laubus
This may be one of the greatest days of my life. I just received word from UNLV Dept of Geoscience saying I may have literally actually discovered a rock formation during my desert explorations that's unknown to science. I could not be more excited! This is my childhood dream! (Even if it gets ID'd)
October 2, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Gave my cider orchard trees their last free drinks of the season. Should be frosting here soon, even though it doesn’t seem like it yet. I have 3 two-year-old trees on B.118, 2 four-year-olds on G.935, and 1 three-year-old on g.41.

#fruitgrower #orchard #cider #apple #minnesota
September 29, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Just started a fun cider today. The juice was about 17 brix and full of tannins but somewhat lower on acid, with a deep orange color. Gave bittersweet vibes. Unfortunately, I only had enough for a gallon, so fingers crossed it comes out nice!

#cider #fall #cidermaker #homebrewing #minnesota
September 28, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Lügus Laubus
Minnesota schools & child care providers can now apply for Farm to School & Early Care grants and the Local Tots Cost-Share program to bring more MN-grown food to kids’ plates. #MNAg

📅 Deadline to apply is October 23 at 4 p.m.
🔗 Visit qrco.de/f2s2026 learn more & apply
September 26, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Reposted by Lügus Laubus
Some of the apples that will be at tomorrow's tasting with the Lopez Island History Museum:
Belmont
Esopus Spitzenburg
Fameuse
Gloria Mundi
Glowing Coal
Golden Ball
Gravenstein (including Olga Red Gravenstein)
King (of Tompkins County)
Greensweet
Northern Spy
Twenty Ounce
Wolf River
Third Annual Heritage Apple Day & Community Press – Lopez Island History Museum
Saturday, September 27, 1:00-3:00PM, Lopez Museum, 28 Washburn Pl Once known as the Fruit Basket of Washington, the San Juan Islands and Lopez have a long histo
lopezmuseum.org
September 26, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Look at the perfectly normal and adequate sized ear of corn I just picked from my garden yesterday.

#harvest #fall #crops #farmer #Minnesota
September 23, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Natural ferment already kicking off when I checked earlier. Just ground and pressed most of this the 18th, but some I ground the 18th but couldn’t press until the 19th. Those were smelling like they were already kicking off, so I think I got a head start.

#cider #fermenting #drinkcider #cidersky
September 20, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Dadgum threads broke on my cider press ratchet. I wasn’t done pressing yet! Going to have to make a call tomorrow to talk about the warranty.

#cider #hardcider #homebrew #minnesota #irritating
September 19, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Reposted by Lügus Laubus
Two years ago today, I hiked Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan Mountains & found the Malus sieversii, the wild apples that are the main proginators of today’s domesticated varieties.
September 11, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Finished up a bottle of last year’s cider. I this one with apples from a cemetery that I harvested a year ago today. No idea on the variety. Spontaneous fermented and bottle carbed dry. Really pleased - first time I’ve considered submitting to GLINTCAP.

#cider #drinkcider #minnesota #fall #orchard
September 1, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Picture of part of my apple family this cool morning in Minnesota. Don’t mind the grass, it’s a no-mow yard. Closest to furthest: Hewe’s Crab, Major, Roxbury Russet - all on B.118 rootstock.

#apples #minnesota #orchard #nomow #cider
September 1, 2025 at 12:10 PM
The cider press and grinder are all set up on their new platforms I made for them this year. Feel pretty solid if I say so myself.

#cider #cidermaking #cidermaker #apples #orchard
August 30, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Just ordered a hopper for my apple grinder from Pleasant Hill Grain - will post a picture of my full setup once it finally gets here. Really pulling out all the stops this year and hope the apples I can forage this fall pay off.

#cider #cidermaking #foraging
August 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Trees I think I’ll get apples from next year here in MN (if I’m lucky):

Campfield
Harry Master’s Jersey
Kronebusch (doubtful, but maybe)

#orchard #cider #hardcider #apples
August 19, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Reposted by Lügus Laubus
February 28, 2025 at 10:14 PM
One Kronebusch bittersweet apple tree on order to replace the grafted Major I killed last year with a weed-whacker (I still have another). It’s a cold-hardy North American bittersweet from MN. Picked that bad boy up at Grade 0 from Cummins on G.41

#apple #cider #homebrew #orchard
February 18, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Just saw Cummins nursery had a flash sale on #cider apple trees! Just happened to notice a #Minnesota native bittersweet on the list! Crossing my fingers for a Kronenbush (Kronenbusch?) to add to my home #orchard.
February 10, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Wanted to take a break from my doomscrolling to mention my #cider of the day. I’m drinking some @downeastcider.bsky.social today. While not my normal cup of tea (cider?) I still appreciate their original and overboard drinks. #drinkcider
February 2, 2025 at 1:46 AM