kiara

Recipes 

I had a load of apples in the garden & thought that a better use for them than apple pie would be to make cider!
I found an old recipes book and got pressing... I wanted to use the natural wild yeast on the apple skins so i didn't add any tablets... (in fact, I haven't added anything - no water, no sugar..)

I think i have left too much air at the top of the jar and after 4/5 day there is no sign of fermentation but mould has started forming on the surface of the apple juice. i think i can add some sugar or yeast to start the fermentation but how can i solve the mould problem?

what can i do? any suggestions?
any help would be very appreciated!! tnx

Tusch

Recipes 

The risk in trying to use wild yeast is there is no telling how strong it will be. You need to be just as sanitary as with any other brewing, so that bacteria can't take over before the wild yeast can. Also, adding sugar will not help the fermentation, it is only used to up the alcohol level and perhaps made it go a bit dryer. I don't have much experience with mold, so I would wait for more experienced brewers to step in. But, if it was me, I would rack your juice out of the carboy (is it in a carboy, bucket or a jar?) leaving the mold behind. I would then add 1 crushed campden tablet per gallon, wait 24 hours and pitch a packet of dry brewer's yeast. Hopefully if you get it off the mold quick enough, you will be able to get a new yeast going and save this.

Hopefully someone like yooper or solstice or somebody will confirm, deny my idea.

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Ciders:3 Ciders with differing additives TBD, Strawberry/Apple Cider
Wine: Black Cherry Vanilla Port

felix

Recipes 

did you thoroughly sanitized your fermentation container? Using a chemical or, at least, boiling water?

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Next: Nut Brown Ale

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kiara

Recipes 

thanks for your quick replies!
I have used a glass demijohn. i have cleaned all the containers with warm water & steriliser powder.
I just need to find another container to rack the juice off & will try adding a campden tables...

amasterjedi

Recipes 

Maybe Re racking and campden tablets is the right way to go this time , here are some tips When you next pick your apples to make cider, pick them from the tree and not off the ground this will stop any micro bateria getting on the apples. Leave the apples for two weeks before you pulp this will let the starch in the fruit turn to sugar. Do not wash the apples before you pulp as the natural yeasts could be washed out. Natural yeast take a little longer to ferment and you need to keep them fermenting in a warm inviroment, A little mould is not allways bad you could just re rack and keep it airtight and keep your fingers crossed. Nice that someone else likes the natural way to make scrumpy cider Good luck