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Andy77 · 10-17-2007, 07:11 PM

Planning a batch of cider for this weekend, using 5 gallons of pasteurized preservative free cider pressed last weekend at B. F. Clyde's in Old Mystic, i plan to use some pectic enzyme before i pitch, and am using the Wyeast cider yeast, but my big decision is whether to use the sodium metabisulfite or not. i'm not too keen on sulfites, and i've made batches in the past without it, just wondering the consensus of the forum, since it's pasteurized, there shouldn't be much in the way of wild flora in there now.

tf2 · 10-17-2007, 11:16 PM

I'll defer to those with more experience (everyone here?), but I'd say don't bother. Pasteurized juice shouldn't have anything growing in it, so no need to kill anything...

Vermicous · 10-18-2007, 12:04 AM

With a healthy pitch of yeast, you should be okay. I personally would sulphite anyway, but that's my preference.

If it was heat-pastuerized, you may need the enzyme, but I would probably avoid it. If it was UV-pastuerized, I wouldn't bother. On the other hand, it certainly won't harm the cider in either case.

***Yooper*** · 10-18-2007, 02:14 AM

If it was pasteurized and kept refrigerated I wouldn't sulfite. Otherwise, I would. I sulfite all my fruit wines, but not the juice wines that use pasteurized juice.

I use potasium metabisulfate, not the sodium one. I don't want the sodium plus I think there is a slight taste with the na meta. Might be my imagination, but I always use k-meta.

delenda_est · 10-19-2007, 08:11 PM

Would it be foolish of me to take unpasteurized cider and pitch the yeast without camden tabs? I ask because I have a mild sulfite allergy. And I don't want to boil because I don't want to set the pectin.

Would getting a starter going in a little bit of pasteurized cider stack the odds in my favor?

thurvin · 10-25-2007, 09:06 PM

Don't bother. I don't sulfate because, I can taste sulfate at lowest level. I use unpasteurized and unfiltered cider they turn out fine.