last minute preparation questions

okay, so this weekend i am going to my first cider press and will be getting 10 gallons. i plan on splitting it into two separate batches, one to try and have ready for thanksgiving, and the other to drink at my leisure.


are campden tablets worth getting? i plan on pitching my yeast within 24 hours of the pressing.


right now i have 2 pounds of light brown sugar and 2 pounds of wildflower honey that i thought to use in each batch respectively. is this enough additive for the volume? should i heat some of the cider up to get the sugars to dissolve fully?


as far as yeasts go, it seems that ale yeasts are the most preferred here. can i have some specific suggestions?



i plan on going to the brew shop tomorrow evening to pick up final supplies, so i hope to have everything ready to roll by then!

best advice i can give you is read Cville's sticky for cider! It is AWESOME!!!


He goes into what yeasts to use and even explains what sugars will keep natural apple flavors better...etc.


in other words READ IT!



and cheers

I would go with campden tablets. As far as everything else, it's all about experimentation and finding out what you like. I would recommend doing a slick batch without any crazy additives, so you get a feel for what a "normal" cider is supposed to taste like. If you're making 2 separate 5 gallon batches, try two different yeasts. If you want to increase the gravity for more alcohol, add some sugar. Otherwise leave it out if it's intended for flavor. Just my suggestion. Crawl...walk...run...you know what I mean? It would just be terrible to mess up the cider and never know if it was your process, or the additives.

I would save the honey for the batch you want to let age, it drags out the fermentation.
For something ready in 4 weeks or so, you really need to use an ale yeast and keep the added sugar low if at all to keep it from getting a rather hot taste that can take a while to mellow out.
In short, read Cville's sticky for cider!

How do I find Cville's post? is it under just cider or the cider recipes?

Its the sticky at the top of the cider page.

BTW - If your juice is fresh and pressed under sanitary conditions, with no windfall apples used, I'd skip the campden. Especially if you are using tart apples. You will get more apple taste and be able to drink it sooner