To boil or not to boil?

To boil or not to boil the cider before fermentation.... That is my question.

I wouldn't think so. I just pitched my yeast in my cider in a 1 gallon carboy and put an airlock on it. Period. Airlock activity is now a bubble every 30 seconds. I didn't take any gravity readings like I do with beer. Should I rack it and let it sit?

Vanawaggin said:

To boil or not to boil the cider before fermentation.... That is my question.

I wouldn't think so. I just pitched my yeast in my cider in a 1 gallon carboy and put an airlock on it. Period. Airlock activity is now a bubble every 30 seconds. I didn't take any gravity readings like I do with beer. Should I rack it and let it sit?

Click to expand...

leave it be, mine has bubbled for 21 days in the primary. I don't understand why you asked about boiling if it's already fermenting though.

never boil cider before fermenting. just put it in a carboy, drop in some sugar and yeast. ferment for 30 days, rack, age, bottle, drink.

I didn't know if cider required boiling to kill off any nasties that may cause off flavors. It seems like it would harm cider more than help but I thought I'd ask. I figured this batch would be a good chance to get a "baseline" for what simply cider and champagne yeast would do. That way when I want to add flavors and ingredients I'll have an idea of the flavor of the foundational ingredient... cheap experiment.

you should do it like i suggested. it works. i've done it like that for years, and the cider is a favorite at family gatherings. i use wal-mart juice with no preservatives (of course)

what kind of sugar and how much do you put in? what kind of yeast?