Fresh unpasteurized cider how should I start?

Ok I just picked up about 30gallons of fresh unpasturized cider, should I campden it today then add my sugar and yeast tomorrow?

You could add the sugar and campden today and the yeast tomorrow or add the campden today and then make a solution of sugar and water for tomorrow that you can sanitize on the stovetop before adding to your cider. This may raise the temperature of your cider by a few degrees, which could be advantageous for the yeast. Although going with option 2 for 30 gallons of cider might be too much of a fuss to be worth a considerably small advantage.

I'd favour option 1.

If the cider is fresh and you are reasonably sure that the press is sanitary, I'd skip the campden. You will get more apple taste and be able to drink it earlier. Or you could do a couple of batches each way

What types of apples?

its a mixture of 8 different apples, im thinking about adding campden to (3) 5gallon batches then not adding it to (2) 5gallon batchess and seeing what happens, thanks for everyones help

Do you know which types of apples?

I'd be interested in your impression of campden vs no campden. Supposedly, you are not supposed to be able to taste it in the juice when you add it, but I'm able to taste 1/3 of the "recommended dose" fairly easily. I'm pretty sure that is because the recommended dosages were worked out for wine grapes and cider apples have somewhat different chemistry - much less sugar, different acid profiles, etc. I've found that the tarter the apple mix, the more noticeable the k-meta is. If you are using sweeter apples, it might not be as noticeable.

If you add campden to some of your batches, you might want to add a few tablets at a time and see if you can taste the difference at different levels, compared to the the fresh juice with no campden.

Tasting batches side-by-side after fermentation, the batches with campden have a sourness to them which takes two or three months to mellow out. On the plus side, they will keep longer. Several of the batches I made with no campden got vinegary over the summer. If you add the campden at the end, it has less impact on the taste than if you add it in the beginning.

Take at least 10 gallons, put it in two carboys attach airlocks and WALK AWAY

Dont be turning around either, just walk away

Fiddly fart around with the rest but at least do this.

babalu87 said:

Take at least 10 gallons, put it in two carboys attach airlocks and WALK AWAY

Dont be turning around either, just walk away

Fiddly fart around with the rest but at least do this.

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+1
couldnt agree more

Pumbaa said:

+1
couldnt agree more

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+2 Agree Aswell!!


ALSO SKIP THE CAMPDEN!!! Just be very sanitary you should be fine.

I have 6 gallons on fresh unpasteurized in a carboy natural yeast and added yeast, and about a lb of raw cane sugar added. Should turn out great!

Campden will help preserve the cider in the long run and my guess is you won't be drinking all 30 gallons within the next 6 months ha ha. I agree that it would be worth setting aside some of the cider if your budget allows for it, there are some risks associated with getting cider from a mill, which could have a less than stellar cleaning procedure. I've never worked on a press, but I've picked apples for cider and more than half of them come off the ground...

SeamusMac said:

Campden will help preserve the cider in the long run and my guess is you won't be drinking all 30 gallons within the next 6 months ha ha. I agree that it would be worth setting aside some of the cider if your budget allows for it, there are some risks associated with getting cider from a mill, which could have a less than stellar cleaning procedure. I've never worked on a press, but I've picked apples for cider and more than half of them come off the ground...

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Im sure if you asked the press they would tell you what they do to sanitize. I happen to know because my press is also a customer of mine that they have just upgraded their cleaning practices to a new Foaming cleaner that they spray the entire press with every night. The foam foams up (imagine that) and gets into all the tight places. They then wash it down with a sanitized solution.

Ok for the batches that I did nothing to, how long till I should be able to see some activity? How long till I drink it? How long do I "walk away"?

Natural ferments usually start in 1-2 days. Could be as long as 7. The ones I've been doing recently have a tendency to run away, so keep an eye on it and move it to a cooler location if it starts fermenting too fast. The slower the better for a natural ferment

What kind of temp is good? What's to cold?

Hard to say - its dependent on the yeast. I've got one natural batch that is well behaved and fermenting nice and slow at 60-65. Another natural that I had to put on the back porch at 45 to keep the ferment at a nice pace, because at 60 it would take off. Try to keep airlock bubbles no more than every 5 seconds, preferably 10 in 5 gallon carboy