Preparing apple juice to add to primary

[forces]

I brewed a spiced brown ale that I am planning on adding 1 gallon of apple juice to in a few days. My question is: what's the best way to prepare it so it doesn't infect my beer?

The two methods I can think of are
1. Boil it for a couple minutes, allow to cool, and add to the fermenter.
2. Crush up a campden tablet, add to the apple juice, let sit for 24 hours, then "pitch" the juice.

I am leaning toward the campden method, I have some on hand, but have never used it. I don't really want to boil the apple juice because I don't want it to lose aroma, and I don't want it to turn the beer all cloudy (i've heard that can happen).

Any one have any experience using campden like this? I know some use it for cider recipes. If I were to use it, would I let the apple juice sit in open air for 24 hours, with the lid off? or close it up?

 

[Calder]

I assume the apple juice is from a bottle. If that's the case, you can just pour it straight in. No boiling, no campden. When I make cider, I just shake to get air in (you should not do this in your beer since it is mostly fermented), add yeast and cap the bottle.

Just check the juice ingredients. If it contains anything other than apple juice and ascorbic acid, you may not want to use it, as it might have a preservative that will prevent the yeast from working.

 

[forces]

So I rushed it and added the apple juice about an hour ago and the fermentation has stopped.... at least the bubbles in the blow off tube have stopped. I pitched the yeast to the beer LAST NIGHT, and the fermentation has been off the chain ever since...until now. Did I stun the yeast or something? The juice was refrigerated, but I only ended up adding 1/2 gallon to start with. There's no way that 1/2 gallon of ~40 degree apple juice cooled 5 gallons of fermenting beer to a point where the yeast went dormant, right?

I double checked the juice; no preservatives, just pressed pasteurized apples. I'm not really gonna get concerned unless something starts back up by the morning.

 

[Pappers_]

Did you add campden to the juice? Is yes, the yeast won't like that. If no, double check the ingredients on your juice bottle. If there are no preservatives, then give it time. The ale yeast will eat up all the apple sugars in the juice.

 

[forces]

no campden. Just dumped it in. I used Wyeast London Ale Yeast I, and it took off like crazy. I felt like I was giving the fermenter lid CPR to clear the blow off tube! Once I added the apple juice, it was like it stopped everything. I'll post tomorrow if anythinig changes.

Edit: Triple checked, no preservatives

 

[forces]

There is some movement in the air lock, but it is VERY dull, especially compared to the intensely vigorous start it had. WTF

 

[Calder]

If the lid seal leaks, you will get less activity in the airlock. Nothing to worry about.

Providing there are no preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, etc) in the apple juice, all the juice does is add simple sugars that will not be any problem for the yeast to work on.

 

[mewithstewpid]

Air lock activity does not necessarily correlate with fermentation activity. You are fine. Although the whole adding juice thing may give your beer a very wine-like taste.

 

[forces]

Quick follow up here:

So it turns out, I got CRAZY attenuation out of this particular brew.

OG 1.076
FG: 1.010
86% attenuation with London ale yeast

So the fermentation did indeed start back up, and it certainly doesn't taste infected. I'm pretty sure that adding the apple juice while still cooler than room-temp stunned or shocked the yeast.

 

[Jay1]

Have you tasted this yet?

 

[forces]

Have you tasted this yet?

Yup, it's kegged and tapped. Not as apple-y as I would have hoped and there was initially a very strong banana flavor, which seems to be fading with age- probably esters/ phenols from the yeast. First time I've used this strain... Probably won't use it again unless I want something estery and very dry

 

[bottlebomber]

Those British strains are always estery unless you keep them cool, in which case they provide a really classic ale flavor that I love. Just keep it in the low 60s, and mash higher if you want a fuller tasting beer. London Ale 1 is great stuff.