Will this make good cider?

I've never made a cider before, but I've done some reading on this site and found some excellent instructions.

I'm going to give it a try, but I would just like to know if this would be a good juice to start with. I found it at Costco... It's a bit expensive, but tasty.

Will it clarify eventually? Is it worth it to use a high-quality juice like this, or can I get away with using the most basic sun-rype apple juice?

 

It will clarify although you may want to add some pectic enzyme about 12 hours before you pitch your yeast. The enzymes will help break down the pectins and help reduce the possibility of a haze clouding the cider.
As to whether Gala apples make good cider... I dunno. They are an eating apple, aren't they? And cider needs some nicely acidic and tannic apples to provide the kick along with some really sugar rich apples ... (at 28 gms of sugar in 250 cc that is about ... 112 gms in 1 L or about 450 in 4 L (or a hair or two less than one pound in a gallon) One pound of sugar in a gallon will provide a starting gravity of about 1.040 so there is not a great deal of fermentable sugar in this juice. (if you simply added yeast the potential alcohol by volume is about 5 - 5.25%). You may want/ need to add acid blend (after fermentation has ended ), and perhaps some grape or chestnut tannins before bottling...
Bottom line - IMO - this is a very reasonable base to start experimenting with cider. It will likely make a drinkable cider but not necessarily a great one...

 

I do not see anything about preservatives on it, as far as the label says its only been pasteurized. Which is what you want, yes it will work.

Will it clarify? It should, but due to it being pasteurized the pectin may have been solidified, either way use pectin enzyme.

This will make better cider then apple juice will. But then again Gala really isn't that great of an apple for cider. I have never used them, if I did I would only use them for sugar content.

If you can get pressed cider from an orchard, I would get it there. If not then this stuff is your next bet for the best final taste (because it appears to be actual cider but with only Gala).

If you plan to make a wine or flavor it, then just go for the cheap stuff.

 

Thanks everyone... I'll give it a go with this juice. I'm going to try a 2.5 gallon batch to start. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

It'll work just fine. Won't be long till your house smells like apples.
Regards, GF.

 

It looks like it will work just fine. Do you like Gala apples? If not, then you may not love the taste of it. If you ferment until dry and back sweeten, you can always back sweeten with another juice that is more flavorful. Just a consideration. Also, if that clears fully, I'd be pretty impressed. I'm not well versed in making cider, but my clearest was Apfelwein and that sat for a couple of months before it actually cleared.

 

The current clarity is of cider (unfiltered apple juice). I have fresh pressed a lot of batches of apples and used orchard ciders. After I rack at FG 1.00 or lower it takes on average 1 week to clear almost completely. This is with Pectin Enzyme.