$6 organic cider, already in carboy, whole foods

[The Blow Leprechaun]

Seeing as you go the glass jugs, you'll probably want to find smaller stoppers. LHBS near there?

Yeah, I'll just have to make a trip up there sometime I guess. I'm gonna try the rest of my universal stoppers and just see if maybe the one I had in my hand at the time was just big or something.

 

[johnnyc]

I just bought 3 gallons of that Whole Foods unfiltered juice in the glass jugs and it was totally worth it. I can't get 1 gallon carboys at the LHBS for under $5 so $7 for a gallon of high quality juice plus a carboy is a deal. I bought a 3 gallon better bottle and emptied all three gallons into it w/ 1/2lb of extra light DME and champagne yeast, a little weaker than Apfelwein but should be along the same lines. I also bought 3 lbs of clover honey and now have a gallon of mead going in one of the glass jugs along w/ the 3 gallons of cider. Now its all waiting. I'll prob split the cider into the other 2 gallon jugs so I can experiment w/ additives too.

 

[Keepounding]

Anyone buying cider in the philadelphia area. Boyertown to be exact? having a hard time finding anything.

 

[magnj]

Any ideas on where to get a stopper for these from somewhere other than a mail order or LHBS? Home Depot?

 

[Dustwing]

Anyone buying cider in the philadelphia area. Boyertown to be exact? having a hard time finding anything.

dunno about the metro area but there's a whole foods on South Street in the touristy area that should carry it

 

[magnj]

Any ideas on where to get a stopper for these from somewhere other than a mail order or LHBS? Home Depot?

So I'm thinking like a 3/4 - 1 inch OD tube might just fit right into the neck and use it as a blow off tube?

 

[JoeSponge]

I just bought 3 gallons of that Whole Foods unfiltered juice in the glass jugs and it was totally worth it.

JohnnyC, did you do anything w/ the 3G? I've got one running for three weeks, and shows no signs of clearing... patience, being a virtue, is in short supply.

 

[Tusch]

It's only been 3 weeks, give it more time.

 

[philthycoder]

dunno about the metro area but there's a whole foods on South Street in the touristy area that should carry it

There's also a whole foods at 20th St & Pennsylvania Ave, up near the Parkway. I've got 5 gallons of this juice making the transformation into Apfelwein right now!

 

[DuckAssassin]

I used this for a batch of Apfelwine started in November, and it is still cloudy. Not like it was new, but certainly not anywhere near clear. I don't really mind since I generally make apfelwine for personal consumption and not for sharing, but I was considering using some sparkaloid to help clear it. Any thoughts?

 

[johnnyc]

JohnnyC, did you do anything w/ the 3G? I've got one running for three weeks, and shows no signs of clearing... patience, being a virtue, is in short supply.

Honestly I started the cider right around when I posted and only in the past week have I seen any clearing. It is clearing, its just taking a while.

 

[conpewter]

Why worry about getting a glass jug? Just use the #1 PET bottles that most of the apple juice comes in, it is the same plastic as a Better Bottle.

 

[ScottyT]

If I were to do the 1 gallon cider from Whole Foods, should I add additional fermentables? Ed's Apelwein calls for 2 lbs of corn sugar for 5 gallons, should I put 6 oz of corn sugar into a one gallon batch?

 

[JoeSponge]

It's only been 3 weeks, give it more time.

It's amazing. When I first started reading, that was the most common thing said (to newbs). Then, when I started reading after starting my first batches, I'd think the same thing about "those newbs"... give it time, don't you read?

Now, when it's mine, I'm doing the same blasted thing...

Some recipies seem to clear faster, and we get a little experience... but if one little thing is "off", we immediately wonder if we've screwed something up, gotten something wrong, etc.

Three weeks if evidently very young for the Whole Foods Organic AJ... somehow, I think it should have been faster, and if I had read my own post, I would have said ...

 

[Dustwing]

Yeah I started mine around the time of the OP, it's definatley not what I'd call clear yet, but I figure I'm just gonna let it hang out in my fridge along with a mead.

Those bottles are awesome though, I've got three of them and they're like the perfect size for "Hmmm, what if..." kinda recipies

I wish I had another, I pitched yeast in a black currant peach passionfruit melomel this morning and now I'm eyeing the empty glass bottles in my house for which are likley to fit the airlocks I have XP Wanna try an acerglyn..

too bad the sale is over! They've risen 2$ in price, which isnt thaaat much? buut I think I'm gonna wait till they come down.

 

[JoeSponge]

I was bummed... I missed the sale, and when I asked, they didn't know if it was ever going back on sale. Every time I go in, I eye the remaining bottles, just in case they run out.

I've been considering using my remaining empty for a blend of some of the individual apple juices from Trader Joes. I don't have the list w/ me, but if I can find a tarter juice, I'd like to lead with that.

 

[MacBruver]

I just found a similar deal at a whole foods type market near me... $6.50 for organic apple juice, in carboy I bought two, and some corn sugar. One has just corn sugar- about a cup, and the other has an 8oz bottle of cherry juice concentrate.

The juice alone tested at 1.050 SG, and the bottle with the cherry juice in it came out at 1.060 on the nose. The one with corn sugar is a little higher, maybe 1.065... i tested it before I added all the sugar so I'm not quite sure.

I just used a packet of Munton's dry yeast I had laying around... we'll see what it does. The cherry concentrate didn't really add that much direct cherry flavor, but it does have more body than the plain one.

 

[nosmatt]

i hope ya shook it up alot before pitching...


sad thing, my local apple ranch (200 yards away, maybe) i got a few gallons of their cider, 1.067 out of the jug. no sugar needed.

gives you an idea of how watered down that commercial stuff is, don't it?

best cider i ever had... i used champagne yeast, it finished @ .998

i had a few headaches, but some damned good memories, and clear as water hard cider.

this year, i will but 20 gallons i promise. 2 gallons was not enough!

 

[MacBruver]

ohh yeah, i shook the hell out of it. I pulled out maybe a cup of juice out of each batch for tasting and gravity readings, and then added the sugar / cherry concentrate and shook it like crazy.

1.067, holy cow. Nothing needed in there... best cider I ever had was probably up there, fresh pressed from a farmers market. Not sure if I could find that down here in southern california anywhere.

I have a feeling these two gallons will only be the start for me...

 

[nosmatt]

ohh yeah, i shook the hell out of it. I pulled out maybe a cup of juice out of each batch for tasting and gravity readings, and then added the sugar / cherry concentrate and shook it like crazy.

1.067, holy cow. Nothing needed in there... best cider I ever had was probably up there, fresh pressed from a farmers market. Not sure if I could find that down here in southern california anywhere.

I have a feeling these two gallons will only be the start for me...

ever check Toms Farm? Fruit baskets, Gift Baskets, Fruit Gift Baskets, unique gourmet gift baskets at Tom's Farms

the big one by lake smellsomore... they have alotta stuff, i would not be suprised. course you probably would not find the good stuff till september or so.

 

[MacBruver]

I'll have to check it out, looks cool.

The fermentation on both of my batches took off within an hour... and by this morning they're bubblin away happily. The cherry one is a bit more vigorous, but I think that's because I didn't quite evenly pitch the yeast into em. I think the cherry got more.

 

[JoeSponge]

Still waiting... It's been, what, 44 days... still pretty much as cloudy as the day I bought it. That can't be right, as I can see a good 1.5" to 2" sediment on the bottom.

I may just have to bottle, fridge, and drink it to save face, and start again using the glass carboy w/ clear apple juice. That's always clear! ;-)

Oh, I was surfing whole foods and Wegman's, trolling for juice. Both WF and Wegman's have some 100% juice Kosher offerings for what look like excellent prices. I'll have to find my notes and drop a line, but the varieties are good: Cherry, pomagranite, blueberry, cranberry.

After I get a couple more gallons under my belt (er, figuratively, but also literally), then I'd like to try a flavored cider. Oh, and I found 5# of honey in the Kosher for Passover section, averaging $2.65 / lb. That's pretty good.

Back to waiting for my cider to clear...

 

[Freezeblade]

44 days is nothing. Wait longer, like, 3-4 times as long, it will clear, let it do it's thing.

 

[MacBruver]

You may need to add some pectic enzyme if the juice was cloudy when you bought it. It may never clear up if you started with cloudy juice, without the enzyme.

 

[JoeSponge]

It was the cloudiest thing I've ever seen.

I couldn't wait... after reading about yeast autolysis, off-flavors, and what not, I talked myself into rack.

Before:

After:

Main change... the inch of dirt in the bottom of the jug...

It didn't smell bad when I popped the lock... even the dirt didn't smell bad. Kind of flat, appley, so I guess I can wait. Is it time yet? Is it time? How bout now...? now?
Sigh... ;-)

 

[Evan55]

Do you guys pour the juice out and sanitize the container before pouring it back in? Or do you just add your yeast and go?
(newbie here)


oh and btw, if your stopper just barely wont fit on it like some people have said, you can take an exacto or sharp utility knife and cut a little bit out of the bottom edge of the stopper like you are peeling it. This will let the stopper go in. (and it wont affect the seal because you can push the stopper down past the cut part)

 

[Freezeblade]

Do you guys pour the juice out and sanitize the container before pouring it back in? Or do you just add your yeast and go?
(newbie here)

The contents and container are sanitized when you get them, and pouring out the juice, pouring back in, etc. would introduce far more possibility for contamination. Just pitch yeast in and let 'er rip!

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Here in Durango juice is $10 a gallon on sale! I can buy wine for less! laughable, ha!

 

[JoeSponge]

Here in Durango juice is $10 a gallon on sale!

What the heck are they selling there? What about WalMart (or Target or KMart or whatever they have)?

Are even the cheapies $10/g?
Walmart.com: Indian Summer: 100% Pasteurized (See 99995 11971 For Fresh Label) Apple Juice from Concentrate, 128 oz: Beverages
Walmart.com: Mott's: 100% Apple Juice, 1 gal: Beverages

Heck, at $10/gallon, it'd be cheaper to buy it online and have it shipped.

 

[Tusch]

Ah Joe, pretty sure they are talking about the organic juice that comes in 1 gallon glass containers. Not just any old filtered juice.