Adding chemicals

[jonanotjones]

Hi,
I'm a newbie to cider making, I'm looking to the chemicals needed to succeed with a smooth cider making process.
I have looked online at homebrew suppliers and there are a vast array of chemical products without good explanation of what they actually do.
Can someone explain to me:
1. which are absolutely necessary.
2. Which are helpful ( but not necessary)
3. Which are a waste of money (just a scam)
Examples of things I see are:
Ascorbic acid, citric acid, malic acid, yeast nutrient, campden tablets, pectolase and many more.
Please guide me through this minefield, thanks.

 

[lolznrofls]

Im pretty new too..i dont know a lot..but I can tell you there are alot of forums to navigate through that are real helpers..I highly suggest the stovetop pasteurization thread..its an excellent tutorial..only thing I know about things is campden is needed to kill wild yeast and bacteria on fruit or in the juice..good to have if your pressing fresh juice..I keep campden around but dont use it too often..I do however like the use of nutrient. Not sure exactly whats in it but wow..brew a gallon with nutrient and one without and look at both of them in about 12 hrs after you pitch the yeast..the batch with the nutrient will be in beast mode compared to the other gallon..I love beastie yeasts!

 

[jonanotjones]

Ok thanks, great advice with the yeast nutrient, will definitely buy that and the campden tablets. I wish there was a good link online with which to use etc. but some sites make the science stuff really hard to get my head around, and I wonder if it's really needed

 

[gregbathurst]

I make cider from fresh apples, some off the ground. I don't use any chemicals, just yeast and MLF culture. If you are buying supermarket juice you may need nutrient, camden I would class as useful but not necessary. I used to add acid but decided in the end there wasn't much point.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Hi,
I'm a newbie to cider making, I'm looking to the chemicals needed to succeed with a smooth cider making process.
I have looked online at homebrew suppliers and there are a vast array of chemical products without good explanation of what they actually do.
Can someone explain to me:
1. which are absolutely necessary.
2. Which are helpful ( but not necessary)
3. Which are a waste of money (just a scam)
Examples of things I see are:
Ascorbic acid, citric acid, malic acid, yeast nutrient, campden tablets, pectolase and many more.
Please guide me through this minefield, thanks.

Of the things you mention, I consider Campden to be essential. I use it with every fermentation except beer, as it gets boiled. I put too much time, effort & money into my fermentations for them to go bad due to poor sanitation.

Also, yeast nutrient/energizer & D.A.P. (diammonium phosphate) are likewise required for all my non-beer fermentations. Good yeast nutrition makes for a good, healthy yeast population & healthy yeast do a great job. Stressed yeast can produce off flavours & take a longer time to ferment.

All the acids I find, are not always needed; in fact most of the time (for me at least) I don't use them. When they are needed, they are needed; so I always keep some on hand, just in case.

The pectic enzyme, I always have that on hand too. I use it mostly for working over fruit & musts that have (or I expect will have) suspended pulp. It's not a fining agent, but it does help to clear a wine by breaking down cell walls in the fruit & breaking down the pectins. Not always required, but good to have around.

Now some things you didn't mention: Fining agents. I don't use them. Time & pectic enzyme will clear a wine/cider just fine.
Sorbate, I refuse to use it. It tastes nasty to me & I feel that if I do things right, I won't need it anyway. I have some that I bought when I 1st started in this wonderful hobby, I've never used it.

Hope that helps. Regards, GF.

 

[lolznrofls]

Of the things you mention, I consider Campden to be essential. I use it with every fermentation except beer, as it gets boiled. I put too much time, effort & money into my fermentations for them to go bad due to poor sanitation.

Also, yeast nutrient/energizer & D.A.P. (diammonium phosphate) are likewise required for all my non-beer fermentations. Good yeast nutrition makes for a good, healthy yeast population & healthy yeast do a great job. Stressed yeast can produce off flavours & take a longer time to ferment.

All the acids I find, are not always needed; in fact most of the time (for me at least) I don't use them. When they are needed, they are needed; so I always keep some on hand, just in case.

The pectic enzyme, I always have that on hand too. I use it mostly for working over fruit & musts that have (or I expect will have) suspended pulp. It's not a fining agent, but it does help to clear a wine by breaking down cell walls in the fruit. Not always required, but good to have around.

Now some things you didn't mention: Fining agents. I don't use them. Time & pectic enzyme will clear a wine/cider just fine.
Sorbate, I refuse to use it. It tastes nasty to me & I feel that if I do things right, I won't need it anyway. I have some that I bought when I 1st started in this wonderful hobby, I've never used it.

Hope that helps. Regards, GF.

Great info on the pectic enzyme...thank you! cheers!

 

[podz]

Also, yeast nutrient/energizer & D.A.P. (diammonium phosphate) are likewise required for all my non-beer fermentations. Good yeast nutrition makes for a good, healthy yeast population & healthy yeast do a great job. Stressed yeast can produce off flavours & take a longer time to ferment.

+1 on the nutrient/DAP. It makes the difference between a cider that finishes in 7 days versus one that is still bubbling and sputtering after a month.