apple concentrate vs pulping apples

[jonanotjones]

I've been looking at making cider from scratch with apples, mills and presses, all of which is expensive and time consuming.
I've just been looking at apple concentrate companies who sell wholesale 60 gallon barrels to customer spec ( brix, acidity, colour, PH, no additives etc. )
Is this approach a good idea, what are the pros and cons?
What would what would be the perfect spec?
Also once I add yeast etc. and bottle would I need to pasteurise again?

 

[phug]

After bottling you would only need to pasteurize if you want a sweet product that doesn't use sulphites, and is naturally carbonated. Otherwise I don't see the problem. Many of us make ours with storebought from concentrate juice. We just don't have as much control


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[phug]

Actually that sounds pretty darn awesome, who are these companies and what are the prices like?


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[jonanotjones]

I'm waiting for a reply on the price, it's a minimum of 60 gallon, the company is in chile. They supply whatever the customer spec is on PH, acid etc.
I'm living in Peru and there isn't any cider here, so I'm looking to make a batch for me and the expats

 

[phug]

it probably even comes in a handy dandy 60 gallon "fermentation vessel"
just read up on claude Jolie-Coeur cider apple specifications

 

[jonanotjones]

Do you know the best spec with brix, PH, acidity etc. ?

 

[phug]

people will have their own prefs. But to give you a starting place.

http://www.cjoliprsf.ca/Documents/NCMH-BasicsCiderMaking-lores.pdf

lists the perfect cider apple as having a juice with SG of 1.060-1.070, I don't work in brix, so you'll have to find a conversion, maybe even on your hydrometer. And Total acidity of between 4.5-7.5 g/l

 

[phug]

in terms of PH, you're looking at 3.5-3.3 range, with higher acid being more desireable in heavily carbonated ciders.

 

[jonanotjones]

Great link!
Thanks

 

[podz]

So 60 gallons of concentrate is enough to make between 180-240 gallons of cider. That is a huge amount to make at one time. You'd need 3 more empty barrels of the same kind in order to do the ferment.

 

[jonanotjones]

The apple concentrate has a shelf life of up to 2 years and is very stable. I've just got to keep it in the right place and the right container, I obviously won't keep it for anywhere near 2 years though