GoodValley
Member
Hi. This is a great forum. Thanks.
This is the first year I have my own cider press, a really nice one. Two weeks ago I pressed fresh local apples, a mix of reds varieties and goldens.
My cousin, a winemaker, brought over a large (5 gallon?) bottle, and a rubber stopper contraption at the top which allows the cider to breathe. We poured the cider in (about half), and everything seems to be off to a good start.
The cider has sat at room temp for 14 days. At the bottom, a lot of sediment (about 2 inches). In the middle is a cloudy but beautiful rich golden cider. At the top is a thin layer of scuzzy material. My cousin said it would bubble way up, but it didn't. The bubbles are fairly small. Not sure why. There is a small amount of mold.
My cousin gave me a package of preservative, he said to mix that with water and pour it in, wait for a bit then siphon the middle cider out.
I wonder if I can put the cider into jars and sterilize it in boiling water (same as home canning). I want to bottle this without using chemical preservatives. Is it possible?
All advice highly appreciated. Thanks!
This is the first year I have my own cider press, a really nice one. Two weeks ago I pressed fresh local apples, a mix of reds varieties and goldens.
My cousin, a winemaker, brought over a large (5 gallon?) bottle, and a rubber stopper contraption at the top which allows the cider to breathe. We poured the cider in (about half), and everything seems to be off to a good start.
The cider has sat at room temp for 14 days. At the bottom, a lot of sediment (about 2 inches). In the middle is a cloudy but beautiful rich golden cider. At the top is a thin layer of scuzzy material. My cousin said it would bubble way up, but it didn't. The bubbles are fairly small. Not sure why. There is a small amount of mold.
My cousin gave me a package of preservative, he said to mix that with water and pour it in, wait for a bit then siphon the middle cider out.
I wonder if I can put the cider into jars and sterilize it in boiling water (same as home canning). I want to bottle this without using chemical preservatives. Is it possible?
All advice highly appreciated. Thanks!