Do I need Secondary to add fruit?

[Oscbert]

First time cider maker here. This is the plan.
5 gallons of store bought apple juice.
2 -3 # of honey.

Frozen blueberries.

Do I have to rack to a secondary before adding the blueberries? Would it be ok to add them to primary after fermentation slows?

I am lazy and also afraid of contamination, so would like to avoid racking if possible.

 

[BostonRogue]

Hi Oscbert,


When I add fruit, I like to boil the fruit in with water and then mash it all up. I run the liquid/pulp through a cheese clothe (or fine strainer) but DO NOT SQUEEZE! In cooking this may be considered a consumme. If you squeeze you can end up including some of the junk and tannins you'd rather avoid, and by refraining from squeezing you'll promote a clear cidre.

I use this method with beach plums, strawberries, and blackberries.

It will reduce the amount of debris in your primary, and the results have been enjoyed by I and my friends many times.

Happy Brewing,

Rogue

 

[Oscbert]

Rogue,
Thanks for the advice! That sounds like an excellent idea. I was a little worried about extracting tannins from the skins and this method will prevent that.
At what point in the process do you add the juice? After fermentation has slowed or when you pitch the yeast? If added after fermenation slows how long should I let it sit before bottling?

 

[CidahMastah]

I am not sure the squeezing thing is such an issue, but it might depend on the fruit.

I squeeze a muslin bag with raspberries in it when I add it to the cider - turns out great.

Personally I would skip the honey for the fermenter and use table sugar. If you want effects from the honey, use it as a back sweetener with your blueberries.

Are you tying to make wine, or carbonated cider?

IMO - You won't benefit from honey flavor in the cider if you primary it (once honey sugars are ferment you won't taste it).

 

[BostonRogue]

I just chuck it in the primary at the start of fermentation.

I figure "Why wait?"

 

[Oscbert]

Thanks for the info guys!
I originally wanted to make a mead, but am too cheap to spend that much money on honey, so I decided to make a cider with honey. Since the honey is going to ferment out and I wont taste it, it will be waste, so I will leave that out and maybe use brown sugar?
I plan on carbonating it with corn sugar, but maybe I can use honey for that.
I will add the blueberry juice at start of fermentation, so I dont have to open it until bottling time.
You guys see any faults in what I said?
Thanks again!

 

[CidahMastah]

I would suggest, carb with you honey, you might get a small amount of flavor. If the honey was cheap, you can use it up front. But table sugar will give you the same result.

It is a romantic idea to use honey in cider, but unless you use it to backsweeten, it will be difficult to retain much of that honey character you are looking for.

Honey takes longer to ferment, so for carbing sugar you will have to wait a bit longer.

You can add the blueberries at the start of fermentation with no issues - many folks, my self included, note less blueberry flavor when you put the fruit in the primary as opposed to the secondary.

But don't let what others have doen discourage you - add that honey in wherever you see fit

Good luck!

 

[Oscbert]

Againsts better judgement this is what I did.
5 gallons apple juice and 2 lbs corn sugar. Red Star Montrachet Wine Yeast
Let it ferment for two months in primary. Added 3 lbs frozen blueberries directly from bag into the primary fermenter. Let it sit for one week and bottled.
Beautiful color, but no blueberry taste. If I make again will probably add 9 lbs of blueberries or use an extract at bottling.
Everyone that has tried it seems to like it. I like it better with a little bit of 7UP to sweeten it up. I don't detect any tannins from blueberry skin. Excellent Summer drink and crowd pleaser.
Thanks for the help and advice Boston and Cidah!