D'oh! I bought Apple Cider pasteurized with Potassium Sorbate

[NYShooterGuy]

So, rookie mistake.

I wanted to make my 2nd hard cider and didn't realize I bought Apple Cider pasteurized with Potassium Sorbate. $25 worth.

Now what?!

The store can't take it back and I can't drink enough of it before it spoils.

Any help on what (if any) I can do it possibly still ferment into hard cider.

Thank you all in advance. I feel like a dope!

 

[Maylar]

Dump it and consider it a life lesson. Sorry bud.

 

[TechFanMD]

Dump it and consider it a life lesson. Sorry bud.

Why dump it? That is 100% chance of failure.

The sorbate inhibits yeast multiplication, but it still may be able to replicate some. I'd give it some extra sugar and yeast nutrients and hit it with a good starter (even make a starter with apple juice and ferment right in the apple juice bottle for 3-4 days). I wouldn't be surprised if it fermented. They add enough sorbate to handle any yeast that might be in there by chance.....not enough to completely stop a deluge of them.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...assium-sorbate-in-zeiglers-apple-cider.38783/

http://www.fermentarium.com/homebre...ng-you-know-about-potassium-sorbate-is-wrong/

 

[bracconiere]

i've fermented sorbate juice before, just pitch BIG...maybe put like a quart of it in a big jar add your yeast, make a starter, dump it in the fermenter. good to go! God wants you to drink! mere mortals will never stop you!

 

[Maylar]

Every case that I've read where people have managed to ferment sorbated juice the resulting cider tasted like ass. Even with a massive over pitching, some of the yeast will be damaged and damaged yeasts make off flavors that don't age out. There was a fella on another forum who bought juice with sodium benzoate preservative (sometimes there's both) and after using all his brewing skills was able to get it to ferment. The result was drinkable but wasn't very enjoyable.

If you guys have experience to the contrary, please share that. But I haven't yet read any success stories.

 

[TechFanMD]

Every case that I've read where people have managed to ferment sorbated juice the resulting cider tasted like ass. Even with a massive over pitching, some of the yeast will be damaged and damaged yeasts make off flavors that don't age out. There was a fella on another forum who bought juice with sodium benzoate preservative (sometimes there's both) and after using all his brewing skills was able to get it to ferment. The result was drinkable but wasn't very enjoyable.

If you guys have experience to the contrary, please share that. But I haven't yet read any success stories.

I did a lot of research on this a few weeks ago and found countless examples where people have success - and even some who knowingly use sorbated cider because they like the variety of cider and have success at it. The ones that taste like ass might have had other issues or under pitched. I can find tons of posts of cider that didn't have sorbates in it ending up tasting like ass too....

 

[bracconiere]

I did a lot of research on this a few weeks ago and found countless examples where people have success - and even some who knowingly use sorbated cider because they like the variety of cider and have success at it. The ones that taste like ass might have had other issues or under pitched. I can find tons of posts of cider that didn't have sorbates in it ending up tasting like ass too....

usually, my bad cider just turns into pineapple, lol

 

[RPh_Guy]

First one to post 5 examples wins!

 

[sgreene820]

I'd probably oxygenate the hell out of it. (Shake it up if you can't add O2) Add nutrients, too. The yeast will appreciate it and it may help dissipate the sulfates.

 

[RPh_Guy]

it may help dissipate the sulfates.

Sulfite (not to be confused with sulfate) is totally different than potassium sorbate.
Aerating won't dissipate sorbate.

FWIW I always check before I buy, but if I had sorbated juice, I would only use it for backsweetening after stabilizing.

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

freeze it, collect the apple concentrate 'syrup' from it and use it to back sweeten a future batch

 

[bernardsmith]

Sorbates bind to the yeast .. but that implies that if you add enough yeast (perhaps 4 or 5 packets or more) you can effectively neutralize the sorbates. (I am a member of a old cider forum and one of the members talked about accidentally treating a large volume of his pressed juice with sorbates (instead of Kmeta) and was able to salvage the juice for fermenting)
.

 

[z-bob]

Get a gallon of cheap apple juice with just vitamin C added. Add yeast nutrients and maybe a little sugar, aerate the heck out of it, and pitch a whole packet of dry wine yeast. It should ferment like crazy. As soon as it slows down a little, add a couple of gallons of your sorbate juice. I think there will be enough yeast at that point to ferment it even if the yeast can't multiply any more.

What have you got to lose?