First Cider

[Hopfan]

I've read all the threads in "Cider" and now I'm thoroughly confused. I live in Amish country and picked up a few gallons of fresh pressed cider. Given the sanitary practices of the folks on the farm, (content left out for fear of making you ralph) I will definitely sterilize the jugs before opening, but what about the cider itself? I know that it could contain bacteria and this gentlemen has taken to putting labels on the jugs saying so. Should I boil the cider first before putting into the primary or will this affect how it ferments? It will be bottled and I want it "slightly" carbonated so I assume that I need to keep it in the secondary for a while. Are there any advantages to using lactose over something like splenda? If I go the splenda route, how much per gallon?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Caplan]

Assuming you don't want to ferment it with the wild yeasts you don't need to boil the cider - add campden tablets/sodium metabisulfite (1 tablet or 1 teaspoon per gallon) and leave it for 24 hours before pitching your own chosen yeast. Leaving it in secondary longer than beer won't hurt it at all, cider needs longer to mature. For 'slightly' carbonated follow the same rules as per beer but use corn sugar only. I personally don't use any sweetners in cider - I prefer them drier. If you do use them just add them to taste.