has anyone tried this bag-in-a-box concentrate for apple cider?

[theinterneti]

Shelf life on website for apple reads 2 years @ 70°f, 3 years @ 45°f, not recommended for freezing.

Yes, but thats for 1 of 3 possible fruit puree options. Sadly, in the technical document they emailed me, at the top of pg 3 it says...

Ambient | refrigerated | Frozen
N/A | 18 Mos | 2 yrs

Also, I tried to get a price out of them. Somewhat terse response that they needed to know the company name for a price. So, like @twd000 I basically got shut down.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Know anyone with a smoothie shop, LHBS, Ice cream shop, locally owned anything that might use that kinda product? they might be able to order it for you.

 

[S-Met]

Know anyone with a smoothie shop, LHBS, Ice cream shop, locally owned anything that might use that kinda product? they might be able to order it for you.

Friends with a local brewery, I'm sure I could request through them.

 

[theinterneti]

I think that anything that is liquid and 'shelf-stable' MUST have added preservatives that could affect fermentation.

googling "5 gallon apple juice concentrate" turned up a bevy of useful results on this.

The only one with an upfront price on the website...
https://www.kingorchards.com/product/mcintosh-apple-juice-concentrate-5-gallon-pail/

Brewcraft has buckets of the tree top concentrate we have been discussing...
https://shop.brewcraftusa.com/finis...-1-5-gallon-pail-4000985000-tt-applefinish-5p

Also mentioned on cidercraftmag.com...
https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/bsg-select-ciderbase-5-gal

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do people really use stuff like this?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7BK7L8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[bmd2k1]

The old orchard 5gal bucket is $59...needs to be refrigerated....info earlier in this thread.

 

[S-Met]

Do people really use stuff like this?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7BK7L8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Did you see corn syrup was one of the ingredients! Only reason I've ever considered corn syrup was if I was making fuel or maybe shine.

 

[theinterneti]

Did you see corn syrup was one of the ingredients! Only reason I've ever considered corn syrup was if I was making fuel or maybe shine.

Yeah, and thats why I was questioning it. I've only been brewing since August and even I had instant reservations. Seems super strange to me that would be included in a product targeted directly at home vintners.

@bmd2k1 -- at that price you are looking at around .60/gallon for the diluted juice. Quite a savings compared to what I'm paying, ~$3/gallon! Looks like a pretty great deal compared against the 1 price I found in the links above.

 

[wasully]

Good eye! I didn't see the sorbate on the label. I guess "100% Apple Juice" means "100% plus a bunch of other crap"!

Has anyone found a cost effective source of bulk juice that doesn't require hauling home dozens of half-gallon plastic bottles? Trying to reduce the waste in our household

Some homebrew shops in apple country partner with orchards. Where they bring in a couple hundred gallons, and you can just fill up carboys there. Alternatively, some orchards will fill the carboys on site.

That's for next fall though. That ship has probably sailed already for this season.

 

[theinterneti]

Another angle -- reuse/upcycle the plastic bottles to eliminate bottle waste. A few ideas...

Bulk food containers
Fill with cement and build a raised bed
Fill with marbles/beads and use as a lamp base
Punch some holes in the top and use as a watering jug
Put a hose connector on the lid, punch holes in the side and use as a sprinkler
Fill with water and freeze to create a huge iceblock.
Store any goods that will work with the size of the mouth -- Starsan, paint, mixed varnish, sand, beach rocks, etc.
Cut open side, tie up, and fill with soil to create a vertical garden
Cut off top and fill with soil to create a potter/seedling starter (it can be covered easily with the top)

 

[bmd2k1]

head's up to FAJC users w/Meijer's by ya -- they have their cans of Old Orchard FAJC for $1 -- till 3/16.

 

[z-bob]

The bottled apple juice at Aldi works well. (I should buy another 4 gallons on my way home today, all my fermenters are empty) The price bounces around from $1.19 per half gallon to $1.49. It's $1.49 right now, which is the same price as the syrup in the top post without the preservatives and you don't have to worry about the mineral content of your water.

I have seen half gallons of store brand or Old Orchard juice on sale at Hy-Vee supermarket recently for 99¢, but they never seem to have plain juice in stock when it's on sale, just the weird blends with corn sweeteners.

 

[Maylar]

No stores in CT