I'm getting fresh 16 gallons pressed honeycrisp/haralson apple juice; I have question

[Gemadrken]

Hey all; i'll be buying 16 gallons of fresh pressed apple cider from a local dude on craiglist; raw, no chemicals added.

"This cider is a mixture of sweet and tart apples including Honeycrisp and Haralson. We have provided cider to many hard cider enthusiasts over the past four years."

My main questins(s);

Should I flash pasturize? (heat it to 160f for ~15 seconds)

Should I campden tablet/sulfites it 1 day before pitching?

Should I ferment the juice as is with no pasturization or sulfites? (This is what i'd prefer if its not a bad idea).

I'll be making 5 gallons of apple wine, 5 gallons of hard cider, and 6 gallons of cyser; should I prepare my raw cider differently for any of these drinks?



Any help is very appreciated; i'll be picking the cider up on Sunday

 

[Maylar]

Reply quoted inline...

Hey all; i'll be buying 16 gallons of fresh pressed apple cider from a local dude on craiglist; raw, no chemicals added.

"This cider is a mixture of sweet and tart apples including Honeycrisp and Haralson. We have provided cider to many hard cider enthusiasts over the past four years."

My main questins(s);

Should I flash pasturize? (heat it to 160f for ~15 seconds)

No. Don't heat your cider.

Should I campden tablet/sulfites it 1 day before pitching?

Yes.

Should I ferment the juice as is with no pasturization or sulfites? (This is what i'd prefer if its not a bad idea).

Use k-meta, first thing when you get the juice home.

I'll be making 5 gallons of apple wine, 5 gallons of hard cider, and 6 gallons of cyser; should I prepare my raw cider differently for any of these drinks?

Nope. Other than you'll be adding honey for the cyser.

Any help is very appreciated; i'll be picking the cider up on Sunday

 

[Gemadrken]

I appreciate the advice, thank you!

 

[AdamsCider]

Reply quoted inline...

So you say to use Campden AND K-Meta? I've never done that before. I have just Capden at the beginning, pitch yeast the next day and we're off. Seems like belts and suspenders if you use both. Am I wrong?

 

[Maylar]

So you say to use Campden AND K-Meta? I've never done that before. I have just Capden at the beginning, pitch yeast the next day and we're off. Seems like belts and suspenders if you use both. Am I wrong?

Campden tablets and Potassium Metabisulfite (K-Meta) are the same thing. For small batches like 1 gallon jugs, Campden tabs are a convenient dose. For bigger batches the powdered K-Meta is easier to use and dissolves better.

 

[dmtaylor]

I've been making cider for many years. I like the results best from pasteurizing, which I do at 160 F for 15 minutes. I add no chemicals, no k-meta or Campden or pectinase or anything else, except gelatin partway through fermentation to remove most of the yeast, that is all. No one will agree with me but my cider is better than theirs. ;D

 

[Gemadrken]

I appreciate the advice

Honestly all 16 gallons are going to different types of apple wines- so they will have slightly different stability than cider

I got my cyser fermenting very well; my apple wines havent started yet tho. I'm sure they will soon enough

 

[mwilcox]

my friends in Minn weren't as happy with the juice they were getting last year - a bit harsh and bitter - but two and three years ago the Haralson-rich blends they were getting were phenomenal, including winning NHC Cidermaker of the Year.

anyway, good luck. There's certainly some great apples up there to work with.

 

[dmtaylor]

my friends in Minn weren't as happy with the juice they were getting last year - a bit harsh and bitter - but two and three years ago the Haralson-rich blends they were getting were phenomenal, including winning NHC Cidermaker of the Year.

Good to know. As happenstance would have it, a buddy of mine just picked up two bushels of Haralson from his farm in MN and we're going together on juicing in the next few weeks so I'll get some. Yay.