Lacto-cider?

[hroth521]

Anyone try to ferment apple juice with lactobacillus? I took 12 ounces of pasteurized organic juice and mixed in 2 tablespoons of homemade yogurt. After 48 hours on the counter, it tastes of apples and a slightly sourish, not tart, - pleasant flavor. It reminds me of kvass except I like this and I don't care for kvass. There is some dissolved gas (slightly frizzante). Unfortunately, I broke my hydrometer so I don't know how the fermentation is going. It tastes good enough that I might try a larger batch and bottle it. Wondering if anyone has any experience with something like this?

 

[hroth521]

Tasted again this morning. The appley slightly sourish flavor is what I taste in English ciders like Aspall. I wonder if lactobacillus is just part of the natural microenvironment of old fashioned ciders?

 

[manticle]

I don't get sourness particularly from aspall (love it though). Maybe what you are perceiving is the various tart/acidic apples used.

Nonetheless I'm interested to read how it turns out and how it might compare to a nataurally fermented 'cidre bouche'

 

[hroth521]

I don't get sourness particularly from aspall (love it though). Maybe what you are perceiving is the various tart/acidic apples used.

I'm really not doing a very good job of describing what I'm tasting. It's definitely not the tart/sharpness of the apples. There's clearly a fermented, kind of sour milk sort of flavor - but that's not accurate because, well, I don't like sour milk and I like this. I sense it high on my palate if that makes sense, not along the edges of my tongue. I do not have much experience with sour beer at all but this does remind me, in a very mild way, of a gueuze (sp?) that I had recently. This is, of course, much more fruity and appley than that was. I think I have enough here to try to make a gallon sometime soon. But I need to get a new hydrometer first.

By the way, the yogurt and other solids have settled into a 1 or 2 inch layer on the bottom of the glass and the cider is clearing quite a bit.

 

[manticle]

I'm really not doing a very good job of describing what I'm tasting. It's definitely not the tart/sharpness of the apples. There's clearly a fermented, kind of sour milk sort of flavor - but that's not accurate because, well, I don't like sour milk and I like this. I sense it high on my palate if that makes sense, not along the edges of my tongue. I do not have much experience with sour beer at all but this does remind me, in a very mild way, of a gueuze (sp?) that I had recently. This is, of course, much more fruity and appley than that was. I think I have enough here to try to make a gallon sometime soon. But I need to get a new hydrometer first.

By the way, the yogurt and other solids have settled into a 1 or 2 inch layer on the bottom of the glass and the cider is clearing quite a bit.

Sorry, I meant tart/ acidic in regards to the aspall rather than yours..

Something that may interest you is a recently revived thread on the babblebelt on sour cider. Can't seem to link at the moment but it's in the top posts. Google 'babblebelt homebrew forum sour cider'.

 

[hroth521]

Thanks for the reference. That's an interesting discussion. It seems this is an area that needs some development.