Multiple pressings over time into same fermentation batch

[siletzspey]

My apple trees normally ripen at different times every season, and maybe because Oregon is having an unusually hot and dry summer, I now have individual apple trees sporting very ripe to very green apples. A single pressing weekend seems impossible.

Question... can I press a few apples and start fermenting them, and then every 2 weeks or so, dump in new pressings? Maybe I press 3ga into one 3ga carboy, then 2 weeks later, I split the original pressing into two 3ga carboys and then top them off with a new 3ga pressing. I could imagine pressings over a 6 week period.

In prior years I have tried to store early apples, but I usually end up with rot and mold issues.

--SiletzSpey

 

[WVMJ]

Why not? You will just end up with a big blended batch in the end. Do you normally add nutrients? That is the only thing that might need some thought, once you have a huge population of yeast if you feed them some new cider every week are they growing in numbers or are the numbers the same and they just eat everything? An alternative would be to start the primary ferment on each batch and then like a week later just add them all together. On the other hand that is probably a lot more thinking than is needed for making cider WVMJ

 

[chevalcider]

I saw this thread a while ago and looked it up to see what has been said. I am wanting to blend some apples....but have only picked on variety so far. Those are in need of pressing before the spoil and I haven't picked any more.

Furthermore, I have my eyes on some ornamental crabs that are truly bitter and sharp. I'd like to blend 10-15% depending on the results I get on the first few pickings. The apples are still rock hard and a chore to pick on account of them being the size of a medium cherry and still being attached to the tree quite firmly. I have some experimental yeasts going right now, branching out from champagne and wine. I was thinking of pitching EC1118 on the bitter apples (or perhaps 71B if I am having acid issues on my base cider - knock some of the acid out of it) and then blending a completely fermented acidic/tannic cider into the base. This shouldn't have too much of an effect on the final cider, should it? If WLP775 doesn't attenuate as far as EC1118 will it wake back up when I blend and take everything down to 0.998? I bottle carb mostly. Haven't taken a liking to still ciders and prefer it dry.

 

[WVMJ]

You are planning on blending after fermentation is done which is different than continuously adding juice to an ongoing ferment. But as far as the plan you posted looks good to me, but I suggest a simple total acidity measurement with a TA kit on both juices, they you can calculate how much of your crab juice to add instead of just guessing 10-25%. I use that Petersons square calculation to see how much of each to blend in together. ps freeze your crabs first to get more juice from them. WVMJ

 

[chevalcider]

You are planning on blending after fermentation is done which is different than continuously adding juice to an ongoing ferment. But as far as the plan you posted looks good to me, but I suggest a simple total acidity measurement with a TA kit on both juices, they you can calculate how much of your crab juice to add instead of just guessing 10-25%. I use that Petersons square calculation to see how much of each to blend in together. ps freeze your crabs first to get more juice from them. WVMJ

Freezing wouldn't be a bad idea. They are rock hard right now. It's amazing how much sweeter they tasted after just a day of sitting in a pail. I was thinking of fermenting some of the acidic crabs with 71B as it knocks more of the acid out that other wine yeasts do. That way I have some blending stock with a higher proportion of tannin to acid if I need it.