"Naked" brand pacific northwest apple cold pressed juice.

[Wineaviator]

I live in Alaska and we dont have asccess to much fresh juice, and when we do its expenisve. I have been making ciders based on one of the popular recipes here and using the costco brand juice, adding some tea and lemon juice for tannin and acid, again following some of the guidelines that a contributor here posted.

Recently Costco had "naked"brand cold pressed juice available. Its a tad expensive (everything in AK is) but its as close as I can get to fresh pressed. The "Naked"brand is owned by Pepsico and on their website it states all of their products are pastureized, although it is not directly labeled on the the container.

Id like to hear from anyone who has used this product, or any idea how I should proceed with it. Having never had access to fresh juice I am unsure if I need to drop Cambden tablets in this or if I can just pitch it with yeast, as it claims to be pasteurized. I bought 3 gallons of it at a Costco of about $13 per gallon so I'd hate to screw it up.

Any. Insight, info, or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds and Merry Christmas, safe and happy brewing.

Wineaviator

 

[MindenMan]

It is pasteurized so no chemicals are needed, just yeast.I don't know what varieties of yeast are available to you, but IMHO I would try to get the least aggressive I could. EC-1118 is quite aggressive in opinion, but there are many here that swear by it. One package of dry yeast is more than enough for 3 gallons, but you probably already know that.

 

[bembel]

I live in Alaska and we dont have asccess to much fresh juice, and when we do its expenisve. I have been making ciders based on one of the popular recipes here and using the costco brand juice, adding some tea and lemon juice for tannin and acid, again following some of the guidelines that a contributor here posted.

Recently Costco had "naked"brand cold pressed juice available. Its a tad expensive (everything in AK is) but its as close as I can get to fresh pressed. The "Naked"brand is owned by Pepsico and on their website it states all of their products are pastureized, although it is not directly labeled on the the container.

Id like to hear from anyone who has used this product, or any idea how I should proceed with it. Having never had access to fresh juice I am unsure if I need to drop Cambden tablets in this or if I can just pitch it with yeast, as it claims to be pasteurized. I bought 3 gallons of it at a Costco of about $13 per gallon so I'd hate to screw it up.

Any. Insight, info, or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds and Merry Christmas, safe and happy brewing.

Wineaviator

Hi Wineaviator

Don't waste any more of your money on Naked cold pressed or any other option - it's the apples, not the format - that make a cider - you can have fresh pressed unpasteurized juice right off a farm in New England but it will make the same cider as Costco juice if the apples are the same. And with commercial juice and 95% of available fresh pressed juice- the apple are the same dessert / culinary belnds, Mac, Cortland, Empire, etc

I know of many cider makers, myself included, who have produced award winning ciders using Costco juice - handled correctly with the right amount of additions and and some creative apple alchemy.

I would suggest getting some decent testing equipment with some of the $$ your will save NOT buying $10/gallon juice - (that , by the way, is about what a gallon of heirloom bitter-sweet / bitter-sharp juice from Farnum Hill costs commercially - very expensive ingredients)

Get an Wine Acid Test kit for $10 and a good hydrometer, calibrate your hydrometer with distilled water, ( I have NEVER gotten a hydrometer that was not at least 1.5 points off) then arm yourself with some malic acid and tannin - you can get cider specific tannins from Scott Labs - and then here is how you can become an apple alchemist and cheat.

Add 1 to 1.5 cans of FAJC ( Frozen Apple Juice Concentrate ) to your 5 gallons of regular juice - use enough to get the starting gravity to about 1.065 and if needed add more malic to get the TA about 6g/l - by adding FCAJ you not only boost the sugar you also boost all the acids and any flavor compounds - and add in a small amount of tannin - you'll need to do this to taste - experiment with what you like - but start small with the tannin -

That will make a much better cider than any regular strength 'fresh pressed' commercial juice you can buy.

Oh, about the Campden tabs - no need to use them with store purchased juice

 

[AkBrewer49]

Great info, i use Costco brand juice too. Ciders turn out good with Wyeast Sweat Mead Yeast. usually 4 gallons of cider and 1 gallon of 1.040 wort... Will have to dabble a little more now. Getting ready to make my second iced cider... love those!!