Natural 100% Apple Juice

[Dave_E]

Hi Everyone,

After making many batches of Mead… I thought I’d try to make some Hard Cider. Process looks easy enough. I live in the best apple growing area in the country (I’m biased), Washington state, but have a few months to go before apple pickin season, so to get started with hard cider, I’ll learn with store bought juice. Some technical questions regarding the use of yeast nutrients and pectic enzymes.

Researching juice at the store, I see things like Musselman’s Apple Cider has the “stuff” on the bottom of the jar that dissipates into cloudy juice when shaken. Most others at the store are clear as can be. Do any of you use yeast enzymes, ever? If so, why? Would pectic enzymes clear up the stuff in Musselman’s Apple Cider? Would it matter? I’m going to try carbonation experiments also. If I used a cider like Musselman’s and it stays cloudy, it will stay cloudy even when carbonated correct? It would still settle and have to shook up, correct?
Going to hit my local Costco tomorrow and see if they are selling Kirkland Apple Juice. Comments welcome for sure!

Thanks - Dave

 

[Lampy]

My first cider was made with Musselman AJ that had the "cloudy stuff". It cleared up quite a bit within 2 weeks and would probably have become very clear if I had known about cold crashing and racking to a second vessel.

 

[Raptor99]

Do any of you use yeast enzymes, ever? If so, why? Would pectic enzymes clear up the stuff in Musselman’s Apple Cider?

I always add pectic enzyme at the beginning of the fermentation process. Apples are high in pectic.

 

[fluketamer]

just do this : its the bees knees

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/grahams-english-cider.107152/

long story short add nutrients, lemon or lime juice and black tea

btw if you add store bought juice to your mead yeast slurry it will probably make great cider.