Natural

[Bigsky406]

I've been fermenting a few jugs of juice in the following way:

1) put fresh pressed, unpasteurized juice in jug

2) close jug

3) wait

4) occasionally "burp" the lid.

The results so far are an incredibly clear tasty brew, lightly carbonated, sweet with a slight alcohol taste.

I have no idea how much alcohol is in it, or if it's even safe, but damn it's good and I haven't gotten sick yet.

So.... Thoughts? Am I in danger? Will it keep getting better? Should I keep up this experiment? Once again, I know very little about cider making, though I do have 10 gallons fermenting in a much more controlled--and sterile--environment.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

You might want to replace the lid with a bung & airlock, that way you don't have to "burp" it, or run the risk of it popping off. I notice you're in Helena, what type of juice are you using & what is your source? Unless I want to take a drive, I'm stuck with Mac juice out of the Bitterroot valley.
Regards, GF.

 

[Bigsky406]

Sorry it took so long to get back to you on this.

I'm using a variety of apples that I'm gleaning from local trees here and in East Helena. I try to mix in as many crab apple varieties as I have the patience to pick. They seem to really bump the flavor, complexity, and sweetness up quite a bit. But I've used a variety of large-to-medium-sized red crab apples (no idea on the variety, their old heirloom trees in the neighborhoods), yellow transparent apples (ripe in early August, tart, not very sweet), and whatever other apples I find on trees around town. I really don't have a good solid source of any one kind of apple.

One of my "natural" ciders has started to grow a disturbing white film with big bubbles. I think the bacteria finally took over.

It was tasty while it lasted!