Question about stepping up a cider by the gallon

[TAK]

Cider noob here. Thinking about making my first batch.

It's my understanding that if I purchase store bought jugs of cider which don't have preservatives and are pasteurized, then I can ferment them just fine without even boiling. If I'm wrong on that point, please let me know.

Given this, I was considering pitching a smack pack into one gallon of cider and letting that go for about 24 hours. That would essentially be my starter. Then, dumping in an additional 2-3 gallons to top the batch off.

Anyone do this? Any glaring issues with this?

Thanks, and cheers.

 

[Homebrewinglad]

I dont know bout the starter. However. As long as your cider has NO preservatived (unpasturized or uv pasturized) then you dont need to heat. Never boil as this will lock in the pectin (from what ive read) and wont let your cidet clear.

In short. If u want to kill off wild yeast. Heat. But dont boil. (180F° i believe). Otherwise you dont meed to heat at all.

Wild yeast may affect flavor, just sayin.

 

[WVMJ]

Dont boil cider for any reason, just us a little bit of potassium metabisulfite powder. When you make beer do you usually have to make a gallon starter from a smack pack with this yeast? If the answer is no they you also dont need to do it with cider. WVMJ

 

[madscientist451]

If you get it pasteurized cider you can just use it like it is, don't worry about wild yeast, don't heat it, don't add any chemicals. Dump in the fermenter and let it rip. You could start with a gallon starter, but I think about a quart or 1.5 qts is a good amount. If you don't have a flask, a 1/2 gallon jug or 1.5 ml wine bottle work good for making starters.
Don't use any yeast nutrient with cider and keep the temperature in the low 60's, you want to fermentation to go slow. When the bubbling stops, take a gravity reading and rack to secondary, age for 3-9 months or longer. What yeast are you going to use?

 

[TAK]

I'm thinking an English ale stain. I prefer a relatively dry cider. So, I'm leaning towards WLP007. I haven't used it in a while, but it's a great strain.

As for the starter, I totally get that a gallon is big. For beer, I make starters to the cell count. Assuming the OG of the juice is aprx 1.050, and I'm making 4 gal, then I'd probably only need 0.6 +/- qts of starter on my stirplate, depending on viability. However, given that I would be buying juice by the gallon, I got to wondering about pitching without a starter into the first gallon, then adding the rest.

 

[Maylar]

No starter needed. Dry yeasts can be pitched directly or rehydrated, I've never seen a difference. With yeast nutrient you'll get active fermentation in a few hours.

 

[purplehaze]

Adding the yeast to one gallon of cider in the fermentor will work in replacing the stir plate.

Late additions of fermentables can will leave behind more flavor and aroma.

Dry cider can have a bitterness to it but a little back sweetening helps.