Unpasteurized vs Pasteurized

[mtziegler13]

Hey everyone I am completely new to making hard cider and was hoping to get some guidance. I recently got the urge to start making hard cider myself and I'm not really sure where to start. My question is what would be better to use as a starting point pasteurized cider or unpasteurized? Like I said I am totally new to this so any tips and instructions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi mtzeigler, Heat pasteurization by all accounts spoils the flavors that cider apples possess. UV pasteurization seems to have little impact on the flavor. This according to commercial cideries. In some states pasteurization is a legal requirement (NY and VT for example). And that to prevent e-coli infections (apples that have dropped from the trees are sometimes infected with e-coli and other bacteria from animal spoor. if the dropped apples are gathered by the orchard hands and then pressed there can be significant risk of disease and in recent years there have been outbreaks and hence the requirement for orchards to pasteurize their juice).
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00045558.htm

If you buy store bought juice it is often sold with added preservatives to increase shelf life. Preservatives that include sorbates will either inhibit fermentation or outright prevent it.

 

[MarkKF]

If the cider is not pasteurized and bacteria is present and the juice is fermented to a min. 5% ABV will the bacteria remain viable?

 

[UpstateMike]

If the cider is not pasteurized and bacteria is present and the juice is fermented to a min. 5% ABV will the bacteria remain viable?

I have heard that whatever bacteria might be present in unpasteurized juice can not withstand alcohol at 3% ABV or higher. So a normal hard cider (4.5% ABV and up) will not have a problem.

 

[UpstateMike]

My question is what would be better to use as a starting point pasteurized cider or unpasteurized?

Pasteurization is not really that big a deal. If you can get unpasteurized cider to start with, great! If it is pasteurized, try to find out if it was done by UV or by heat. UV is more common, and the better one to go with. Like it was said before, heat pasteurization can spoil the flavor.

What you want to avoid is preservatives. If you see "Sorbate" in any form listed in the ingredients, do not use it.

 

[bernardsmith]

If the cider is not pasteurized and bacteria is present and the juice is fermented to a min. 5% ABV will the bacteria remain viable?

I think the issue may be the liability of an orchard selling you unpasteurized juice in a state where unpasteurized juice may not be sold.

 

[lal12]

This might not fit here but I'm thinking about making a 5 gallon batch of sparkling cider also but I want to juice my own apples in a juicer. Store bought apples from a grocery store. Does this need to be pasturized? I was going to just juice it right into my bucket and go from there?

Thanks

 

[bernardsmith]

I cannot see why store bought apples used for cider pose any greater risk of e-coli than the same apples eaten fresh. FDA and the various states that adopted strict rules that require the pasteurization of apple juice chose this route because of specific incidents of illness and death associated with bottled juice. I don't know but I suspect that the orchards involved may have used significant quantities of apples that they gathered from the dirt beneath their trees rather than from branches and those apples had been contaminated by animal waste perhaps in the form of fertilizer.

 

[UpstateMike]

I'm thinking about making a 5 gallon batch of sparkling cider also but I want to juice my own apples in a juicer. Store bought apples from a grocery store. Does this need to be pasturized?

No, you do not need to pasteurize the juice.

You may want to consider straining the juice through some cheesecloth or a coffee filter, if you have the patience.

Also keep in mind that for 5 gallons of juice, you will need at least two bushels of apples. I would recommend a mix of apples, and not just one variety.

Let us know how the juicer holds up.

 

[JimRausch]

If the cider is not pasteurized and bacteria is present and the juice is fermented to a min. 5% ABV will the bacteria remain viable?

In any fermentation, we are relying on the yeast to take over and outperform any bacterial contaminant. So, if you promptly pitch an adequate number of healthy yeast you should be OK. If your pitch is delayed and you aren't using treated cider, than contaminants might gain the upperhand. But in that case you might get off-flavors and possibly vinegar. Disease producing bacteria should not be able to proliferate in an alcoholic, acid, low oxygen environment that is produced by our wonderful friends, the yeast.

 

[lal12]

No, you do not need to pasteurize the juice.

You may want to consider straining the juice through some cheesecloth or a coffee filter, if you have the patience.

Also keep in mind that for 5 gallons of juice, you will need at least two bushels of apples. I would recommend a mix of apples, and not just one variety.

Let us know how the juicer holds up.

So i bought 3 gallons of apple juice and then juiced 33 lbs of apples (granny smith, empire, macoon) to get 5 gsllons total. Juicer held up great.

One other question. Its been 11 days since i pitched the yeast OG was 1.061 and im reading a gravity of 1.00 right now. Do i rack to secondary now or wait the full 2 weeks in primary like i planned?

 

[Maylar]

Do it now.