Using 3rd grade apples in fermentation

[Canadianjen]

Hey everyone! First, just want to say I love this forum! Everyone is always so helpful so I thank you in advance!

I have 3 large apple trees in our yard that have codling moth (a moth that buries into the apple and eats to the middle and then leaves, leaving it’s excrement through a hole on the way out). Anyways, I have been juicing (yes I don’t own a press yet) them for cider but cutting all the moth excrement and brown spots off before juicing to ferment. A lot of work!

Has anyone made cider from 3rd grade apples without removing all the brown spots/bugs etc? I know it sounds gross but I would think because they are being juiced, there isn’t really much of any of that making it’s way through to my batch but wondering if this could cause my fermentation/cider batch to go off? I always add campden tabs at the beginning. Would the tabs kill off anything from the excrement that makes it into the juice or is that only to kill wild yeast?

Maybe this sounds like a silly question but I would hate to process 6 gallons of juice and lose a batch. Sorry for the long post!

 

[Coriba]

This is a good forum.

Last year was my first cider batch from apples. I have a bladder press from winemaking days and a grape crusher. I crushed and pressed about 300 ponds of apples which had fallen from the tree. All were in various stages of decay. Bruises, wormy, insect damage, etc ... they all went in. Yellowjackets everywhere. I fermented in a large plastic primary bucket and then racked to a Demi-John. There were about 20 yellowjackets at the bottom of the primary. I didn’t use any campden or sulfites. It turned out great. Used EC1116 yeast.

I think apples are pretty forgiving and EC1116 is an overpowering strain. Not an interesting yeast but reliable.

 

[Canadianjen]

Oh good to know! Thanks. I might try it. Cutting up everything is so annoying. I use EC1116 all the time too.

 

[cottonwoodks]

I cut off HUGE rotten places, like when half the apple was rotted, but basically left everything else, and so far everything tastes great--the sweet juice, the cider after first fermentation. I don't think it's a problem.