b3nsf
Active Member
These apples came right off the trees and I was wondering if I should attempt a Natural ferment without adding yeast... or if I should do what I always do and add yeast.
Was given 50lbs of apples, should I do Natural ferment?
- Thread starter b3nsf
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Blacksmith1
Captain Cheap
With 50 lbs couldn't you do both?
I have no idea how much juice comes out of 50lbs of apples.
I have no idea how much juice comes out of 50lbs of apples.
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b3nsf
Active Member
We got approx 8 gallons of juice, it's sitting in two buckets now with airlocks.... I have this 10 gallon barrel (was bourbon barrel)... the thought process was like this: top it off with some fancy store bought cider "Apple A Day" brand and fill the barrel and let it sit for like 6 months then bottle it...
TwistedGray
El Jefe Brewing Company
You'll get a much more clear, less apple flavor hard cider without adding a year, from my experience. I prefer it with SafCider which retains apple flavor; natural year fermentation doesn't (or rather, it didn't for me).
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
My best 2018 ciders were natural.
I held about 50°F during fermentation. They were in primary for 5-8 months.
One I also added Brett and oak to emulate barrel aging. That was delicious too.
I held about 50°F during fermentation. They were in primary for 5-8 months.
One I also added Brett and oak to emulate barrel aging. That was delicious too.
Mine definitely taste like apple, although I have heard MLF does degrade the fruit aromatics. Booster Blanc from Scott Labs is supposed to help with that. I'll give it a try this year.
TwistedGray
El Jefe Brewing Company
You're right in that it tastes like apple but a bit stripped down, in my experience.
![Craft A Brew - Safale BE-256 Yeast - Fermentis - Belgian Ale Dry Yeast - For Belgian & Strong Ales - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bcKEwQmWL._SL500_.jpg)
Steveruch
Well-Known Member
The main problem with a natural ferment is if the batch turns out really good you may have a hard time replicating it.
Seamonkey84
Well-Known Member
Save some of the yeast cake or lees! Instead of dumping it after racking, save some of the slurry in a jar and put it in the fridge, or pitch it right into some more juice to keep em going, you’ll have your own house strain.
Let us know how your plan works out. We're coming up on fall though-you might be able to top it off with orchard stuff?
But with ~8 gallons you definitely had more than 50lbs!
Which is neat and would be fun to do. But with wild ferments like this, it can be a succession of different yeasts, that fail/work/reproduce at different rates. The slurry will be the last/best at reproduction yeasts. Using it again might(probably won't) actually be the exact culture you're looking for.
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b3nsf
Active Member
Update! I put the 8 gallons in, topped it off with 2 gallons of "Apple a day" and huh? the barrel is actually 15 gallons! so we're getting more apples from the same person tomorrow.... I have purged the barrel with CO2 and added a silicone bung and airlock, the airlock is showing fermentation activity!! Hooray! The closet smells like cider and rye whiskey, as it should... I saved some of the apple shlock/yeast cake from the buckets and put in a mason jar into the fridge, it needs to be burped cuz its still going... this project is going perfectly so far, even with minor miscalculations in volume etc...
Nice! That barrel is going to make this cider great.
I wish I could get 8 gallons from 50 lbs, I usually get 2-3!
I wish I could get 8 gallons from 50 lbs, I usually get 2-3!
Seamonkey84
Well-Known Member
Doesn’t your cider foam up during fermentation?! That 5gal head space would be safe during primary, at least the first few days when it’s going violently.
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
8 gallons of juice weighs over 66lbs. Obviously it's not possible to get 66lbs of juice from 50lbs of apples. It probably came from closer to 100lbs of apples (65% extraction).
bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
in the case of earthquake, i'd recommend putting something under the barrel to keep it from rolling.....and Tucson! 
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b3nsf
Active Member
Haha! admittedly, I didn't weigh the apples, 50lb was a guess, and it seems it was pretty far off ... I'll order a rubber stopper #11, the HBS only had this one size #11... currently there are two round stones (smooth round river rock) wedged under the barrel, I will most likely cut some 45 degrees angle pieces to make a better solution for the propping. I bought this barrel from a local beer store, they were using it as furniture for displaying spirits or something, it had been originally bourbon, then a guy made rye whiskey in it...I paid 50$ for it, it took 5 days to fully rehydrate the barrel using cold water, hot water works faster but I thought hot water would strip out more of the flavor...
... I'll order a rubber stopper #11, the HBS only had this one size #11... currently there are two round stones (smooth round river rock) wedged under the barrel, I will most likely cut some 45 degrees angle pieces to make a better solution for the propping. I bought this barrel from a local beer store, they were using it as furniture for displaying spirits or something, it had been originally bourbon, then a guy made rye whiskey in it...I paid 50$ for it, it took 5 days to fully rehydrate the barrel using cold water, hot water works faster but I thought hot water would strip out more of the flavor...
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b3nsf
Active Member
ok, looks like I got another 100lbs ? of Gravensteins from Santa Rosa.... Hopefully this will fill the barrel with a little bit of headspace for the Krausen, then I will top it off later with some that I save in the fridge...
