Where to get juice/cider?

[Jared25]

First time making cider and I'm researching what type of cider or juice to use and I'm wondering where everyone gets their cider or juice?

 

[Hans O. Lowe]

Whole Foods 365 in the 1 gallon glass jug. Juice with an included fermentation vessel!

 

[NTBeer]

I mostly use the cheap supermarket brand juice and add frozen concentrate for more flavor. If you have access to crabapples, addition of 10 - 20% is also a great way to balance flavors. Straight supermarket juice is often flat flavor wise. Yeast choice also has a great effect. The new ish Fermentis cider select dry yeast range is very good, and fairly inexpensive.

Edited to say Fermentis, not Lallemande.

 

[donttread]

What size bung do the wholefoods apple juice bottles take?

 

[EDF713]

I use the Kirkland Apple Juice from Costco mostly. Sometimes I use the fancy unfiltered stuff from the grocery store. Most apple juices will work, but whatever you do, look at the label and make sure it does NOT have any sorbates.

 

[Hans O. Lowe]

What size bung do the wholefoods apple juice bottles take?

I believe they are #6

One batch I just pitched Lalvin EC-1118 with yeast energizer. It is like dry apple juice with some yeast character (I taste phenol like a German hefe)

The second I added 5 oz white sugar and pectic enzyme. It dropped clear and tastes like apple wine with the phenol as well.

I do have to say the whole foods juice is some of the best apple juice I've had.

Cheers!

 

[donttread]

Do you add the pectic enzyme after fermentation stopped? I have always added it first

 

[Hans O. Lowe]

I added at the time I pitched. I think you're supposed to add a bit in advance bit it seemed to work ok the way I did it.

My third batch this year I pitched the slurry from batch 2 in a little big mouth bubbler with a whole gallon of juice. Either fermentation took off too fast for the enzyme or I didn't add enough. It's not nearly as clear as batch 2.