Wild huckleberries yeast question

[ajharlan]

Hey all. Relatively new to homebrewing so forgive the rookie question. I am planning on making a huckleberry hard cider based on Edwort's Apfelwein recipe. I am using some wild huckleberries that I collected here in Idaho. My question is this: what is the best way to introduce the huckleberries into the mix, and to kill the wild yeasties in the process?

I am using red star montrachet yeast. I am thinking of making a huckleberry puree and boiling to kill wild yeast and then adding to the juice before pitching yeast. Thoughts?

 

[helibrewer]

Hey all. Relatively new to homebrewing so forgive the rookie question. I am planning on making a huckleberry hard cider based on Edwort's Apfelwein recipe. I am using some wild huckleberries that I collected here in Idaho. My question is this: what is the best way to introduce the huckleberries into the mix, and to kill the wild yeasties in the process?

I am using red star montrachet yeast. I am thinking of making a huckleberry puree and boiling to kill wild yeast and then adding to the juice before pitching yeast. Thoughts?

I would not boil the berries, you will end up with problems from the pectin. Will the berries be your primary fermentable or are you using apple juice also?

I prefer the Lalvin EC-1118 (Prise de Mousse) yeast, it throws much less sulfur than Montrechet and has a positive competitive factor that helps it dominate the fermentation in the presence of wild yeast.

If you are really concerned with wild yeast you could do a short bath in either metabisulphite or StarSan prior to use.

I would treat them whole then rinse and mash them up prior to adding to the cider.

 

[kmcrae]

I have fond memories from my childhood picking huckleberries up in Idaho while visiting family! Should be an interesting cider