Hard Cider

[pomba gira]

OK I found a source for unpasteurized apple cider that doesn't involve driving up to the cider mill... so I want to make some hard cider. I haven't done it for at least 10 years tho, and I really don't remember all the little tricks of getting to ferment without getting moldy or exploding. I had relatives who knew how to make hard cider, but they've all gone to join the ancestors. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[mallochai]

I know how to make it gone if you put a glass in front of me.

[kellygrrrrrl]

Put it in the freezer?

Sorry, I HAD to go there!

[Fierce Critter]

OK I found a source for unpasteurized apple cider that doesn't involve driving up to the cider mill... so I want to make some hard cider. I haven't done it for at least 10 years tho, and I really don't remember all the little tricks of getting to ferment without getting moldy or exploding. I had relatives who knew how to make hard cider, but they've all gone to join the ancestors. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Do please share your source. Jon's got two carboys he's just itching to get brewing, and cider from the mills is so expensive.

I'm not sure what technique he's going to use. He's been doing a LOT of reading. But I do know Vater on this site has MUCH experience in this. He's your guy.

[pomba gira]

Do please share your source. Jon's got two carboys he's just itching to get brewing, and cider from the mills is so expensive.

I'm not sure what technique he's going to use. He's been doing a LOT of reading. But I do know Vater on this site has MUCH experience in this. He's your guy.

Thanks for the tip... hm has Vater even been around lately?

anyway... don't know if this stuff is all that cheap, $2.99 a half gal. but I don't really have anything to compare it with, so who knows. Can't remember the brand name right now, & the last empty container went out to the recycling truck this AM. I'm gonna get more tomorrow so I'll let you know then. It's an organic brand, I get it at Goodrich's ShopRite in East Lansing... the upscale ShopRite where all the MSU food snobs shop.

[Fierce Critter]

Honestly, at $6.00 a gallon basically, that sounds exceptionally expensive to me.

Parminters in Northville charges probably at least a dollar less. And I've been told that though they pasteurize now, you can call them and ask them to reserve a certain amount for yourself pre-processing.

I really need to call around the mills. Do some comparison shopping.

[Rayne]

Honestly, at $6.00 a gallon basically, that sounds exceptionally expensive to me.

We paid that much at Wiard's in Ypsilanti ... if not a bit more.

[pomba gira]

It's a "specialty" food and a seasonal one at that... so it's gonna cost a bit more than your standard grocery store product. Plus this stuff is organic which is gonna cost more. Buying at the mills is prolly cheaper since you're getting it straight from the source so there's no distributor and/or retailer markup. But the closest cider mill to me is about a half-hour drive each way, figure in the gas & convenience factor & the saving isn't all that much.

BTW the brand is AppleSchram Orchards, it's made in Charlotte which is just SW of Lansing, in Eaton Cty. So it prolly isn't available much east of Ingham cty.

[ZhukovCodeslinger]

... so what if its been pasturized... you just have to add yeast

[Paper Hearts]

^I always look for things to be at least flash pasteurized so that I don't contract E Coli. Lots of times farm hands get paid by the bushel, so they're apt to grab fruit that has fallen to the ground...among deer droppings and things. Did I just say droppings?

[Moonlight_Phantasy]

I was always told to set it out warm and let it ferment. i dunno if it works or not.-

[pomba gira]

... so what if its been pasturized... you just have to add yeast

Really? just regular baking yeast or some special beer making kind? Do you have a recipe?

[Fierce Critter]

... so what if its been pasturized... you just have to add yeast

Jon did a ton of research on this. I don't recall where he got the information, but when making fermented fruit beverages, they highly recommend non-pasteurized.

You have to add yeast either way, I believe. But I really am not the one who did the research, so I'd need to get Jon involved in this conversation to get real facts, not just hearsay.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

First off.. take the drive... fresh cider is the best...

Uncle John's Cider Mill

You can get everything you need there.

Recipes...

http://www.leeners.com/cider.html

http://www.forevermore.net/rants/Food+Rant...rd+Cider+Recipe

[ZhukovCodeslinger]

Really? just regular baking yeast or some special beer making kind? Do you have a recipe?

we never really had recipes for making cider or wine in the fridge...

I would suggest wine making yeast or just use yeast scraped from the outside of apples (fresh off the tree and not sprayed by bug killer) This is also what we used for grapes (natural grape yeast off the grape skins)

[Fierce Critter]

You can pick up fermenting yeast at homebrew shops all over. I know of one on Michigan Ave in Dearborn.

I'm talking from memory of what Jon shared with me when he got into the homebrewing scene. But on top of the yeast, it helps to have a yeast "feeder" for the fermenting process. I'm not sure if that's as necessary for cider as it is for beer.

I asked Jon and he told me they recommend against pasteurized cider because it won't ferment. Yeast feeds on what's created as a juice, cider, whathaveyou breaks down, and if it's pasteurized, that doesn't happen, or happens too slowly for fermenting.

[pomba gira]

I was always told to set it out warm and let it ferment. i dunno if it works or not.-

yeah... that's the basic procedure but there are little tricks to keep it from fermenting too fast or slowly. Needs to be at the right temp, etc. or else it just ends up moldy.

First off.. take the drive... fresh cider is the best...

Uncle John's Cider Mill

You can get everything you need there.

we were actually supposed to take the nieces & nephews there last wkend & I didn't go 'cos I was feeling crappy. Asked them to get me a couple jugs but of course they forgot. Ordinarily would be no big deal to pop up there but right now gas to st johns is a real hardship.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

just setting it makes vinager more often than not.