Cider & fermentation

[James Coplin]

Great!  I make cider most years, around 10 gallons at a time.  I'm
skipping this year because I have 40 gallons on hand as I haven't been
drinking it as much lately.  Definitely worth the effort.  Cider does take
a *long* time.  I find that it really becomes best tasting at 1 year
minimum.  You definitely need to use unpasteurized cider if you don't
press your own.  If you try it relying on the wild yeast in the cider, you
are going to have mixed luck.  At times, there are not enough yeasts in
the cider to compete with the inevitable bacteria and it will go rancid
instead of fermenting.  Go to your local homebrew shop and get some ale
yeast to add to it to make sure your fermentation instead of
putrification.  I use a food grade bucket with a lid and air lock.  If you
let it ferment all the way through, it will be very dry.  I use a
yeasticide to nuke it when it done fermenting and then back sweeten with
honey and a little frozen apple juice concentrate.

I'd love to hear your kimchee recipe.  I've made some in the past but
nothing that I'm super happy with.  I'm making sauerkraut this weekend.
Can't get enough of that during the winter!

James R. Coplin

> -----Original Message-----
> From: music-bar-bounces at lists.music-bar.org [mailto:music-bar-
> bounces at lists.music-bar.org] On Behalf Of Joost Schuttelaar
> Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2012 8:18 AM
> To: Music-bar
> Subject: Cider & fermentation
>
> Wild fermentation (http://www.wildfermentation.com), loads of fun! Made
> tons of Kimchi (will write up my vacuum-fermentation technique soon) but
> also... Apple cider!
>
> No supply of apples here, but using a unfiltered pasteurized Apple juice
from
> the supermarket and a few organic apples (for the wild yeast) I have
been
> able to make some great tasting cider :)
>
> Simply dump the apple juice in a big bucket with a tap and water lock,
> squeeze those organic apples (food processor + cheese cloth) and wait a
few
> days for it to bubble like crazy. Very nice to taste whilst it's still
fermenting, it
> gets very carbonated and is still sweet then.
>
> Chris, weren't you also into fermentation/brewing? I remember something
> like that...
>
> Anyway! Good fun and now after a few weeks of rest in the bottle, pretty
> tasty on a drowsy afternoon!
>
> PS: if you wanna get into this, be sure to buy a hydrometer because I
had
> two 1L-swing top cap bottles explode (with *FORCE*!) :)
>
> --
>
> Joost Schuttelaar
> The Hague, NL
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