Hello!

What is the most recommended/best pectic enzyme to get and brewers yeast?

Do I need the yeast since the apples (very organic and hand picked off of the tree by myself and friends) already have wild (natural) yeast?

Are there any essential that I need that I might have forgotten about?

I make one batch of 4 gallons of cider annually. I buy freshly pressed, unpasteurized juice from a local farm stand, pour it into a plastic fermenter, add yeast, ferment around 65F for about 10 days, and rack to a corny keg that has been purged with CO2. Then, the keg goes into the basement intil last year’s keg is empty. I like my cider dry so I let it ferment out. I serve it from the kegerator.

I’m seeing all these ‘is this a pellicle’ questions and I’m wondering if my method is unsound.

FwIW, I’ve fermented using a cider yeast, Nottingham, and once on a yeast cake if Kviek.

Does anybody else neither hear their cider, nor use campden tablets?

Hi everyone! I studied abroad in the UK a few years ago, and one of my favorite things there was a hard cider from the brand Aspall. I can't find it anywhere near me in the US, and was wondering if anyone has suggestions for something similar.

I’m processing apples via steam juicer because it’s what I have (I know it’s not as good but I have the steam juicer on hand). Do I need to be concerned about extracting toxins from the seeds? I’ve steam juiced cherries with the pits with not problem and I feel like that would be a bigger deal if at all

This white film has developed on the cider after fermentation finished. Is this pellicle?

Is it something I can try to fix? I have more apples I'm planning to juice tomorrow that I can add to top of the carboys to continue fermentation/reduce how much oxygen is there.

Seems earlier this yeast in the UK who else has started?

First batch of cider got started 4 days ago. Just fresh juiced apples from the neighbor's yard and lavlin 71b wine yeast. It started off bubbling vigorously within a few hours, slowed down noticeably yesterday but still had visible rising bubbles, and today isn't producing much at all. Airlocks are on order so i started it with a balloon over the top with a single pinprick. The balloon is deflated and sad-looking, while the mead i started at the same time with the same yeast is going strong. Suggestions from here? My house is in the 75 degree range and not likely to get cooler for a while. Does it need another round of yeast? Yeast nutrients?

Hello all. New to the group. Not sure if this is even appropriate for the group but I’m trying to get more into ciders. I’m visiting upstate NY for the weekend and was hoping to get some recommendations in high quality (non commercial) NY Ciders. Thank you.

Hey folks,

Pretty much what the title suggests.

I have made 14 batches over the past five years, and every one of them has been bottle carbonated. I don't have a kegging setup, and I can't force carbonate with my current equipment.

What other options exist besides adding priming sugar and relying on suspended yeast to create some bubbles?

Good people,

Going into my fourth year of annual cider making. My plan is to make 3-5 different 1 gallon batches. Would like to try different ingredients, techniques or methods. Try and fail approach.

Some of my ideas are trying some back sweeting, oak chips, higher starting OG. Maybe apple wine.

Any recommendations on things to try?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Tasting menu, highly recommend. Santé!

Two of my demijohns have got a build up of and goop as pictured. I’m a n00b, should I remove the bung and airlock and clean this all out?

I've got a batch of some wild yeast cider I'm looking to bottle in the next couple days, and while I'd been planning on just keeping it still, I've been thinking more about giving it just a really light fizz, maybe 0.8 - 1 atm. I've just got some 750ml Bordeaux bottles and normal (not mushroom) corks. Was going to wax dip too, but I doubt that adds much strength. Anyone have experience with if corks can take low levels of carbonation?

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Made from South American hardwood and steel, and featuring 9 rows of stainless steel teeth driven at 1750 RPM by a 1hp continuous duty TEFC motor, the Scratt-ivarius will never let you down.

Designed for pulping bushels of apples at a time, the fine grind output will fill a standard 5 gallon bucket in mere minutes. At the end of the day, simply wheel it away.

The Scratt-ivarius, for discerning cider makers everywhere.

Grinding Action https://youtube.com/shorts/sy6QM9qbkTA?feature=share
Press video https://youtube.com/shorts/sPgswCuwYzc

What do you guys think of my new grinder? I've gotten a pallet bin of apples a couple times and made juice to freeze. My old grinder (same drum) was 1/3 hp and would bog down sometimes, so I upgraded everything. This one might double as a rock crusher. It weighs well over 100lbs, so I'm glad I added wheels. First time firing it up today. It might need a shield of some kind to keep the pieces from blasting out...

My press is also home made. I usually put 5 gallons of pulp in and get 3 gallons of juice out per press.

I know this is something that gets asked all the time, but this is the first time I've run in to this.

Is it something to worry about or is it just pellicles?

I know it’s not the best picture, but can anyone tell me if the circle-ish shapes that have formed on the top are mold? You may have to zoom in a bit to see the ones I’m referring to

Kinda dry and many apple varieties make it a nice drink

I bought a house on a property with eight apple trees, two crabapple trees, and three chokecherry trees, with an entire coulee full of buffaloberries. Lots of different size fruit pits.

I'm making wines from it for my friends with a cheap small hand crank crusher and press. It takes three days to get a measly amount of liquid off the apples and then i have nowhere to put it all for the winter.

I'm looking for a solution to all my problems here... what items do I need to buy for this place to make this easier without overdoing it on size and cost, relative to the property size? I want to go electric for everything and I'd like to keep it under $2k.

Follow up question,, how do I buy new bottles and carboys efficiently enough to store all this heavy liquid? It feels like i need a dedicated two bay garage to do it in 😳😳😳

Reading all your replies and subbing for future updates. Thanks for all your help!!

**picture is of about 40# chokecherries hand-pressed through cheesecloth before I said fuck it and ran it through the prior-mentioned Amazon crank press to get double the amount. That did better on it than my hands did by far.

I don't know what I'm doing just happy to be here 🤠

I was looking today to see if I could find specific varietal juices to try blending at home (I usually just do gallon batches) and I came across Mooma Granny Smith. It was in a box-wine style box. I couldn't find any other brands doing it. Is this a thing or do I just not know how to look for it? Also has anyone made cider from this?

Does anyone else think apples are ready to pick early this year? despite the dry weather I see a lot of apple trees with an abundance of apples, my own trees are heavy with fruit although some are starting to fall off with the slightest of touches. They are not fully ripe yet but becoming detached so easily makes me wonder of I should collect earlier this year.