Does anyone make apple cider?

[mjarrels]

My moms side of the family has been in the cider business since 1929 (hail storm damaged the crop) so grandad bought a cider press. Murray cide mill in Cloverdale Va. produces over a million gallons a year. Always had fresh cider as a kid.

mark

 

[oldtractors]

This is how a friend does it. Three apple presses with two of them powered by steam engines. We usually make over 100 gallons of cider during the 1 day apple pressing party.

 

[Jstpssng]

Never made it. We buy it from a local orchard in season. His is not pasteurized. He is required by law to tell us it isn't. So maybe you'd be required by law to tell yourself if yours is or isn't pasteurized!

Out of season we buy it from the store and it is all pasteurized.

Pasteurization concerns around here arose from E Coli. Most of the risk is caused by picking up 'drops", which may have been contaminated by deer and other animal feces. If you squeeze apples off the tree there shouldn't be a problem.

However, if it's cold pasteurized it doesn't seem to affect the flavor.

 

[MossRoad]

This is how a friend does it. Three apple presses with two of them powered by steam engines. We usually make over 100 gallons of cider during the 1 day apple pressing party.

I want to be that guy's neighbor!

 

[MossRoad]

Pasteurization concerns around here arose from E Coli. Most of the risk is caused by picking up 'drops", which may have been contaminated by deer and other animal feces. If you squeeze apples off the tree there shouldn't be a problem.

However, if it's cold pasteurized it doesn't seem to affect the flavor.

Which brings up another question....
How does cold pasteurization work? The act of pasteurization raises the temperature of the product enough to kill the bugs. How do they do that cold?

 

[dmccarty]

This is how a friend does it. Three apple presses with two of them powered by steam engines. We usually make over 100 gallons of cider during the 1 day apple pressing party.

Now that is Tractor overkill! LOVE IT!

I too want to be his neighbor!

Later,
Dan

 

[forgeblast]

cold pasturization is using radiation to kill the bugs.
Food irradiation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are chemicals you can add that will kill the bugs, you can run the cider through a uv light (we have one on our well inlet) that will kill the bugs with no heat or chemicals, or you can heat and boil the bugs.

 

[RobertN]

My local brew shop only carries two champagne yeast. The less attenuative one leaves a sweet finish. I use minimal bottling sugar, like half of what you'd use for the same amount of beer. Like between 1/3 and 1/2 cup. Never had any problems. Kegging would be nice, but I drink a lot less cider than beer, and like to give some as gifts.

The main problem I've had with cider is in getting a semi-sweet carbonated version. Even with beer yeast, when I do bottle conditioning I have to catch the fermentation before it goes completely dry by putting the bottles in the frig.

 

[Chuck52]

Robert,

What kind of alcohol content are you shooting for when you use the champagne yeast to bottle condition and get a sweet carbonated cider? I always assumed the champagne yeats would keep chugging along until at least 10%, even for the less attenuative variety. Heck, some beer yeasts are happy above 10%. Though I have added some sugar to my ciders, I am still usually looking for more-or-less beer strength.

Chuck

 

[RobertN]

I have to look at my records. I think it was 10-11%

Robert,

What kind of alcohol content are you shooting for when you use the champagne yeast to bottle condition and get a sweet carbonated cider? I always assumed the champagne yeats would keep chugging along until at least 10%, even for the less attenuative variety. Heck, some beer yeasts are happy above 10%. Though I have added some sugar to my ciders, I am still usually looking for more-or-less beer strength.

Chuck