Hoping to get a wholesale response or from someone in PA/MD/NJ/NY area that has/will have seconds or first bins of true cider apples ie Dabinett, Kingston Black, Harrison, Crabs, Ashmead's Kernel, Stayman Winesap, Russets, etc. If so please DM me or respond on this post with contact information. We are small PA cidery that unfortunately was hit by the Spring Bloom freeze, and are in dire need of apples. TIA and I hope to hear from someone, we're not afraid to drive to you!

Have used a cider kit and my 1st beer from grains recently.
Starter experience.

People in my area have offered their crab apples if i pick them.
The crab apples we get around here are small, One person has a Crab apple cross that isn't as sour. Northern Central Canada grown.

I have seen many others posting about crab apples n I am hesitant on which direction to go.

I will not be able to use a juicer or a press, Can use a blender if needed.
I use a 8gal 15psi pressure fermenter from Vevor, Also have a All in one brewing system from Vevor too. With two 19L ball kegs.

Can I only ferment from the juice?
Can i boil lightly to soften the apples n then mash them to ferment?

I do have sanitizer an Campden tablets.

What I originally thought of doing:
Remove stems and slice apples in half, Remove core and seeds.
Let apples sit in a water with a crushed Campden for several hours.
Remove apples from Campden water, Add filtered water an sliced apples to my Brewing boiler n boil for 30 mins till soft.
Use a drill mixer n make a mush.
Add to pressure fermenter with A lager yeast. "I only have lager yeast from my beer brew, Bread yeast, Turbo Rum yeast an Some Turbo yeast to use"

Is it advised to not leave any of the fruit flesh in fermentation?
I often added frozen lime/lemon n ginger to my turbo yeast to push the sugar water above %40abv for moonshine without issues of going rancid.

If I can use the apple flesh in fermentation, Would i still need to use around 15-20lbs of crab apples per galon?

I'm a printmaker and my theme I'm working on this month is 'Cider Orchard''.

You dont get cut crystal imperial pint glasses but I thought it was a fun nod at the popular cocktail illustrations lots of people do of fancy drinks. I'm not a negroni sort of girl..

Had a bumper crop off the 2 trees this year so I decided to try making some cyser with the extra 3 gallons. Have a lot of leftover honey from when my aunt retired from her beekeeping business.

Apologies i know this is is a pear question not apple but if anyone can help i'd appreciate it!

I picked some unkown pear seedlings that seemed almost ready, (black seeds, fair bit of fruit drop) and want to store them for a week or so untill im ready. I asked AI and it suggested speed out in a box at ambient in a garage (I used table and paper cos I have no boxes) or a fridge at about 5C.

Which method would you guys recommend? Any thoughts?

Also has anyone used pears as the tannin source in a mixed pear and apple cider? Any hints or tips?

I made a blueberry basil cider and it is super dry. I thought I would have a little sweetness left but it is all gone. I imagine the ABV is around 10% but I wasn't able to get a good read on the hydrometer because of all the blueberries floating around. Is back sweetening a thing in cider? I have never had to do that before. Please send suggestions my way to help me troubleshoot if possible!

This is only my second year doing this. I was actually surprised at how well the first few batches last year turned out. So knowing that the local orchards are going to be pedaling their fresh juice soon, I'm trying a dry run with some Indian Summer from the grocery store and the champagne yeast I had left over.

What is your go-to method to find out when to harvest crabs? I found a few old trees with crab apples this year that I want to try add into my blend, but from what I’m told all but one are very bitter and will be a late harvest. The last tree has a cultivar that will taste like sweet banana, which I’m very interested to find out how will end up. I have used iodine to test starch conversion, but find that it isn’t very conclusive. Are there other ways?

We’re a 75+ acre orchard with a small vintage cider program. We pick, press, ferment, blend, and package on premise.

We’ve been floating the idea of filming a couple of blocks through a full year (prune, bloom, thin, pick, press, ferment, bottle) and tying that footage to the vintage. Not daily social posts. We run the orchard and the cellar. We don’t have someone who can shoot, edit, and work around a farm calendar.

If you’ve done this at an orchard, cidery, winery, or something similar, paid or not:

1. Did you film the whole season or only harvest/press week?
2. One person with a camera, or a crew? What fell apart during pick?
3. What would you not spend money on again?
4. Did any of it help sell product, or did it sit on a drive?

Not looking for free work. Not hiring a taproom social person. We’re in MA, about an hour from Boston.

If you’ve got the skills and might want to be on the farm a handful of days through the year, leave a short note about what you shoot and a link, or DM me.

Started with a strongbow, quickly found better common ciders, and my current go-to is woodchuck amber. I tried some from Atlanta cider co, and it was alright, but a little musky for my taste. Probably a third of the way through the can I found a taste for it, but still prefer woodchuck. Id like something a little less sweet, but I don’t want a fridge full of random cider I don’t like. Any recommendations based on my experience?

Needed some help as I haven’t made Perry before. Through my research this is what I’ve come up with

1. Using bartlett pear juice
2. Pre ferm adjust TA of

6g/l -

1. ph 3.5-3.8 (use malic acid)
2. Sulfite 50g so2
3. Rest 24 hrs

4. Add

   1.5 tsp per 1

5. gallon pectin enzyme

6. Target gravity of 1.05-1.06 OG

7. Hydrate yeast with go ferm

8. Aerate cider

9. Fermaid o (1.5g per gallon) add this with the yeast, then 24 hrs after yeast pitch (when fermentation starts .75g) and another 48 hrs later .75g) and 72hrs-between 1/4 and 1/3 sugar depletion.

10. 9a. I know this is frowned upon by purists

11. Don’t stir when adding

12. Ferment at 60f

13. After ferment rack to purged keg and Age a months at 60f in keg

14. 1/4 teaspoon wine tannin per gallon post ferm for texture due to pear varietal being light

This is my first cider, be easy on me... I've fermented for 2 weeks. Trying to figure out this reading... someone explain, please!

We tried clarifying some stabilized watermelon cider with kieselsol and chitosan but after it clarified, it started bubbling with a lot of floaties and now it's starting to cloud up. Does anyone know what is happening here? It looks like it could just be degassing, but there are no bubbles in the airlock.

We have several other gallons of different types of flavored cider that clarified just fine, but this one is the only one that isn't behaving as expected. Not sure what to do.

​Hi everyone, I could use some advice on a batch of homebrewed cider that has been in a glass carboy for about two months following primary fermentation. A thin white film has suddenly formed across the surface over the last week. The carboy has been tightly sealed with an airlock the whole time, and the airlock has remained completely stable with no off-odors.

​I was planning to let it bulk age until around Christmas without opening it. Could this be a pellicle, kahm yeast, or something else, and should I rack it now or is it safe to leave it alone? (Attached are photos of the surface). Thanks!

Hey all. My gf is into sweet ciders so before we make the drive over to Mariposa I was trying to see if anyone has tried them and knows whether they're sweet or more on the dry side.

Zhang et al. reviewed how cider aroma and taste are built from the interaction of aroma compounds, sugars, organic acids, and polyphenols, and why that matters for cider makers aiming for more expressive, style-specific fermentations.

The paper focuses on the production science behind flavor formation, especially how apple cultivar choice, fruit maturity, and fermentation management shape the precursor pool before and during fermentation.

The main takeaway is that cider aroma is dominated by higher alcohols, esters, fatty acids, and carbonyls, and that fermentation with non-Saccharomyces yeasts and lactic acid bacteria can broaden flavor complexity compared with conventional Saccharomyces-only fermentations.

The review also highlights process controls that steer metabolite formation: precise micro-oxygenation, nutrient supply, cold maceration, and enzymolysis all influence how microbes convert apple-derived precursors into target flavor compounds.

Practically, this supports a more deliberate approach to cider design: match cultivars to the intended style, then use mixed starter cultures and fermentation management to build aroma diversity and balance.

The concepts are especially relevant for makers trying to move beyond clean but simple profiles toward more layered, distinctive ciders. It's a good review paper overall.

Full paper: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14081802

For further insights follow ResearchScan — free weekly research newsletter covering cider production science | researchscan.news

I can’t believe I can’t find this information on google. Every result is just that freezing apples is possible and is a good idea. My questions. How do you actually freeze the apples? In an open bucket? In freezer bags? In loose plastic bags? How long can they be left in the freezer? Will they take on any off tastes if stored in a non airtight container?

Are food grade marbles the best way to reduce headspace? Scares me to think of dropping them into a carboy...

Haven’t had time or a place to brew cider in a long time. Finally settled down, I’m making two Baches with ex-1118 and k1-v116. I’ve had these yeasts for a few years so I don’t remember what either tastes like! Using great value apple juice from target, added sugar for a higher abv, and some great value frozen concentrate for hopefully a better apple taste 🤷‍♂️

Euskal Sagardoa (Premium 2025). Zapiain Sagardoa. Cider - Basque. 6.3% alc.

Aromas and flavors of ripe apple, citrus notes, and subtle herbaceous touches. Good balance between truly vibrant acidity and a slight bitterness on the finish. Natural carbonation provides a refreshing sensation with a long, fruity aftertaste.

More cider and beer posts and thousand infographics, everyday in:

https://www.reddit.com/r/In_the_name_of_Beers/

I made my own apple press the other day and I'm relativity happy with how it turned out. It wasn't fully centered which made the press head tilt a bit. As a result my efficiency was maybe about 50%. Still, not bad for a bunch of scraps. My last one was far less effective and ergonomic so its nice to know I'm getting better 😌. All in all I got almost 40L and I invited some friends to help me so, pretty good day!