r/cider • u/Scarrz01 • 4h ago
1st time Crab Apple fermentation help.
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?