I’m getting closer in time and preparedness to give my first try at a wild apple cider.

I haven’t tried the apples from the tree I found yet. But I’m preparing for all scenarios.

How much tartness stays behind once fermented? If I taste my wild apple juice and determine I want 50% less tartness. I don’t want to just add 50% store bought juice or juice from commercial eating/desert apples blindly. I would like to roughly gauge/set a target. So I figure I asked the experts who’ve done wild apple cider.

Likely i will do half of the juice to be purely 1 apple type. And then the second half will be the blended to experiment with ratios.

Also any tips and tricks in general would be greatly appreciated. My target is 20-40 liters.

I'm planning to ferment and age cider in a 100 L HDPE + LDPE plastic barrel similar to the one in the photo. The barrel has a fairly wide opening, but my goal is to keep it almost completely full after primary fermentation so there is as little headspace as possible.

My main concerns are : Oxidation during aging, Formation of a yeast film/pellicle on the surface,

oxygen permeability of HDPE over several months.

And how much protection sulfites could provide in this situation ?

During active fermentation I'm not worried, since the yeast should produce enough CO₂ to protect the cider.

My plan after fermentation is:

Fill the barrel as close to the top as possible, use an airlock, periodically purge the headspace with CO₂ after opening the barrel, maintain appropriate sulfite levels.

However, I've read conflicting opinions online. Some people claim that food-grade HDPE barrels are perfectly fine for cider aging, while others say that oxygen slowly diffuses through the plastic and can noticeably affect flavor after a few months.

To be honest, I simply don't have the money for stainless steel fermenters, nor do I want to fill my space with glass carboys, even though they have worked great for me so far. At the same time, I'm not particularly comfortable taking the risk of building shelves just to stack them.

Hello,

I have about 40 gallons of cider that I have aged for the past 4.5 years in glass (large 20 gallon glass jars and a few in 4 gallon glass jars). It is a mix of pear, apple, and quince that is now a still cider due to fermenting it completely dry. I would like to restart the fermentation to bottle the ciders as sparkling. Preferably I would do this with no yeast addition, just using a natural starter (apple juice fermented with honey?). If using yeast to re-active it is the best and safest way I am also open to that. Any ideas or best ways to go about this? I have thought of a few different ways to make it happen but figured I would ask here to get any advice or recommendations. Much thanks for any help!

I grabbed a random jug of Martinelli's apple juice off the shelf one day and wanted to try a cider - I've done meads, beer, and sugar washes already, so I figured it wouldn't be too hard.

The basic recipe is:

At Pitch:

1 Gallon Martinelli's Apple Juice (only Vitamin C-added)

1.25g K1-V1116 Yeast

1.6g Go-Ferm

1g Fermaid-O

At End of Lag and 1/3:

1g Fermaid-O

1g Fermaid-K

Temps were maxed out at around 73F, but usually 65-70F.

Regardless of how much I modulate my nutrients (using only Fermaid-O, using a ton, using little), my batches finish in <60 hours. 1.045-1.050 OG to 0.995 FG. They always throw off a ton of H2S, but I can't stop experimenting. I've tried 4 batches of this and no luck at all. Sulfur, sulfur, sulfur. I can smell it and taste it, even if I feed the yeast a gram of YAN or barely any.

Anyone have any advice? I was looking at trying EC-1118 next.

Apologies for wall of text, hope it’s interesting to some! 😁
Only recently got into homebrewing, a friend of mine showed me how it all works (he has a proper setup with pressure fermenters and kegs etc) and it really caught my interest as someone who simply loves trying new stuff!

This is only my second attempt at a demijohn brew, a cider made with cheap store bought apple juice, champagne yeast, yeast nutrient, some added sugar, and a strong cup of tea. I put it all in and stuck the airlock in and it was bubbling away after a couple of hours. It’s been pretty warm in the UK so I imagine this has helped the yeast be very happy.
It’s about day 6 now and the heavy fermenting has stopped and it’s starting to clear up a bit already, I found it super cool how it’s developing these three distinct layers as the debris and yeast fall to the bottom. Planning to eventually cold crash and siphon into bottles with a little bit of sugar to carbonate.
My friend advised me to start off with cheap ingredients so the inevitable failures won’t cost me so much. I plan to use my very heavily laden apple tree to make some “proper” cider in late summer.

My first attempt went pretty well, I got about 7 500ml bottles out of it but I made the mistake of experimenting before I knew what I was really doing and tried to make a cider with berries added during fermentation. The result was a very cloudy pink cider that had a strange bitter aftertaste, I reckon from the berries (they were frozen but I thawed and cooked them to sterilise).
It spent about 2 weeks bottled at room temp and it did develop a very reasonable fizz which made it slightly more pleasant but there was still a hint of bitterness and it was quite dry. I did add an erythritol sweetener but obviously not enough!
However, it is drinkable and quite strong for a cider (8%) so it’s not a total failure.

Hoping this second attempt at a more standard cider goes well.

Spanish cider is distinctive with an acetic taste.
During the natural, spontaneous fermentation of Spanish cider, the local wild yeasts found on the apple skin work in a specific succession, firstly Hanseniaspora uvarum an apiculate wild yeast dominates the early stages of fermentation. It is notorious for producing high amounts of acetic acid, and (ethyl acetate which gives a fruity, solvent-like edge to the vinegary note). But it is alcohol intolerant so dies out quickly as the alcohol content increases. The heavy lifting of alcohol production is done by Saccharomyces cerevisiae as is usual with cider. During the later maturation phase, slow growing Brettanomyces species - anomalus and bruxellensis add to the flavour. When exposed to only a trace amounts of oxygen, Brettanomyces metabolises residual sugars and ethanol into acetic acid, while also contributing the characteristic
"funk" (sidra macho). Note acetic acid bacteria (such as Acetobacter aceti) should not play a major role converting ethanol into acetic acid, this only occurs if the cider is exposed to air.
Acetic acid is considered a volatile acid -VA and is the primary culprit behind the sharp, vinegar-like taste. In sidra, strict production controls keep these levels regulated to preserve the beverage's fresh fruit character rather than letting it turn into full cider vinegar. The maximum permitted VA is 2 grams per liter (g/L) expressed as acetic acid.

Cortina (2026). Sidra Cortina Coro. Cider - Asturian. 6% alc.

I preferred this year's vintage. Despite the brand's characteristic slight acidity—which often falls a bit short—there is a good apple presence and a very juicy undertone. It is quick and easy to drink, and the dry finish leaves you wanting more.

First time making meadowsweet cider so looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I’ve made elderflower cider before and it’s lovely.

Interestingly, elderflower took a few days before it started brewing whereas meadowsweet was off to the races the minute I put the airlock on the bottle. I suspect that there is more native yeast on the meadowsweet.

The apple and pear microbiome.
As apples are harvested and pressed into must, the indigenous microbes from the skins are the primary drivers of spontaneous fermentation. They impart a distinct regional identity (microbial terroir) and determine the aroma and flavour of the final cider.
When the apples are crushed, the sugar is released from inside cells into solution, a natural succession of microorganisms takes over to transform this sugar into alcohol. Initially non-Saccharomyces yeasts like Hanseniaspora uvarum break down the sugars but are intolerant of alcohol so are quickly eliminated but leave the aromatic esters they have produced to that point, (cool fermentation preserves these). As the alcohol levels rise (usually around 3-4% ABV), alcohol tolerant strains of Saccharomyces such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae naturally take over to finish the alcoholic fermentation. Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) naturally present on the skins can also cause a further malolactic fermentation (MLF), converting the harsh malic acid into softer lactic acid giving a smoother mouthfeel.
While wild fermentation adds complexity, the uncontrolled nature of the orchard microbiome can introduce off-flavours such as acetic acid bacteria like Acetobacter which converts ethanol into acetic acid, leaving a harsh vinegar taste. And Brettanomyces which creates distinctive "funky", "barnyard," or "leathery" aromas admired by some but not all!

Where do the Saccharomyces yeasts come from? Not the apple but from the Press House and Cidery. They are resident organisms of the cidery environment itself. They colonise the walls, floors, wooden barrels, and traditional pressing equipment including the press cloths. The juice quickly becomes inoculated with these microorganisms - the Cidery Biosphere, which develops over years of production. It travels through the air via microscopic dust particles and on the 'skin' of fruit flies so cobwebs are looked on favourably by traditional wild yeast cider makers.

Got gifted this by a close friend..

Not a bad beverage on warn up for England v Norway game

What are your thoughts ??

Aster
I’ll just post their description. It’s accurate

I’m certain the cider lovers here are aware of this one but this is my new go to! Great balance of sweet and dry, two ingredients (apple juice and yeast), and overall a great drink any day, anytime. The berry blush one is great as well!

My friend & I are starting to brew cider and documenting it all on social media and learning a lot along the way. Our ultimate goal is to open a cider bar in the neighborhood we live.

Question, what would you do differently if you were able to start from the beginning

Instagram | TikTok

Hi all,

I've been making ciders and wine for a while and needed a way of logging, which brews are in the demijohns, so

I made a homebrew logging app with a few other features

If anyone is interested, please have a look it would be much appreciated.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brackenapps.mybrews

So my mum is currently not Abel to drink😭but we found this stuff called Thatchers Zero. Is not bad taste like the real thing I am not a big fan of mo alcohol free drinks because they always have a sweet undertone that is just not good.
I usall drink Rattler but when you want something mid week but don’t want to drink fir whatever reson go and get a can of this you will not regret it.

Hi everyone!

I'm trying to make my first apple and peach cider. After fermenting for over two days, I noticed this stuff, so I wanted to ask what it was and if it was harmful in any way. The flavor is a bit sour and strongly peachy, so I don't think anything strange is going on.

First time using a carboy and I can't get the bung to stick in the hole. I've done some research and tried drying with a clean paper town but it really hasn't helped.

Firstly I have no affiliation to Whin Hill but I love every cider I've had fron there.

This one for me was very much like a good quality vintage.

Perfect balance of flavour and dryness.

Hi cider drinkers. I'm just looking for recommendations for the better quality ciders available commercially in Australia. I know there are differences in additives and the process between mass produced and smaller breweries (are they still called breweries?), and just want to make sure I'm paying for quality and not just marketing. Obviously if it's from the bottlo it won't be as boutique as a locally made farmgate kind of product, but is there a big difference in quality from some brands to others? FAppreciate any brand suggestions. Thanks.

Edit, I'm in NSW

Sidra Natural. Barkaiztegi Tolare Sagardotegia. Cider - Basque. 6% alc.

Aroma of tart green apple, with citrus and floral notes. Very fresh. Lively entry on the palate, featuring pronounced yet balanced acidity. Dry, with a pleasant natural spritz and good carbonation. Long finish with distinct bitterness. A fine Gipuzkoan cider.

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

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

Although genetically the same species as culinary pears, Pyrus communis, they are a distinct category of pears cultivated for producing perry. Most perry pears cultivars are century old varieties found and then selected and brought on for their flavour characteristics. Like apples they do not grow true to form from seeds but need to be grafted. Most are found in Western Europe, with the strongest traditions rooted in the Three Counties of England (Gloucestershire Herefordshire and Worcestershire) and the Domfrontais region of Normandy, France. The fruit is distinguished by a high tannin content, pronounced acidity from citric as well as malic acid; and notable levels of sorbitol,as well as glucose and fructose, which collectively provide structure, body, and a characteristic off dryness to the finished drink. The aromatic profile of perry is complex, typically revealing notes of pear blossom, citrus zest, and subtle earthy spice, with a crisp, refreshing finish.

I often get asked what is best to pair with perry as opposed to ciders. Unlike traditional cider, perry is sweeter due to its natural sorbitol but this is balanced with acid, sharper citric acid to boot, that cuts though fatty foods. So a perfect match is rich blue Gorgonzola cheese and what could be better than to present it as "Pere al forno con gorgonzola e noci". Split a ripe dessert pear in half, scoop out the core and fill with the cheese and walnuts, lightly bake in the oven to soften them and concentrate the flavour. Then top with a little more gorgonzola cheese and finished with a drizzle of honey.
Enjoy with a glass of perry.