Pressed my own apple cider for 5 years before I figured out the mold problem

I used to just press my apples and bottle it straight from the tree out back, never thinking about the wild yeast on the skins... Last fall I lost 8 gallons to a weird fuzzy growth after 3 weeks in the cellar. Has anyone else had this happen with their home pressed cider?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlesowens1mo ago

Start by pasteurizing the juice next time. Heat it to 160°F for a minute before bottling. Kills the wild yeast and bacteria without making it taste cooked. Been doing that for 15 years with my orchard's press, never lost a batch to mold since. The fuzzy growth comes from the natural microbes already on the apples, not from your equipment or cellar condition.

patriciaellis1mo ago

@charlesowens So you're saying the mold is from the apple's own wild yeast and not from dirty jugs or storage? Does that mean if I pasteurize at 160F I'm killing off all the natural fermentation too? Like will I need to ADD yeast back in to get any carbonation? Or does pasteurizing just wipe out the bad stuff but leave enough good yeast alive to still do its thing?