Apple juice and sediment

[Ann and Andrew Williams]

Hi all. I have been fnding that my apple juice throws a heavy sediment down in storage. After pressing I add citric and filter through very fine mesh before pasteurising. I don't mind the sediment but wonder IIf others have died liar and whether there are others things I could do to reduce. Best wishes. Andy.

[Andrew Lea]

Why do you add citric acid? Is your juice from low acid apples?  This isn't normally necessary in the UK. But maybe you are elsewhere. 

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) will help to lighten the colour of the sediment though it will not reduce its intensity. However, it makes it look less unsightly and helps to keep it in suspension. . See 
http://www.ciderworkshop.com/juicepasteurising.html

If you want a clear juice you must use a pectin enzyme on the fresh juice and filter it before pasteurising. 

Andrew 

Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
www.cider.org.uk

On 23 Sep 2017, at 09:50, Ann and Andrew Williams <ams...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all. I have been fnding that my apple juice throws a heavy sediment down in storage.  After pressing I add citric and filter through very fine mesh before pasteurising. I don't mind the sediment but wonder IIf others have died liar and whether there are others things I could do to reduce. Best wishes.  Andy.

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[Ann and Andrew Williams]

thanks Andrew. I meant Abscorbic not citric! I've added this to provide some clarity. When you say filter are you referring to filtering through papers rather than simply relying on very narrow gauge mesh/ muslin? Will certainly try the pectin enzyme addition too this year. I tend to press a mix of eaters and cookers for Apple juice split roughly 60:40 with good results all from local gardens in west reading. Andy.

[Andrew Lea]

Just for the record, the correct spelling is ascorbic acid. And not to be confused with sorbic acid, which is quite different. 

If you use a pectic enzyme to clarify juice, you will need to hold it probably overnight to allow the pectinase to work. You will then see a clear juice above a sediment. You then need to rack or filter the juice away from the sediment into your bottles, and then pasteurise them.  Commercially, filter sheets are used but you may be able to use papers or just muslin.  If the pectinase has worked completely, then you shouldn't get any more sediment when you pasteurise. 

There is a bit more information here http://www.cider.org.uk/part6.htm

Andrew 

Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
www.cider.org.uk

On 23 Sep 2017, at 10:21, Ann and Andrew Williams <ams...@gmail.com> wrote:

thanks Andrew. I meant Abscorbic not citric!   I've added this to provide some clarity. When you say filter are you referring to filtering through papers rather than simply relying on very narrow gauge mesh/ muslin?  Will certainly try the pectin enzyme addition too this year.  I tend to press a mix of eaters and cookers for Apple juice split roughly 60:40 with good results all from local gardens in west reading. Andy.

[David]

If you press fruit that isn't fully ripe you can get extra starch in the juice that will settle out to a heavy sediment.

For example I am pressing some Cox at the moment that should really be left to ripen a few weeks at least. I am getting a lot more starch in my holding tank (IBC) than usual, in fact with fully ripe Cox you get hardly any.

I also let my juice stand overnight to allow settling to take place, with some James Grieve I did recently I deliberately left it two days before bottling.

p.s. I am only pressing early because we have run out of juice. 

[Ann and Andrew Williams]

Some really helpful advice for me there gents. Much appreciated. Never quite sure if I press st optimum times - tbh I have to fit the activity in 'when I can' around work, family etc. Have noted other comments about starch testing so will incorporate this further info into my activity.