Wild Yeast Cider?

[baloonon]

I picked up a couple of gallons of no-preservative pasteurized cider at an
orchard this weekend for hard cider. In the past I've made it with English
ale yeast and it's come out great, but this year I'm tempted to hold back a
half gallon or so and try to make a separate six pack worth of cider
fermented with wild yeast.

Does anyone have experience cultivating wild yeast? Searching around I've
found a bunch of references to soaking organic apple peels in cider and
basically praying to the apple gods for help, but I wonder if there are any
practices for increasing the odds of getting good yeast instead of souring
microorganisms?

[Bob F]

Post by baloonon
I picked up a couple of gallons of no-preservative pasteurized cider at an
orchard this weekend for hard cider. In the past I've made it with English
ale yeast and it's come out great, but this year I'm tempted to hold back a
half gallon or so and try to make a separate six pack worth of cider
fermented with wild yeast.
Does anyone have experience cultivating wild yeast? Searching around I've
found a bunch of references to soaking organic apple peels in cider and
basically praying to the apple gods for help, but I wonder if there are any
practices for increasing the odds of getting good yeast instead of souring
microorganisms?

When I press apples for cider, I usually put a couple 2-liter bottles of
the fresh pressed cider into my fridge. Invariably, it will, after a
month of more, begin to build pressure in the bottles. It begins just
having a little sparkle, and proceeds from there. The taste of the
lightly fermented cider is delicious - sweet and apple-ly. Definitely
worth playing with.

[Tom Biasi]

Post by baloonon
I picked up a couple of gallons of no-preservative pasteurized cider at an
orchard this weekend for hard cider. In the past I've made it with English
ale yeast and it's come out great, but this year I'm tempted to hold back a
half gallon or so and try to make a separate six pack worth of cider
fermented with wild yeast.
Does anyone have experience cultivating wild yeast? Searching around I've
found a bunch of references to soaking organic apple peels in cider and
basically praying to the apple gods for help, but I wonder if there are any
practices for increasing the odds of getting good yeast instead of souring
microorganisms?

The problem is that there are numerous wild yeasts floating around.
If you are lucky you will get a good one, if not a batch of junk. The
same was true for making wine many years ago, that's why efforts were
made to isolate good strains.
Good luck, I also enjoy making hard cider but prefer to know what is
working in my batch.