do i need good sanitation for cider?

[bob3000]

The header says it all really. How worried about keeping good sanitation do i need to be when making turbo cider? seeing as cider can use wild yeast, there is no boil and so on. If i am grating up apples should i worry about introducing bacteria into the brew? I am halfway through making a small experimental batch and there does seem to be some musty off flavours, but this could be from the beer yeast i used; S -33 probably not the best choice in hind sight but i had it lying around.

 

[Mark1964]

just sterilise well all should be ok. When we made TC we just used vwp steriliser and it was fine. Not sure about grated apples though

 

[wurzel]

With any brewing sanitation is imperative!

I would drop the apples in sulphited water.

 

[Ceejay]

Yep, it's not just wild yeast you need to be worried about. There's all sorts of bacteria that can ruin a brew

 

[bob3000]

With any brewing sanitation is imperative!

I would drop the apples in sulphited water.

Is that water with a campden tablet in?

 

[wurzel]

You could use CT's (8 in a pint) but cheaper to use sodium metabisulphite powder at 1tsp to the pint.

Take care not to breath in the gas given off as that is a quite potent mix.

 

[Duncs]

So you'd soak the grated apples in metabisulphite? how long after pressing would you add the yeast? wouldn't the yeast have a hard time of it recovering from all that metabisulphite?