Why Doesn't Cider Go Off?

[An Ankoù]

Here's my question:
I've been making cider for about 15 years. A batch is a full 20-30 litre fermenter-full. Some years I've made as many as 6 batches.
Process:
The scratter (metal) and Press (spindle-type, painted metal and beech wood) are got out, assembled and hosed down with the garden hose.
Apples collected, some from the trees, most have fallen on to the ground as I like to leave them as long as possible for more sugar.
Bucket filled with water and apples dunked to give them a bit of a rinse.
Apples chopped into quarters for the scratter- mouldy, and rotten apples or bits of apples discarded. Wormy apples included.
Apples are then pulped. Pomace left for a little while or even overnight in a buckets with lids to get a bit of colour.
Apples trowelled into press and pressed. Juice collected in large jugs.
Juice poured into sanitary fermenter and when half full, yeast culture (rehydrated MJ M-02 this time but other cider yeasts in the past) added. Fermenter topped up with next day's pressings as the fermentation will be well under way by then.
Between first and second days' pressing, a desultory hose down of scratter and press, mainly to deter the wasps and hornets (doesn't work).
Equipment hosed down to rid it of all visible traces of apple and components throughly dried over several days before being put away for next year.

No campden tablets used. Only sanitised vessel is the fermenter. OG around 1060 or a tad more. Equipment visited (infested) with wasps and hornets throughout. Frequently fish wasps out of the juice while pressing.

If I tried to make beer under these unsanitary conditions, I'd expect to lose every batch.

Why have I never lost a batch of cider? What makes cider more resilient than beer and less prone to spoilage?

 

[The Baron]

I can not give a full answer AA but it does seem rather resilient to spoiling. To turn it to cider its looks like you have to infect it yourself.

 

[An Ankoù]

I can not give a full answer AA but it does seem rather resilient to spoiling. To turn it to cider its looks like you have to infect it yourself.

Well yes, with cider yeast, but I know what you mean.

 

[raymondo]

Just my thoughts......

7% alcohol content, full of tannin, quite acidic, carbonate in bottles so no oxygen.

 

[prog99]

I've seen cider (made by others) that was a lottery as to whether it was good or bad on a bottle by bottle basis.
Maybe you got lucky or they were unlucky (good home brewers btw)

 

[Stevieboy]

High acid and tannin content - the juice is in itself very antibiotic (an apple a day)

 

[user 41945]

That’s pretty much the traditional method so, whatever it is, it’s been working for a long time!

 

[Shirley Bassett]

i‘m intrigued by the fact that you leave the scrat overnight. I read that this is how to make Perry, but that you shouldn’t do this with apples. The article didn’t give a reason, other than, pears release more juice, if you leave them to stand for 12 hours or more.

Every time I’ve made Perry, then it has been great, but after about 3 months it turned rank whilst carbonating in the bottles. It never seems to keep.

My apple juice I always add Campden at a rate of 1 tab per 5litres, otherwise I get hit or miss results with natural yeast.

I use a cider yeast about 36 hours after I’ve added the sulphite.

I can’t answer your question about losing a batch, because as you can read, I have done.

I always spray everything with Starsan mist before it sees and scrat or juice.

Maybe you are just lucky.