Adding fruit to apple cider

jay3847

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I made a very simple apple cider using champagne yeast. After fermentation was done, I racked the cider onto some apricot puree I had just made and cooled. It exploded in foam. Think Mentos and Pepsi. Cider everywhere. Once that was done, all was fine.

I really liked the taste, but want to avoid the theatrics. Any suggestions?
 
That's the funniest post I've seen here!!!:D:D:D
 
That's the funniest post I've seen here!!!:D:D:D
Agreed. Now to Jay's dilemma. What happened was exactly the same thing as Mentos and soda. The fruit provided condensation nuclei and all the CO2 came out of solution at once. To avoid next time, degas your cider before pouring it onto the puree. You degas by whipping the cider fast enough that it foams up - it's releasing CO2 so don't worry about oxidation at this stage. Once you've degassed, rack the cider gently onto your puree (or pour the puree into the cider gently to avoid getting air into it). Be careful not to splash! Cider oxidizes very easily due to little to no antioxidant in it. If you want to keep some of the sweetness, you'll have to stop and stabilize the fermentation with metabisulfite and sorbate.
 
I knew the science of it (after the fact) but didn't expect it. I think the purée may have been a touch warm too, though I tried to get it cool. I misspoke in my original post because i did pour the purée into the cider, thus making my hands and arms colateral damage in the process. Lots of cleanup fun.

I'll post results from the next try. Thank you @Nosybear.
 

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