There are lots of different drinks throughout the world that are made at home and turned into someone’s personal signature on the alcoholic world of beverages, however, it’s not always as simple and as straightforward as you might think.
Because of how many different forms of alcohol there are, you can expect to see a lot of different ways to create these drinks.
When it comes to making beer or cider, there are ways to ferment the drink to turn it into an alcoholic form, but there are lots of questions that are asked.
One of these is whether apple juice can turn into alcohol without yeast. It’s a valid question and can mean the difference between apple juice and cider. Follow the rest of our guide to find out more.
What Is Cider?
Let’s quickly identify what cider is just in case you don’t know. The best way to find out more is to understand the drink first!
Cider is an alcoholic beverage, usually light in color and full of bubbles and flavor! However, there are forms of cider that are flat and will lack any bubbles whatsoever!
Cider is typically and traditionally made from apples, however, there are a lot of ciders that are made from other fruits such as pears, raspberries, and even blackberries in some cases!
There are lots of major brands around the world such as Strongbow, Aspall, and Thatchers all recognized as some of the biggest ciders in Europe.
Can Apple Juice Turn Into Alcohol Without Yeast?
Well, yeast is essential for the process of fermentation, which turns juices like grape juice and apple juice into alcoholic drinks such as wine and cider.
What is fermentation? Well, this is the process of yeast on sugars, turning them into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
The general answer is no, you can’t do turn apple juice into cider without yeast, typically.
It’s likely that the apple juice in your possession is bought from the store, which is where the majority of people will attain their fruit juice. However, there are alternatives.
There is a slight chance that if the apple juice is rich in preservatives like sulfur dioxide and sulfites, then the juice might ferment if left standing for a few days.
However, these apple juices won’t usually ferment spontaneously without adding yeast into the mix.
If the apple juice has been pasteurized, then there is a chance that leaving it open to the air will allow fermentation to take place.
Although, it is worth noting that the juice might become rotten first, which will make it undrinkable and could make you ill if ingested.
How Is Cider Usually Fermented?
Official cider is usually fermented with natural yeasts that are found on the apples.
There are many others around and they could support fermentation if the environment is right, with lots of ciders being created through natural fermentation with yeast.
However, natural fermentation isn’t always a good option and isn’t always used by big cider companies.
Cider brewers such as Strongbow and Heineken will use fermentation in controlled circumstances so that the cultured yeasts will produce the best results possible, ensuring that people stay safe when drinking these alcoholic drinks.
On top of this, cider-lovers will also have the best experience possible, enjoying their drink.
Natural Alternatives To Making Alcohol Without Yeast
Yeast is a micro fungus that thrives living off the air and will need to be present for the majority of fermentation processes.
Rather than using powdered yeats, there are other things you can use to make sure your apple juice is more suitable for the pallet of a cider drinker!
Rice Bran
Sounds like a weird one, right? But, you’d be surprised! This can be used in ethanol fermentation, similar to how normal yeat extract powder works.
A lot of manufacturers will use this as a much cheaper alternative to your typical ethanol fermenting process that is usually seen throughout the world of cider brewing.
This option is a good one for those who are working on a strict budget and will be hoping to limit the amount of yield that’s lost in the fermentation process.
Bread
If you’re looking to make your own batch of alcohol at home, then bread is a useful option to keep close to your chest when planning your alcoholic creation.
Often seen throughout beer brewing, there are lots of instances where you can use bread as a fermentation tool.
There can be a lot of complications, however, with how old the bread is. The older the bread, the more likely that the yeast will be dead.
Living yeast is crucial to making sure you get the right results when creating beer and cider.
The starch involved in fermentation using bread will break down into sugar and will give you a better fermentation process.
Using bread can give your alcohol unique properties that you’ll struggle to find when using other types of fermentation processes.
Not to mention, that you’ll find yourself saving money when using leftover bread, rather than throwing it out.
A lot of stores and bakeries will have leftover bread, so if you don’t have any then you’re bound to find some when you visit these locations.
Using bread will give your alcohol a unique taste that you wouldn’t get with other variations of fermentation.
Final Thoughts
That’s the end of our guide. You can ferment apple juice without yeast, however, it will no doubt be a bit harder and will require some thinking outside of the usual parameters.
Using other things like bread or bran rice will allow you to ferment your alcohol safely and cheaply, whilst keeping the fermentation process safe and intact.
At the end of the day, drinking cider needs to be enjoyable and full of flavor.
If you don’t have a good fermentation process then you’re going to be having a much tougher experience when making your alcoholic beverage.
Hopefully, our guide has given you a better idea of how to ferment apple juice without traditional yeast.
Hi, my name is Mandy Winters, and I've always liked a drink a bit more than most girls! We're not just talking quantity of course, but also quality, and that's where this site comes in.
I want to share with you all of my favorites, as well as share advice on picking certain alcohols and flavors.
I hope you enjoy my articles as much as I enjoyed researching them!
