I have just started my first 2 gallon demijohns of juice. I read that campden tablets should be used first to kill off bacteria but it has started to ferment before the campden tablets went it. Is it better to leave it fermenting and see if bacteria spoils it or should I add campden and re-start it with yeast? Thanks Ron
Just an update on what I have produced.
I made 6 demijohns of cider in Sept/Oct and in early December transferred all to 1 litre plastic bottles adding a teaspoon of caster sugar to re-ferment and give a bit of fizz to them. I tried one of them over Christmas. Nice fizz, light colour, clearly apple flavour but very dry. An old cider drinking friend of mine said it was just as it should be but its too dry for me (a bit like eating blackcurrants with no sugar).
This is probably very unorthodox and will be frowned up on by some but it works. I have opened and added 2 teaspoons of caster sugar + 3 of Xylitol, dissolved in some of the cider, per litre bottle and resealed it. I did this with 4 bottles and after 2/3 weeks, have a very nice cider, not unlike 'Magner's'. The sugar re-starts the ferment but Xylitol is neutral. Just for safety I put the re-started bottles in a big plastic bucket, with a towel over the top.