How long can I let my pressed cider sit in the fridge after adding k-meta?

[TandemTails]

Long story short but I was planning on doing a bochet cyser next month but I ended up getting all the fresh pressed / unpasteurized juice now. My fermentation fridge is currently a week into a 3 week fermentation of some meads so I can't start my cyser right away (and it's unseasonalby warm right now... mid 80's during the day).

I have the cider in 1 gallon glass jugs in the fridge with 1 crushed campden tablet each. My question is how long should the cider be good for in the fridge before spoiling?

I could potentially pitch yeast a week from now since temps are supposed to dramatically drop and I could move my currently fermenting meads into a dark closet a week early.

 

[Maylar]

If you've added campden and keep it at normal fridge temps (40-ish) it'll be fine for a couple weeks.

 

[dmtaylor]

I wouldn't guarantee a couple weeks. It will begin to ferment slowly within a few days but can quickly escalate out of control after just about a week.

After the first 2-3 days, if you can't use it right away, I might suggest pasteurization at 160 F for 15 minutes, then cool it back down. That will kill WAY more wild critters than sulfite does, and will help it keep for much longer.

 

[TandemTails]

Hmm, I might have to go the pasteurization route. I probably won't be able to pitch yeast until Monday and don't want to lose cider to mold.

 

[dmtaylor]

You're unlikely to see any mold for a very long time if ever. However in my experience, the early wild fermentations, at least here in 'Sconsin, tend to give the juice a diacetyl "butterscotch" type flavor. This is not usually very unpleasant, however you can in fact tell that something funny is going on within the juice if you let it sit for a few days too long. Plus the jug, if closed, is likely to begin to pressurize with CO2 as well.

 

[ericbw]

Wild yeast seem to overcome campden in time and they seem to like lower temps. Juice wants to be cider - nature finds a way!

I agree with pasteurizing low for 15 or 30 minutes.