Cider: leaving apples to macerate or ferment

"In order to press your apples efficiently, they should first be ground or grated. Once they have been broken down, you will get good juice results from the pressing. However, when making cider, it is preferable to leave them to mature.


The principle is a simple one. Instead of pressing the apples immediately after grinding them, store them in a vat for 6 to 10 hours. If you are pressing at the same time, you can even sprinkle the juice from the press over the ground apples. Why? What happens in the vat?
Firstly, you have surely noticed that if you leave a piece of fresh fruit in its own juice it begins to crystallise. It is less crunchy and the fibres are less tough. This is an advantage when pressing as the yield will increase.
The second reason is that during the maceration process, the pectin molecules have time to migrate into the juice. They will bind together and clarify the must. The ""defecation"" phase that precedes alcoholic fermentation becomes more efficient.
The colour will also change and your cider will have a deeper, more golden colour.
Finally, the flavour and aromas will be richer and more varied.
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