Pineapple Recipe

Sanitize

Thoroughly sanitize all equipment (fermenter, primary bucket, spoons, knives, glass carboys) using an appropriate no-rinse sanitizer.

Prepare pineapple: peel, core, and chop fresh pineapple into small pieces. You should have about 1.8 kg (roughly 4 lb) of chopped fruit. Reserve 500 ml of fresh pineapple juice by pressing or purchasing cold-pressed juice; set aside chilled.

Place the chopped pineapple into a sanitized food-grade mesh bag or directly into the sanitized primary fermenter. Lightly crush (macerate) the fruit to release juices, but avoid creating a puree - you want good surface area for extraction without excessive pulp that makes racking difficult.

Combine base: In the sanitized primary fermenter, pour 4 L of neutral apple cider. If using concentrated store apple juice, dilute with sterilized water to reach 4 L total and check that preservative-free condition is satisfied.

Add pineapple: Add the chopped pineapple (in bag or directly) and the reserved 500 ml pineapple juice to the fermenter. If fruit is in a mesh bag, submerge and tie off so fruit is contained for easier removal later.

Adjust sugar/starting gravity: Measure specific gravity. For a target starting gravity of ~1.060–1.070 (for 6–9% ABV finished cider), dissolve up to 200 g sugar in a little warm water and add incrementally until target gravity is reached. Stir gently to incorporate.

Adjust acidity & tannin: Add 1 tsp acid blend and 1 tsp powdered tannin, dissolve and stir. Taste a small sample (after dilution if necessary) and adjust small amounts if the cider tastes flat or overly sweet. These additions improve balance and mouthfeel for pineapple ciders.

Campden treat (optional when using fresh fruit): If you want to kill wild microbes before pitching yeast, dissolve 1 tsp crushed Campden tablets into the must and wait 24 hours before pitching yeast. If you treat, do not add yeast until the 24-hour wait has passed.

Rehydrate yeast: Follow manufacturer instructions for your chosen wine yeast. Typically, rehydrate 1 tsp yeast in 20–50 ml of 35–40°C (95–104°F) sterile water for 15 minutes, then add yeast nutrient (1 tsp) and stir gently.

Pitch yeast: When temperature of the must is between 18–22°C (65–72°F) and after any Campden wait, pitch the rehydrated yeast into the fermenter. Add the optional yeast energizer if desired for a strong start.

Seal and airlock: Fit the fermenter with an airlock and keep at a stable temperature around 18–22°C. Gently swirl the fermenter to mix yeast in but do not introduce excessive oxygen after fermentation begins.

Allow primary fermentation to proceed for 5–10 days. You should see vigorous bubbling initially; punch down the fruit bag (if used) daily or gently stir to keep fruit wet and extract flavors for the first 3–5 days. Monitor specific gravity.

After active fermentation slows (bubbling every few seconds), remove the fruit bag and press gently to extract remaining juice back into the fermenter. Dispose of spent fruit solids.

Leave the cider on the lees for another 5–7 days after removing fruit to allow settling and flavor integration. Rack to a clean sanitized carboy when sediment has settled.

Rack the cider into a secondary carboy, leaving sediment behind. Attach an airlock and allow conditioning for 2–6 weeks at cool cellar temperature (10–15°C) to clarify and allow flavors to marry. Take gravity readings — target final gravity will depend on your original sugar and yeast strain; ferment to dryness or stop at desired sweetness.

Adjust balance: If the cider tastes too sharp, add small increments of sugar dissolved in sterile water to back-sweeten after stabilizing (see next step). If acidity is low, small additions of acid blend can brighten the cider.

If you plan to backsweeten but prevent refermentation, stabilize by adding 0.5 tsp potassium sorbate and an appropriate dose of Campden (or 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite). Wait 24 hours after Campden before adding sorbate if you used fresh Campden earlier. Stir gently.

Back-sweeten to taste: Prepare a small syrup of pineapple juice and sugar or use reserved pineapple juice to sweeten. Add gradually, tasting until desired sweetness is achieved. Because sorbate prevents yeast from reactivating, ensure stabilization is complete before large-dose backsweetening.

For still cider: Rack to bottles directly and cap. For carbonated/bottle-conditioned cider: dissolve 4 tsp priming sugar in 60 ml boiling water, cool, and add to bottling bucket. Rack cider onto priming solution and bottle. Condition at room temperature for 2 weeks, then cold condition for another 1–2 weeks.

For force-carbonating in a keg: Transfer cider to a sanitized keg and carbonate to desired volumes (2.5–3.0 volumes CO2 for a lively pineapple cider) and chill before serving.

Age: For best clarity and integrated flavor, age bottled cider for an additional 4–8 weeks. Store in a cool dark place.

Serve chilled. Pineapple cider benefits from moderate carbonation and a light chilled body. If the cider is too flat or lacks fruit aroma, a small addition of fresh pineapple juice at serving can brighten the glass (if stabilized).

All ingredient quantities produce approximately 5 liters (about one gallon +) of finished pineapple cider. Adjust fruit and sugar proportionally for larger batches.