Pectic enzyme question - Cider

[apdb]

Just a quick question...

I was a little slow at adding pectic enzyme to my apple cider (i forgot, because I'm a dumbass ). I'm about two days into fermenting... can i just go ahead and add it or is it too late now?
I figure it'll be working off for about a month anyway. Yes, I added yeast nutrient.

BTW... trying your way Bearded and Bored!

Thanks for the recipe.

Aaron

[Oldvine Zin]

for me I wouldn't add it, Iv'e done lots of fruit without it and there is a lot of discussions about it adding some extra meth to the mix

be safe
OVZ

[DetroitDIY]

I've made many (10+) batches of ciders. Only used pectic enzyme once. Don't think I needed it. Patience is the key for my fermentations... the cider will settle out over time. Then you can rack and bottle (or whatever you do).

[Kareltje]

Pectic enzyme releases methanol from the pectine, but the amount is not of any importance.
It dissolves the walls of the fruit cells, but freezing will do the same. And during the ripening of the fruit there is also some pectolytic activity.

So: don't worry.

[cranky]

The way I see it is it won't hurt anything to use it. I know people say it increases methanol but I've read others saying it decreases it. To me it's irrelevant either way it's not methanol to matter. Now I personally have stopped using it because it never made much of a difference. I ferment low and slow and have never had anything finish cloudy but I seldom pasteurize and when I do it's done very carefully so as not to set the pectin. I believe the only real reason to use pectic enzyme is to attempt to prevent a permanent pectic haze caused by pasteurization.

[apdb]

great info here. I opted out because i figured the only one drinking the stuff here is me and I don't particularly care if its not crystal clear. This is gonna be a slow ferment over about a month or so in a unheated basement. Thanks everyone.
Aaron

[Farside]

I used it this year an all my cider has this unpleasant bitterness on the back of the tongue. Apparently it's a side effect of using certain types of pectin enzyme with apples. It didn't come through in the distilling thankfully.

[Andyinak]

You can use the enzyme at any point in the process. I have added it after 9 months in secondary because it just wasn't settling out for me. Admittedly, I did have to rack to a tertiary after adding it, but I hit it with some super-klear before I did. Crystal clear and very little remaining sediment.