After apple cider expires does it become alchoholic?

Question

I was talking to a friend one day who had expired apple cider in their refrigerator. They said that apple cider actually doesnt go bad but ferments, becomes alcoholic, is this actually true? Can apple cider just become hard from sitting around and not adding yeast/sugar to it?

Answer 1

No, it doesn't ferment, it just rots. It's been pasteurized (at best) and possibly had preservatives added (sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate...check the label). If there's no yeast, there is no fermentation. You can add yeast, and it will ferment into alcoholic cider (if it hasn't spoiled already).

When the cider was originally bottled, it was treated (either by pasteurization, or heat, or by adding preservatives) so the bugs that can cause it to go bad or ferment were killed off. Bacteria is much more hardy than yeast, so there may be some tiny quantities left over that survived. While the bottle is sealed, they'll likely remain dormant, at least for much longer than if it's opened. Similarly, once the bottle is opened, air is introduced and more bacteria with it. There's also a slim chance of yeast being introduced, too...very slim, but it is there.
Either way, the odds are about 1000 to 1 that it will rot or go funky before it will spontaneously ferment into hard cider because of these conditions. Making hard cider out of apple juice takes a bit of work, even when you're doing it on purpose.

Answer 2

Don't add coke to any of the fruit drinks, it will kill the flavours and be a waste of fruit. Cider and orange mix well. You could kid people that it's a poor man's Bucks Fiz. Cider and blackcurrent also mix well. Make a nice cider shandy by mixing it 50:50 with lemonade. Incidentally, cider is, by definition, made from apples and never anything else (whatever Americans might think) so you should never call it "Apple Cider". That's toutologous (look it up).

Answer 3

Minimally! There's not enough sugar in it to make like 8% cider. You'd get maybe 1%. Maybe.
They use different apples for real cider and no stabilizers.
.

Answer 4

It can ferment when its past its time. You'll be able to tell because it has a slightly carbonated texture and smells a bit like vinegar. Shouldn't kill you, or get you drunk actually, but you might want to toss it out.

Answer 5

Apple Cider Vinegar Secrets - http://AppleCiderVinegar.siopu.com/?GLk

Answer 6

Only if its not pasteurized, but most apple cider is now.

Answer 7

It does start producing alchol the sugar inside of it starts eatting at the apples. It's not well pure alchol though.

Answer 8

I think so!