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Cider Digest #0131
Subject: Cider Digest #131 Tue Jun 30 18:00:03 EDT 1992
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 92 18:00:09 EDT
From: cider-request@expo.lcs.mit.edu (Are you SURE you want to send it HERE?)
Cider Digest #131 Tue Jun 30 18:00:04 EDT 1992
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Jay Hersh, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Re: Cider Groundbreaking (mhw)
Send submissions to cider@expo.lcs.mit.edu
Send requests to cider-request@expo.lcs.mit.edu
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Date: Tue, 30 Jun 92 8:12:42 EDT
From: warlord!mhw@gatech.edu
Subject: Re: Cider Groundbreaking
Hello Cider Land!
pmids@druwa.att.com writes
> I just took a 1 gallon jug of pure Apple Cider, took out 2 cups, added
> 1/2 teaspon of cinnamon, and then added wine yeast.... It took off
> fermenting crazily for about 5 days, then it slowed (I used an air lock
> on the top of the 1 gallon jug). At that time, I racked it to a sanitized
> bucket, then back into the jug, replaceed the cap, and refrigerated.
>
> What I ended up with was a VERY dry, low (no) carbonated drink. Can you use
> a hydrometer with this stuff to determine it's alcohol content? like
> you can with homebrew beer?
Absolutely. Use the hydrometer to measure your sugar level and
potential alcohol before you begin and after you rack. Because cider
has virtually no unfermentable sugars and wine yeast is almost 100%
attenuative, what you will probably get is very dry unless you measure
at intervals and interrupt the fermentation.
If you want it carbonated, prime with a little sugar or more cider
and bottle it in champagne bottles (this is what I do). One pound of sugar
in 5 gallons (s.g. arround 1.008 going into the bottles) will give you
a wicked 5 or 6 atmospheres of pressure. If you don't want you friends acting
like their attending a weapons test, you might want to use a little less. :-)
If you want it sweet, treat it with a little potassium sorbate to
stabilize the wine, and then add a little sugar or cider to sweeten to taste.
> The cinnamon didn't take like I had expected, and there is not much
> of a cinnamon taste. I didn't replace the two cups of cider that I
> removed originally. If I would have put it back into the jug, would
> the ending brew been a bit sweeter?
I haven't tried cinnamon. However, American apples are very low
on two things, acidity and tannin. I always add 3 grams of tannin to each
5 gallon batch (yes that's ONLY 3 GRAMS!). The difference is unbelievable!
I also have to avoid sulfites like the plague because of the danger to
asthmatics (my teenagers) so I ferment a high acid must and let it mellow.
I use food grade tartaric and malic acids in equal proportions to bring the
acidity up to around .9% titrate equivalent to tartaric. The malic acid is
what mellows out to latic acid. Sounds like my cider works is more like
a chemistry project but friends, family, and co-workers all rave about
my Champagne Cider!
> FInally, what are "Smart Caps"?
Hmmm. Check the brewing digest on this one. They've talked about
Smart Caps for capping beer bottles. Beyond that I know nothing.
Mike Warfield
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End of Cider Digest
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