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Cider Digest #0283
Subject: Cider Haze
Date: Thu, 6 May 93 8:52:27 EDT
From: Eric Soshea <technet!eas@uunet.UU.NET>
The past few posts have both mentioned pectin haze in cider and various
ways to eliminate it. My first (and so far only) batch of cider, if that's
the correct term for what I ended up making, was a combination of 3 Gal.
pressed AJ, 3 C corn sugar in the hope of retaining some residual sweetness,
a half gallon of Cran/Raspberry juice (no preservatives), and one packet of
ale yeast.
This combination fermented quite slowly in comparison to an ale, but after
about 8 weeks in the secondary, _all_ the particulate matter dropped out of
solution. I was left with a beautifully clear cider (or fermented juice).
I bottled this with about 1/2 C of corn sugar to give it some carbonation.
There was either too little yeast in solution or too little priming sugar
added yielding a "still" cider. The cider is quite dry and acidic which I
suspect is partly due to the cran and partly due to attenuative yeast. I
would classify this as a dry apple wine; good, but not what I was aiming
for.
I know that purists will cringe at my methods, but my wife, for whom this
was made, loved it (last bottle this weekend). I'm now looking forward to
making my second batch. Was my experience with clearing due to the addition
of the cran/rasp or to the ale yeast I used? Or is this normal even for
naturally fermented cider using the apple yeast after a few months in a
carboy?
- --
Eric (eas@technet.macom.com)
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Date: 06 May 1993 08:40:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: Philip Atkinson 356-0269 <PATKINSON@galaxy.gov.bc.ca>
Subject: potassium sorbate
Someone (I couldn't find a name on the posting) from the Boston
area wondered about the value of boiling to get rid of
preservatives, specifically potassium sorbate. Well, it just so
happens that I have at hand ...
(extract from) THE 1993 ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FOOD ADDITIVES
--------------------------------------------------------------
POTASSIUM SORBATE: A white fluffy powder, with a less pungent
odour than sorbic acid, sold in polyethyline-lined drums or
cartons.
It is soluble in either hot or cold water and in
water-alcohol mixtures but is only slightly soluble in gylcerol
and oils. The presence of sodium chloride (common salt) and of
sucrose (sugar) may cause an appreciable reduction of its
solubility in water.
It is used as a growth inhibitor for many molds and yeasts
and for some bacteria in products such as citrus fruit
cocktails, fruit juices, cucumber brines, pickle packing syrups,
cider, salads and baked goods.
This salt is most effective at pH 6.0 and lower.
Therefore, after solution has been attained, the product should
be acidified if possible.
Like sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, when handled as a
powder, will cause mild eye and skin irritations and must be
handled carefully. Also like sorbic acid, it deteriorates if
exposed to sunlight or to temperatures over 100 deg. F.
--Class II preservative for same products as sorbic acid
-- 1000 p.p.m. calculated as sorbic acid. Class III preservative
for same products as sorbic acid--same maximum levels of use as
listed for sorbic acid. (page 67-27)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Phew! I think the penultimate paragraph says it. I wonder what
the odds are of having information like that at hand when
someone brings up as precise a topic as potassium sorbate?
Should I call the Pope and get it listed as a miracle? :)
Phil Atkinson
------------------------------
