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Cider Digest #0223
Subject: Reply
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 14:21:31 cdt
From: "Butts,Stephen J" <BUTTS@AC.GRIN.EDU>
To TAK and anyone else interested, on "tasteless" cider:
First of all take heart -- if your juice had some flavor, much of it may
well come back when the yeast gets out of the way. Which brings me to the
central point: did your must EVER have any flavor? Many apple-growers
make cider out of apples they can't sell -- overripe, underripe, apples
fallen to the ground, what-have-you. Those with a bit more integrity use
sound apples, but crush bland varieties like Delicious [sic] and Macintosh
that really don't have enough tannins and acid to provide support through
the fermentation and aging process. If you're starting out and can't sel-
ect a blend of apples well-suited to cider-making, at least try to taste a
bunch of different ciders. Look for one that makes your mouth pucker, not
one that is sweet and "yummy." Smell the stuff; it should have a distinct
apple-y nose. Two-buck-a-jug apple juice plus yeast gives two-buck-a-jug
cider. Life is too short to drink this stuff. Remember: cider is basically
WINE.
Secondly, did your cider really stop bubbling after 12-13 days? This is a
bit fast; cider needs a slow primary and a very long secondary, about a
month for the one and 3-4 months + for the other. If you're fermenting it
all out quickly, you might try a different yeast and a lower temperature
next time.
Finally, don't filter or fine your cider, let it clear naturally. You want
those little tiny particles that cloud the cider to drift gently to the
bottom of your vessel, leaving behind their flavors. Wine expert Robert
Parker says that severe filtration or fining can sharply reduce a wine's
aroma and taste, and the same is true for cider.
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