Cider Digest #0424

Published in

· 7 months ago

Subject: Cider Digest #424 Fri Mar 25 11:49:00 EST 1994 
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 1994 11:49:00 -0500 
From: cider-request@x.org (Are you SURE you want to send it HERE?) 

Cider Digest #424          Fri Mar 25 11:49:00 EST 1994 
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues 
Jay Hersh, Digest Coordinator 

Contents: 
  Answers to various questions (Jay Hersh) 

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Date: Thu, 24 Mar 1994 18:22:59 EST 
From: Jay Hersh <hersh@x.org> 
Subject: Answers to various questions 

>Here's my problems (feel free to add): 
>Infection. 
>Red-Star dried Champagne yeast? Perhaps, too active? 
>Farm-bought cider too sweet? Resulting in a very(too) dry and very alchoholic 
>finished product? 

Mike, 

your problem is either the choice of yeast or not high enough starting gravity 
or alternately too low an amount of unfermentable sugars. 

For my draft cider I use an ale yeast however I still boost the gravity into 
the 60s by boiling down some of the cider to concentrate the sugar.  In the 
past I use dry malt extract but that added a beer flavor which I enjoyed though 
my then girlfriend did not. 

Even with a cider makers blend and the natural yeast my traditional New England 
cider is fairly dry.  Final gravity of 1.000 so sufficient unfermentable sugar 
can still leave a fairly dry product even with a higher starting gravity (this 
started at 1072 or there about).  Certainly with more  tenacious yeasts like 
the champagne wine or wild yeasts I have used the final  dryness can be too 
much.  Of course you can always sweeten to taste at serving time.  I have had 
to do this with past efforts. 

To Justin: 

I caramelized my sugar by adding a very very small amount of water to it 
and then carefully cooking it in a pan for 7 to 10 minutes at medium to high 
heat.  Caution: do not add water to the hot caramelized sugar it will boil 
violently upon addition and can spatter and cause severe burns. 

The advantage is primarily in coloring the wort.  There is a little bit of 
sweetness and some caramel flavor but mostly a color change. 

Just a note: I will be traveling on business and vacation and will 
unfortunately not be able to continue follow up on this discussion.  My 
apologies to anyone this inconveniences.  I will return towards late April 
should anyone have specific follow-up questions for me then. 

        JaH 

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