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Cider Digest #0344
Subject: Cider Digest #344 Thu Sep 30 18:00:02 EDT 1993
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 18:00:03 -0400
From: cider-request@x.org (Are you SURE you want to send it HERE?)
Cider Digest #344 Thu Sep 30 18:00:02 EDT 1993
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Jay Hersh, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Re: fruit flies (Ralph Snel)
Worts Cider Picnic (Gregory=Kushmerek)
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Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 16:10:30 MET
From: Ralph Snel <ralph@astro.lu.se>
Subject: Re: fruit flies
Brian O'Gorman wrote:
> Have they layed eggs
> or somehow infected the whole batch with germs resident
> on there body? I don't want to open the batch for racking or bottling
> without risking contamination. Any hints (like useful insecticides)
> I should be thinking about before I open the carboy? I tried adding
> just a little bit of bleach to the airlock as some sort of stopgap
> measure. Should I toss the batch and write it off? It's been in the
> carboy for quite some time now and I'd hate to loose it (or have
> 5 gal of not too good vinegar).
Don't worry too much. As long as they haven't gotten into the cider
there is hardly any risk for contamination. If they have layed eggs
they should hatch in a few days and you'd be able to see little larvae
crawling around on the glass. But if they just made it to the airlock
they won't have anything to feed themselves with. The bleach should
have killed them. So would sulphite.
If for any reason the batch is infected anyway, you should still have
cider as long as you keep it away from oxygen. The bacteria need oxygen
to turn alcohol into vinegar. A double dose of sulphite should kill
about any infection (plus yeast). Don't overdo it though.
My bet is to get yourself a flyswatter and kill all the little bugs,
make sure they don't have any place to reproduce and no way to get
in. Clean all bottles (they like dirty bottles with just a drop of wine
left). Get rid of all soft organic moist things (like that old towel
you used to clean up the spill last week, the one that's getting moldy),
crushed fruits, even fresh fruits. Mop the floor, clean the walls, blow
your nose :)
By now the bugs probably won't like the place any more and as long as
they can't get in the airlock they'll probably move on.
One sure way to test if you have an infection is to take a glass of
cider, taste it and let it stand for a few hours, preferably
covered by a piece of plastic to prevent any extra infection. Make sure
the glass has a lot of air in it as well.
If the cider changes taste a lot or if there is a large change of color
you might have an infection. Try the same thing again, but now with some
sulphite added. If it really was an infection there should not be such a
large change in color/tatste this time.
Normal oxidation also occurs and could change color/taste a bit, but not
as much as vinegar bacteria.
Ralph
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Date: Thu, 30 Sep 93 13:00:27 EDT
From: Gregory=Kushmerek%Acctg%FIN@HumRes-Server.Net.Tufts.EDU
Subject: Worts Cider Picnic
***** ATTACHMENT: c:\hersh *****
The Boston Wort Processors are going to have their annual cider picnic this
year on October 16th. The picnic is our point-of-distribution for cider juice
orders.
I am taking RSVP's for the picnic: $5 per head and a side-dish. There will
be plenty to eat, but I need to know in advance! While you make your picnic
reservations, you can place a juice order with me (Juice orders MUST be in
advance.)
You can reach me at this address: gkushmerek@acctg.fin.tufts.edu
Or you can call me for further information at (617) 484-0948 (this is
home, please call no later than 10PM).
Cheers,
--gk
Greg Kushmerek
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Hopfen und Malz, Gott erhalts
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End of Cider Digest
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