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Cider Digest #0464
Subject: Cider Digest #464 Sun Sep 4 18:00:03 EDT 1994
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 94 18:00:03 -0400
From: cider-request@x.org (Are you SURE you want to send it HERE?)
Cider Digest #464 Sun Sep 4 18:00:03 EDT 1994
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Jay Hersh, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
First time and crabapples and cider vs wine. ("John Abraham")
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Date: Sat, 3 Sep 94 23:21:39 MDT
From: "John Abraham" <jabraham@acs.ucalgary.ca>
Subject: First time and crabapples and cider vs wine.
Hello all you cider maniacs.
I subscribed to this list long ago, and have never read to much
of it since I've been too busy making mead, beer and wine. But
today I came into two huge boxes of crabapples and I have no idea
what to do with them. I've ftp'd around looking for a cider FAQ
list and haven't been able to find one; I apologize if there
actually is a FAQ list that answers these questions (in order of
importance/urgency):
1) Do I need to press the apples? Every other fruit I've
fermented I've just frozen (to break the cell walls and get the
juices flowing) then tossed in the carboy with some yeast. I've
scrounged up some recipes for crabapple wine that use this
method, but they call for too much sugar, water and raisins (or
tannin) for my taste. All the "purer" recipes seem to call for
pressed apple juice. Why is that? Would I be committing some
terrible evil sin if I just threw the frozen apples into my
cheesecloth sack and covered them with as little water as
possible?
2) What yeast should I use? I know that apples often have some
delicious wild yeasts, but I don't trust them. Since I'm
dealing with crabapples I need a lot of residual sugar. Am I
doomed to conditioning the cider/wine after it's finished
fermenting or is there some yeast (like an ale yeast) that will
stop working soon enough to leave enough sugars to make it
palatable? Are the wild yeasts likely to be more attenuative
than, say, an ale yeast? If so, will I need to nuke the wild
yeasts with sulfite so they don't carry the fermentation beyond
where the ale yeast takes it?
3) What amounts (if any) of nutrients and tannin are really
necessary for cider?
4) What's a good alcohol content to aim for? What can I expect
the initial SG of the pure apple juice to be and is it necessary to add
extra sugar to boost the final alcohol content? If I use a
powerful yeast (like a champagne yeast) what can I expect my
final SG to be (i.e. how much unfermentable sugars can I expect
there to be)?
5) Can anyone recommend a specific recipe? My preference (in
case you couldn't tell) is for as few additives as possible
(whether chemical or natural).
Thanks in advance to all who reply,
- --
John. jabraham@acs6.acs.ucalgary.ca
trombone/piano/harmonica blues/jazz/rock player <> backpacker <> traveller
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End of Cider Digest
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