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Cider Digest #0509
Subject: Cider Digest #509, 18 December 1994
From: cider-request@eklektix.com
Cider Digest #509 18 December 1994
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Finding the FAQ (Geoffrey J. Schaller)
Root Beer and Aeration (Chris Cesar)
Hardiness of cider apples - what to plant where (Tom Clifton)
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------------------------------
Subject: Finding the FAQ
From: gjs1@cornell.edu (Geoffrey J. Schaller)
Date: Thu, 15 Dec 1994 09:39:03 -0500
Hello!
I'm trying to locate the Cider Brewing FAQ, but I can't seem to find it
anywhere. Can someone please point me out? I looked all over ftp.x.org,
but to no avail - I only found back digests.
If someone could tell me where it is - site, directory, and file name, it
would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
-Geoffrey
--
gjs1@cornell.edu "Laugh and the world laughs with you,
Big Red Band Show Comittiee Weep, and you weep alone.
Phi Kappa Tau, Cornell U. For the Sad Old Earth,
106 the Knoll Must borrow its Mirth
Ithaca, NY But has troubles enough of its own."
14850-2428
(607) 257-2158
------------------------------
Subject: Root Beer and Aeration
From: Chris Cesar <Chris_Cesar.CODE#u#DQ@qmgate.arc.nasa.gov>
Date: 15 Dec 1994 10:22:08 U
Mail*Link(r) SMTP Root Beer and Aeration
Root Beer and Aeration at Bottling.
I hope none gets upset with root beer suggestions in this digest. Since the
question was posed in the digest, I thought it appropriate to answer in the
digest. BT asks how much corn sugar is required for priming if Nutrasweet was
used as the primary sweetening agent. I used 1 cup of corn sugar for 5
gallons of root beer, along with 1/2 tsp. of yeast nutrient. Worked great. I
don't remember what the carbonation level was, but it was satisfactory to me.
I think I used some dregs form a lager I was fermenting at the time.
I tried the same thing with crystal light. didn't work. Something in the
crystal light inhibited the fermentation. I tried the bottles periodically
for about three months. nothing. I put them aside and forgot about them for
about a year and tried one, just to see. Fully carbonated! Unfortunately,
the aspartame had degraded and lost much of its sweetness. (The degradation
of aspartame probably applies to cider as well. The sweetening effect of the
aspartame will gradually deteriorate with time, so if you were planning on
keeping that cider for a year or more, beware!)
Aeration at bottling.
Tim Kelsey asks about possible aeration at bottling because of foaming. I
have experienced this many times, with both cider and beer. I believe that
the foaming is caused by CO2 that is dissolved in the cider/beer. When the
temperature of the cider gets in the 50s, the cider can hold an amazing amount
of CO2 at atmospheric pressure. When the liquid is agitated (as in bottling),
the CO2 comes out of solution and foams. My ciders generally don't have much
head forming proteins, so the foam subsided quickly. It has never adversely
affected my cider or beer. I believe the liberation of CO2 during the
bottling process is actually beneficial in purging the head space in the
bottle of oxygen. I always loosely place a cap on the bottle immediately
after filling, and start crimping as soon as all of the bottles are filled.
In summary, I don't think you are aerating your cider at all.
FWIW, I have added polyclar (powered plastic) to beer that has been in a
secondary for three months. The amount of CO2 liberated by the introduction
of the millions of plastic particles is surprising. A seemingly flat beer can
produce gallons upon gallons of foam. For this reason, I use gelatin to fine
my beers. My ciders haven't ever required fining.
Happy Cidering!
Chris Cesar
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Subject: Hardiness of cider apples - what to plant where
From: Tom Clifton <0002419419@mcimail.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Dec 94 10:49 EST
The Garden Way Plublishing book "Sweet & HArd Cider" by Annie Proulx & Lew
Nichols (ISBN 0-88266-352-6 $12.95) has a nice map of the USA on page
112 that gives the climatic zones and suggested varieties of apples for each.
For example in the most northern areas - North & South Dakota & parts of
Minnesota etc they suggest Cortland (in most favored areas), Frameuse, McIntosh,
Ribston Pippin(with care) Wealthy & Dolgo, Siberian, and Hyslop crabs
The next zone down runs from Wisconsin between Lake Michigan and Lake Superior
through central Iowa, South dakota, Wyoming, Western Colorado, Eastern Utah as
well as bits of Montana and Idaho. They suggest Cortland, Esopus Spitzenberg,
Fameuse, McIntosh, Northern Spy, Rambo, Rhode Island Greening, Ribston Pippin,
Roxbury Russet, Wayne, Wealthy, and Westfield Seek-No-Further.
The next zone down encompasses a band running from Boston/Portland across the
southern edges of the Great Lakes through souterhn Iowa and Northern Missouri,
Kansas, Eastern Colorado, North Western Oklahoma then hooks up through the
mountains up into Oregon & Washington State. In the Western States the map is
really fragmented due to the varied micro-climates (I guess). In any event they
suggest Baldwin, Ben Davis, Cox's Orange Pippin, Delicious, Esopus Spitzenberg,
Fameuse, Golden Russet, Gravenstein, Johnathan, Mcintosh, Newton, Northern Spy,
Rambo, Rhode Island Greening, Ribston Pippin, ROme Beauty, Roxbury Russet, Sops
of Wine, Stayman Winesap, Wealthy, and Westfield Seek-No-Further.
The next zone runs from Rhode Island across the Ohio River Valley throught
southern Missouri, Oklahoma, West Texan and New Mexico then wanders in a thin
band across Arizona , Western California and up into Central Oregon and Central
washington State. There they suggest Baldwin, Ben Davis, Cox's Orange Pippin,
Edlicious, Esopus Spitzenberg, Fameuse, Gilpin, Golden Russet, Gravenstein,
Johnathan, McIntosh, Newton, Northern Spy, Rambo, Rhode Island Greening, Ribston
Pippin, Rome Beauty, Roxbury Russet, Sops of Wine, Stayman Winesap, Wealthy,
Westfield, Seek-No-Further , and Winesap.
Next down south runs from New York City to Norfolk, VA. and runs through
Kentucky & Tennessee, Arkansas, Northern Texas, Southern New Mexico and Arizona
then joins the fray through California, ORegon and Washington State. There they
suggest Baldwin, Ben Davis, Cox's Orange Pippin, Deliscious, Esopis Spitzenberg,
Gilpin, Golden Russet, Gravenstein, Jonathan, McIntosh, Newton, Northern Spy,
Rambo, Rome Beauty, Roxbury Russet, Sops of Wine, Stayman Winesap, and Winesap.
The last zone they list varities for is across the Carolina's, Northern
Alabama, Northern Louisiana, Central and West Texas, Northern Mexico, then a
thin banc through Arizona, California, Coatal Oregon and Washington State
perhaps 50 miles inland to Seattle. Varieties suggested are Ben Davis, Cox's
Orange Pippin, Delicious, Esopus Spitzenberg, Gilpin, Golden Russet,
Gravenstein, Newton, Northern Spy, Rambo, Rome Beauty, Roxbury Russet, Stayman
Winesap, and Winesap.
I guess if you life in Florida or along the Gulf coast or Southern Texas you are
supposed to grow oranges or something. In any event, many varieties (such as
Northern Spy and WInesap) are stated to grow in an extremely wide range of
climatic conditions and I expect that just about anything you plant will grow -
perhaps with a reduced crop. My advice is if you want apples, find some
varities you like & plant them. You are looking towards making upwards of 50
gallons of cider you will likely need a somewhere between a dozen to two dozen
trees. The book gives recommendations on planting and such. I heartily
recommend the book as it is contains a wealth of information - most of which
seems to make sense.
Tom Clifton
St. Louis, MO.
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End of Cider Digest #509
