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Cider Digest #0429
Subject: Cider Digest #429 Thu Mar 31 19:00:06 EDT 1994
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 19:00:07 -0400
From: cider-request@x.org (Are you SURE you want to send it HERE?)
Cider Digest #429 Thu Mar 31 19:00:06 EDT 1994
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Jay Hersh, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Re: Sparkling Cider ("Robert C. Santore")
Sweet Sparkling Cider Idea ("Dan Ciolkosz")
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Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 20:28:39 -0500 (EST)
From: "Robert C. Santore" <rsantore@mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: Re: Sparkling Cider
On Wed, 30 Mar 1994 (Cider Digest #428), Steve Butts wrote:
> In the two years or so I've been watching the Digest there have been a number
> of discussions about how best to achieve a sparkling cider, with far more
> failures than successes reported. It's important to remember that cider is
> NOT beer, cider is, essentially, wine, and it responds better to wine tech-
> niques than to those common to beer-making.
> <some stuff deleted>
Although I agree with Steve that excellent cider can be made with wine making
techniques, I also think that beer making techniques can also be used to
make a quality sparkling cider. In fact, I believe that when making the
stronger varieties of beer, brewers face even more challenges when
attempting a bottle cultured product since beer yeasts are generally not
as alcohol tolerant as wine yeasts, and because the carbonation level in
a beer is such an important aspect of its sensory presentation.
Having said that, I should also point out that I have a very fine
batch of "still barley wine" bottled now for over 18 months with not a
smidgeon of carbonation to produce the familiar 'pfffft' upon opening one
of these tasty samples. I have come to the conclusion that fellow beer
lovers have a definite discriminatory attitude for the pfffft impaired.
Since I have discovered the hard way that the brewing community is
intolerant of still fermented barley beverages (it really does taste
good!) I have adopted a traditional method for priming that I use for all
high gravity beers. I have also had very good success producing sparkling
ciders and meads. Called 'kraeusening' the method involves adding not
just priming sugar at bottling (or wort, or must), but actively fermenting
wort (or must). The addition of fresh yeast in their own sugar rich
medium increases the rate of conditioning of sparkling beverages by a
remarkable extent. Normal gravity beers are usually well conditioned in
about three days, as opposed to two weeks when plain sugar is added. I
have had no problem producing sparkling cider boosted with honey to an OG
of 1.095. Obviously, there are many factors at work, and the choice of
yeast is an important consideration. The time I wait when laying down a
cider is determined by flavor development and has nothing to do with
conditioning. I would not be at all surprised if the sparkling wine
making communitity has a similar technique, possibly under a different
name.
Bob Santore Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
rsantore@mailbox.syr.edu Syracuse University
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Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 07:53 EST
From: "Dan Ciolkosz" <DEC109@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
Subject: Sweet Sparkling Cider Idea
Hello!
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the cider digest over the past year.
Many of the tips have definitely come in handy. Recently, people have
been asking the rather common question "how do I get sweet sparkling
cider?" As far as I can figure, there are basically two methods.
1. Bottle your cider when there is just barely enough life left in the
yeast to carbonate your bottles. Steven Butts (I think) mentioned this
in a very recent digest as a possibility, and it seems like a tricky
feat at best. Make sure you use a low-alcohol yeast so you don't end
up with anything too vicious.
2. Use Dry Ice to artificially carbonate your cider after the yeasts have
died out or have been pasteurized. I've never tried this, but it sounds
pretty tricky as well.
As I was writing, I remembered some postings regarding artificial sweeteners
for an otherwise dry cider. This doesn't strike me as a very sporting
method, but it may work.
My ciders thus far have been bottled according to method #1, but I have
been bottling in plastic soda bottles, so that if the pressure gets to
high, I can simply crack the cap and releive the pressure. I highly
recommend this to people (like me) who don't really know what they're
doing yet.
Best Regards,
Dan Ciolkosz
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End of Cider Digest
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