Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Cider Digest #0528
Subject: Cider Digest #528, 26 March 1995
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #528 26 March 1995
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
use of acid blend (Lenny Garfinkel)
Re: Cider Digest #527, 22 March 1995 (MarcMon@aol.com)
A few questions... (ryber)
stopping fermentation (Dick Dunn)
acid blends (Dick Dunn)
Send ONLY articles for the digest to cider@talisman.com.
Use cider-request@talisman.com for subscribe/unsubscribe/admin requests.
When subscribing, please include your name and a good address in the
message body unless you're sure your mailer generates them.
Archives of the Digest are available for anonymous FTP at ftp.stanford.edu
in pub/clubs/homebrew/cider.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: use of acid blend
From: Lenny Garfinkel <lenny@zeus.datasrv.co.il>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 09:24:38 +0200 (IST)
I have followed the latest discussion on acid blend and am curious about
why and when to use it. I have made several batches of cider, (from
apple juice concentrate, no preservatives--no orchards in my
neighborhood), and the results were good. Might they be better with acid
blend?
_________________________________________________________________
Dr. Leonard Garfinkel | Internet: lenny@zeus.datasrv.co.il
Bio-Technology General | Office Phone: 972-8-381256
Kiryat Weizmann | Home Phone: 972-8-451505
Rehovot, Israel | FAX: 972-8-409041
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Cider Digest #527, 22 March 1995
From: MarcMon@aol.com
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 06:43:01 -0500
The Wookie had written:
>I am looking for information in the form of books, anecdotal >sources,
whatever, with the information of rudimentary >equipment, average costs, and
startup info.
Regardless of some opinions to the contrary that have been cited on this
list, I think that *Sweet and Hard Cider* by Annie Proulx and Lew Nichols is
an incredibly informative, well-written book. Your local bookstore can order
it from Storey Communications. The price is $12.95, and well worth it.
Marc Montefusco
------------------------------
Subject: A few questions...
From: ryber <ryber@gandalf.rutgers.edu>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 21:13:49 EST
Hey there, I;ve been reading the digest for a while, but this is my first
post. It's been a real help for me, as I'm something of a novice at this
(I've done 3 batches, I also brew beer).
Anyway, I've got 2 questions. 1st- What exactly is the "acid blend" used
for, and what exactly is it?
2nd- To make my cider, I've been buying fresh, unpasteurized apple cider
from a health food coop I belong to, pasteurizing it (heating it to 170degrees
for a few minutes, not boiling it), then pitching some yeast. When I used
champagne yeast, and added no sugar, it came out way too dry. This time I
pitched a wine yeast, and added 12oz container of Seneca Granny-Smith Juice
concentrate for 1 gallon, and it came out quite a bit better (Though still not
perfect). To carbonate, I'm just adding ranulated sugar when bottling. I'm
aiming for something close to Woodchuck Dark&Dry (Amber is too sweet).
So, should I be adding sugar instead of concentrate for sweetness?
Should I be using an ale yeast? Should I be using Champagne yeast and just
adding more fermentable sugar? I'd like something with a respectable alcohol
content (at least 5%, pref more). I know that it can be sweetened to taste
after fermentation, but I'd rather figure it from the start, and I'm vegan, so
lactose (unfermentable) is out.
Also- how long should I let the stuff age for in a secondary?
Thanx in advance
ryan
------------------------------
Subject: stopping fermentation
From: rcd@raven.eklektix.com (Dick Dunn)
Date: 24 Mar 95 22:12:19 MST (Fri)
Leftover bit from a couple digests ago...
> I recieved my first cider digest the other day and someone mentioned (sorry
> deleted the name) that they wanted to know about how to stop the yeast from
> fermenting all the surgars out of the cider. Would something like Polyclear
> take the yeast out of suspention?
In a word, no.
You can't really get the yeast out of the cider just by precipitating...that
can get rid of enough yeast to get a very clear cider (although with a bit
of time it will usually fall clear of its own accord). However, experience
with both cider and mead says that even when it looks sparkling-clear to
the eye, there's still enough yeast to continue a fermentation.
(It is possible to filter enough to get rid of yeast...but that is very
severe filtering that will also remove solids which contribute to taste.)
- ---
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com -or- raven!rcd Boulder, Colorado USA
...When did "ergonomic" become a synonym for "right-handed"?
------------------------------
Subject: acid blends
From: rcd@raven.eklektix.com (Dick Dunn)
Date: 24 Mar 95 22:28:59 MST (Fri)
There are various blends of acids used for wine, mead, and cider. This
whole discussion might be somewhat off to the side for cider makers, since
it's usually unnecessary to add acid to cider. Be that as it may...
The three usual ingredients of an acid blend are tartaric acid, citric
acid, and malic acid. You can remember these as (loosely) connected to
grapes, citrus fruit, and apples, respectively. (If you've read the
ingredient lists of commercial candy, you've probably noticed that citric
and malic acids are major parts of imitating the flavors of citrus fruits
and apple, resp. Botanically, all apples are in genus "Malus", if that
helps you remember anything.)
An "acid blend" as you'll buy it in a home wine/beer supply shop will be
made up of some combination of tartaric/citric/malic, but there's no con-
sensus on the proportions. Here are a *few* from the examples I've encoun-
tered, just to indicate the range:
* "winemaking blend" in the proportion 3:2:1 of tartaric:malic:citric.
* suggestion for meadmaking 1:2:0 of tartaric:malic:citric.
* "mead acid blend" in the proportion 1:5:4 tartaric:malic:citric.
* various country wines: citric only, or tartaric only.
- ---
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com -or- raven!rcd Boulder, Colorado USA
...When did "ergonomic" become a synonym for "right-handed"?
------------------------------
End of Cider Digest #528
*************************
