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Cider Digest #0686
Subject: Cider Digest #686, 22 September 1997
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #686 22 September 1997
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Flavour Wheel (Ian Merwin)
Cider Trip to U.K. (Peter R. Hoover)
yeasts for cider (Eric James Urquhart)
Woodpecker!! (Andrew Lea)
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Subject: Flavour Wheel
From: Ian Merwin <im13@cornell.edu>
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 09:01:48 -0400
Cider Colleagues:
In response to the recent entries about flavour analysis for cider-a recent
review paper (don't have it in front of me at this moment, but I think it
was a 1996 or 1997 journal) on cider making by Basil Jarvis explains the
flavour circle/star system used for taste panels at H.P. Bulmers, and gives
a very readable and informative summary of English cider making techniques.
It is well worth perusing, as it shows all the factors and considerations
involved in cider flavours.
Some suggestions in response to other entries seeking advice on cider
consistency-we have been making hard ciders in the New York Finger Lakes
region for some time now, and have had good results blending about 10% crab
apples ('Golden Hornet' and 'Indian Summer' varieties) into a bulk mixture
of 'Mutsu', 'Goldrush', 'Idared', 'Northern Spy', 'Empire', 'Golden
Delicious', 'Liberty', and other late season New England apples. These
crab apples are very high in soluble solids (mostly sugars), and have good
acid and tannin balance as well. Until we get some orchards of bittersweet
and bittersharp apples established in the US, some of the "ornamental" crab
apples may be our best alternative.
Another suggestion for those of you who are already starting ciders this
Fall. The initial (and final) flavour really improves if you wait for the
apples to after ripen somewhat (Sept. and Oct. ciders are not so good), and
also let the mash or pressed cider sit for at least a few days to oxidize
and develop its full complexity of flavour attributes. We have had best
results with slow fermenting champagne yeasts such as Epernay, under cool
cellar conditions (around 55 F) where the yeast and malolactic
fermentations last from late November until March or April, and the final
cider is quite dry.
Used whiskey barrels (charred oak) are a relatively inexpensive way to age
and smooth ciders (we rack into these from 60 gallon plastic juice
concentrate barrels after the primary fermentation subsides.
A final suggestion-I think it is time for us to organize a North American
Cider Makers Association, hold a kick off symposium where we could meet and
discuss ciders, and invite several of the leading cider and cider-apple
experts from Europe (names like Andrew Lea, Peter Mitchell, Basil Jarvis,
Ray Williams, John Worle, and Jean-Francois Drilleau come to mind) to
describe the varied cider apples and cider-making styles in Europe. I am a
pomologist at Cornell University, and have been talking with our Food
Scientists and Enologists here about help to organize such a symposium. I
would be interested in hearing from Cider Digest folks about their
potential interest in such an event and organization.
Ian Merwin (im13@cornell.edu)
Associate Professor of Pomology
118 Plant Science Bldg.
Dept of Fruit and Vegetable Science
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853
_____________________________
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Subject: Cider Trip to U.K.
From: prh4@cornell.edu (Peter R. Hoover)
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 10:21:56 -0400
Dear U.K. Cider Aficionados:
My partner and I are currently in the planning stages of a weeklong trip
that will take us to England sometime in January, 1998. We plan to make use
of a free flat in London, but to rent a car and visit as many cider-making,
- -drinking, -investigating venues as possible. Can any of you give us some
suggestions? Invitations and/or tastings welcomed. We are a writer/editor
combination, and plan to put together an article on cider for publication
when we return to the States, as we live in an apple-growing area (upstate
New York) and are interested in "growing" the hard-cider "industry" in this
area. I am an amateur hard cider maker (about 65 gallons a year; some
finished methode champenoise), who has been at it about twenty years. I
look forward to hearing from you.
Peter R. Hoover, Cornell Publications Services, East Hill Plaza
Ithaca, NY 14850; 607 255-9454; fax, 255-5684 (prh4@cornell.edu)
------------------------------
Subject: yeasts for cider
From: Eric James Urquhart <eurquhar@sfu.ca>
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 09:53:30 -0700 (PDT)
In todays issue:
From: Dave Chamowitz <dlc5n@virginia.edu>
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 00:03:23 -0400
Dear Cider Digest,
Does anyone know of a source of good ale yeasts in the
Charlottesville, VA area? I hope I can get apples at this stage of the
game, but I have been thwarted by an inability to find the yeast I need.
Thanks for your help...
- - --Dave Chamowitz
A new dry yeast is available which I used to great success in
cider. It is D-47 from Lalvin/Lallemond in Montreal. I used it when
only available as a live culture but apparently the dry product is
very clean. When fermented cold (50F), it will capture huge amts of
the flavour and character of the juice.
eric
- --
Eric Urquhart, Centre for Pest Management,
Dept. of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, British Columbia, CANADA V5A 1S6
lab (604) 291-3090 fax (604) 291-3496
------------------------------
Subject: Woodpecker!!
From: Andrew Lea <andrew_lea@compuserve.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 03:18:28 -0400
OK, perhaps I was a bit dismissive to those who can only get hold of
Woodpecker or its equivalents - but for the last 25 years since I went into
cider research it's always been known as the UK 'bland leader' (tho I think
Strongbow may technically hold that position now)! Sorry if I've been a
little insensitive! I don't know the exact 'recipe' and, if I did, it
would be a breach of commercial confidence to divulge it. But you can
assume that, in common with all other mainstream ciders, apple juice is NOT
now the main ingredient!!
Andrew Lea, nr Oxford, UK
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/andrew_lea
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End of Cider Digest #686
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