Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Cider Digest #0699
Subject: Cider Digest #699, 29 October 1997
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #699 29 October 1997
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Cider and aging (Greg Troxel)
"Cider" by Annie Proulx & Lew Nichols (Mark Evenson)
Raspberry Cider/cyser ("Dione Wolfe, Dragonweyr, NM dkey@medusa.unm.edu")
Raspbery cyser ("Dione Wolfe, Dragonweyr, NM dkey@medusa.unm.edu")
Cider in Germany ("Patrick O. Ruth")
Unwanted fermentation (Tim Taylor)
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: Re: Cider and aging
From: Greg Troxel <gdt@work.lexort.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1997 10:58:03 -0500 (EST)
I just tasted two of my ciders from long ago, when I had enough
Copious Spare Time in which to make cider.
The first was from 1991:
5 gallons 'Correnty blend', Anderson Fruit Farm, Westford, MA
4 lbs brown sugar (2 light, 2 dark)
natural yeast, no sulfites or anything like that
primary for a month or two
secondary until 12 months from inception
bottle in 12oz bottles with crown caps
store away from light in basement
This had no detectable off-flavor, and still nice apple flavor.
I think the juice was 1045ish to start with. The alcohol level was
perceptable, but not really high. I'd guess 7 or 8% from tasting.
The next was from 1992, which was a similar process except I think
used 4 or 5 lbs of cane sugar. It was less good, but had no
off-flavors that I noticed. The apple flavor was less obvious.
I'm extremely sensitive to oxidation in beer, so much so that about
half of the random microbrews I try I don't like. I didn't detect any
oxidation in these ciders.
As far as brewing practices, I was careful not to splash and introduce
oxygen during racking, and sanitized fermenters and bottles etc. in
accordance with normal good homebrewing practices, but I didn't do
anything particularly unusual. So I'd take this as a datapoint that a
competently made cider with good yeast at these sorts of OGs (1070?)
will last quite a while.
------------------------------
Subject: "Cider" by Annie Proulx & Lew Nichols
From: Mark Evenson <wine-hop@dnvr.uswest.net>
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1997 12:09:51 -0800
I bought a copy of the 2nd edition of "Sweet & Hard Cider" (titled
simply "Cider") at a Barnes & Noble bookstore more than a month ago. My
homebrew wholesale suppliers don't plan to carry it until their stock of
the 1st edition is gone. While it doesn't have all the little history
and anecdotes that made the previous book such an interesting read, it's
laid out well for the novice cidermaker. It's the best all-around cider
book I've found. BTW, I've found Barnes & Noble to have an amazing
number of books related to wine, cider & beermaking, especially
considering that they aren't a 'specialty' store. If you don't have a
local homebrew shop, you might try B&N. ISBN #0-88266-969-9, cost was
$14.95
Anne T / c/o wine-hop@dnvr.uswest.net
------------------------------
Subject: Raspberry Cider/cyser
From: "Dione Wolfe, Dragonweyr, NM dkey@medusa.unm.edu" <DKEY@MEDUSA.UNM.EDU>
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1997 15:55:36 -0700 (MST)
I'm sorry I misplaced the personal e-mail to me from the person wanting my
recipe for raspberry cyser. Since this is a cider digest, I'll start there:
5 gallons of cider (altho I used a house-brand frozen apple juice with good
results)
1 pound fresh raspberries--frozen, thawed and mashed
peptic enzyme
The raspberries were pasteurized with a gallon of cider and left covered
overnight. This is strained into the primary fermenter and volume made to six
gallons with more cider. 10 grams Red Star Cuvee yeast that had been started
the day before was pitched. The whole works took off and needed a blow-off
tube for several days.
When fermentation is completed and the must clarifies, rack to a secondary with
3/4 cup corn sugar and bottle immediately. More later Dione
------------------------------
Subject: Raspbery cyser
From: "Dione Wolfe, Dragonweyr, NM dkey@medusa.unm.edu" <DKEY@MEDUSA.UNM.EDU>
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1997 16:43:13 -0700 (MST)
Sorry to interrupt the last post. I'm an RN in our recovery room and got an
unexpected patient.
To go from cider to cyser involves the addition of honey. Cyser is the
marriage of mead and cider.
6 pounds honey
5 gallons cider
1 pound fresh raspberries frozen, thawed and mashed
Dilute honey with equal volume of water, add raspberries and pasteurized (150
degrees for 20 min) cover and leave overnight. Start 10 grams Red Star Cuvee
yeast in some honey and water at the same time.
Next day, strain into primary, make volume up tp 6 gallons with cider and pitch
yeast. You'll probably need a blow-off tube.
Check pH and adjust to 3.8-4.2 with calcium carbonate
Add nutrients and peptic enzyme as needed.
Track S.G and add 1/4 cup per gallon of honey every time it drops to 1.005. If
you want semisweet, it will take about 20-24 pounds of honey and your final
S.G. should be 1.01-1.05. Continue this until fermentation stops or you reach
the alcohol level desired.
When must clarifies (sparkloid works) rack to sterile container and add 1/4 tsp
sulfite and bottle.
After a year, this is ambrosia to be drunk in small amounts (or you'll be drunk
too!)
I have left out details such as checking O.G. etc, as basic stuff you either
already know or can easily look up in any basic cider/wine/mead making book.
ENJOY!
Dione
------------------------------
Subject: Cider in Germany
From: "Patrick O. Ruth" <patr@mcs.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 11:51:28 -0600
Perhaps some on the list can shed some light on the cider
experiences a couple of friends had. On a company trip
to Germany, they traveled through a rural area between
Stuttgart and Munich. At a small farming village, they
were treated to both unfermented cider and the finished
product. In both cases, the product was in a stainless
steel vat in a farmer's outbuilding. He obtained the
samples by dipping two glasses into the vat, with fingers
interior to the glass. One friend described the
unfermented juice as 'very sweet and good'. The cider
was 'very good, and bone dry'. His palette could be
described as unsophisticated. The other fellow just
tossed it down and grunted. His palette could be described
as burned out.
Does anyone know anything as to the apples used for this
purpose in the region? How would this gentleman market
his cider in the local area? In wine bottles? Jugs?
Would this be similar to the 'apfelwein' produced near
Frankfurt? Would the apples be culinary varieties?
My apologies for lack of detail, but my two engineering
friends were there, not me. Perhaps they will have more
time on their next trip.
Pat Ruth - patr@mcs.com
------------------------------
Subject: Unwanted fermentation
From: Tim Taylor <tt@individual.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 14:42:56 -0500
Recently I purchased 5 gallons of fresh-pressed cider (no
preservatives, no pasterization, no added chemicals), planning to use this
as the "bulk" of my next cider batch. I brought it home, and poured 4
gallons into my carboy...I added about 3/4 of a gallon of pressed crab-apple
juice. Because the purchased cider had been in a cooler, I covered the top
of the carboy with a solid cork...intending to let the cider "warm up" to
about 60 degrees.
Its now fermenting! My quandry is that I have NO idea what yeasts
were in there, etc. There has been nothing else added...
Can I add sugar and/or champagne yeasts, or do I simply let this
batch "run its course"? Should I add sugar to it?
Help?!?!?!
TT
"Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life"
George Bernard Shaw
------------------------------
End of Cider Digest #699
*************************
