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Cider Digest #0843
Subject: Cider Digest #843, 9 January 2000
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #843 9 January 2000
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Digest is alive--well, maybe (Ed & Pat Fackler)
Cider Variety Recommendations? ("Roger Flanders")
Digest is alive - so is my cider! (Tim Bray)
cider is clearing! (Chad Petersen)
Re: Digest is alive, just nothing to publish (Lesparent@aol.com)
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Subject: Re: Digest is alive--well, maybe
From: Ed & Pat Fackler <rocmdw@aye.net>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 05:09:53 -0500
cider-request@talisman.com wrote:
> Greetings, Cider makers-consumers, etc.
This may be off the wall, but I'm anxious to hear about the use of some
of the newer apple cvs. for hard cider production. In particular, some of
the scab resistant cvs. possess very high acids.
From the most acidic, the list would be as follows.
1. GoldRush--highly acidic and high soluble solids.
2. Enterprise
3. NovaSpy
4. Liberty
If any of you have experience with any of the above compared to
traditional cider cvs. please comment.
Thanks in an advance.
Ed Fackler, So. Indiana
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Subject: Cider Variety Recommendations?
From: "Roger Flanders" <flanders@probe.net>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 10:59:29 -0600
We will have an opportunity this spring to plant
10 to 12 apple trees on some suitable farm land in
extreme southeast Nebraska -- USDA Region 5.
Despite repeated web-searches, we have been unable
to find any specific recommendations for cider
apples for our area. We would consider any
semi-dwarf varieties, although we are most
interested in "heirloom" varieties that will make
distinctively-flavored ciders and cysers. For
example, the new Miller Nurseries catalog mentions
10 different "heirloom" varieties among those best
for cider and juice, but surely some of the 10
have to be better than others. Can anyone help us
out with some specific suggestions/recommendations
for our area, and sources?
- --Rog Flanders, Nemaha County
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Subject: Digest is alive - so is my cider!
From: Tim Bray <tbray@mcn.org>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 10:32:20 -0800
The Y2K bug did not infect my cider - it continued fermenting right through
the date change. Amazing! ;->
We pressed on November 21 with apples from an old orchard. Five gallons
came from a Yellow Bellflower; this juice had a nice fresh taste with just
enough sharpness. Five gallons were from a mixture of three unknown
varieties, with some Bellflower. This batch was sweet but bland - not
enough acidity or astringency to make it interesting as a fresh cider.
Bellflower: OG 1.045 pH 3.5
Mixed: OG 1.055, pH 3.5
Each batch was collected in a 5 gallon plastic pail, capped with a lid and
fitted with a fermentation lock, set outside on the north side of the
house. No sulfite - I wanted to experiment with wild yeast fermentation.
Temperatures were in the mid 60s daytime, mid 40s at night (F). Neither
batch fermented. After two weeks, I pulled off the lids and discovered
mold growing on the surface of the cider!
On December 7, I skimmed off the floating mold and then racked the
Bellflower juice into 1-gallon plastic jugs and froze them. The "mixed"
batch was racked into a 5 gallon plastic water jug, topped up with some
additional fresh juice from another pressing, and pitched with Montrachet
yeast. I did not sulfite, as there was no evidence of bacterial or wild
yeast activity, and I figured the fermentation would take care of the mold.
The Montrachet took off and when things settled down a bit, December 26 I
racked into a brand new glass carboy that Santa brought me! :-D SG at
racking was 1.035. Since then the cider has been slowly fermenting; today
(Jan. 7) it is down to 1.028 and is starting to taste good.
When I racked to the carboy, I also took about a quart from the bottom of
the jug and put it into a half-gallon plastic jug, with lock, on the
kitchen counter. This was pretty thick with sediment - probably mostly
yeast. It fermented out to 1.000 in 2 days! Tasted terrible - yeasty,
sharp, and hot. Just for kicks, I racked off the clear fraction into a
champagne bottle, added about half a cup of fresh cider to top it off, and
capped it. This is now aging in a dark cold spot (next the carboy, in
fact). Will try it in 6 months or so and see what happens!
If you're still with me, I have some questions:
1. Why no wild yeast fermentation?
2. Is the diurnal temperature fluctuation a good thing, or a bad thing?
Fermentation seems to be going slowly day and night. Current temps are in
the 50s daytime, around 40 at night.
3. What does the mold indicate? Or is it expected if fermentation doesn't
start?
4. Why would the pH of the two batches be the same, when taste indicated
that one had more acidity?
Thanks for listening,
Tim Bray
Albion, CA
------------------------------
Subject: cider is clearing!
From: Chad Petersen <Chad.Petersen@wwu.edu>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 07:17:51 -0800
My cider, which has been in the carboys for 3 months, racked a couple of
times is beginning to clear. It is quite dry. So far so good. I like it.
Some of my friends who are not used to a dry tart cider think it is a bit
too much so. We will see how it comes out. I am going to be adding minute
amounts of sugar to test batches and see where the best flavor balance is.
The cider was mainly winter banana with some kings and gravensteins thrown
in for sweetness. Fresh, the cider was full flavored and quite wonderful, a
bit tart for some, but great! For the future, i have planted 3 kingston
black trees in the orchard. I think they will add a lot to future ciders.
In the meantime, my cider sits and waits. Patiently.
Good luck to you all
Chad
Waaaaay up there in the NW corner of the map.
Bellingham Wa
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Digest is alive, just nothing to publish
From: Lesparent@aol.com
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 15:48:34 EST
I am a new home brewer and just wondered if anyone has had any experience
adding fresh ginger root to cider during fermentation. I keep thinking a
cider/ginger flavor would be really good.
Melissa
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End of Cider Digest #843
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