Cider Digest #0811

eZine lover (@eZine)

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Cider Digest

 · 7 months ago

Subject: Cider Digest #811, 23 May 1999 
From: cider-request@talisman.com 

 
Cider Digest #811                                         23 May 1999 

                 Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues 
                      Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor 

Contents: 
  applejack (kathy/jim) 
  Don't want to reinvent the wheel ("Richard Weiss") 

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Subject: applejack 
From: kathy/jim <kbooth@scnc.waverly.k12.mi.us> 
Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 10:26:59 -0400 

A question was raised about the difference hetween Apple cider and 
Applejack.  I quote from Cider; Sweet and Hard by Annie Proulx and Lew 
Nichols, Garden way Publishing,  originally pub. Storey Pub. 1980. 

p. 141  Applejack 

   Applejack, or "cider oil," as it was once known, of varying strength 
was made in the colder regions of Europe--the Isle of Jersey's product 
being particularly noteworthy--but it really came into its own in 
northern New England where severe and fluctuating winter temperatures 
produced a stronger drink.  The usual practice was to ferment a barrel 
of cider to which sugar, maple syrup, raisins, or other 
alcohol-strengthing sweeteners were added.  This barrel was then placed 
outside or in abarn during January andder's water content to freeze, or 
fractionally crystallize.  The ice, produced in increaseingly smaller 
quantites, was then scooped off and discarded, or the liquid beneath 
siphoned off into another container.  As the weather got colder, the 
separation between ice and alcoholic "oil" became greater, and cold 
snaps, hitting lows of -30 F to -40 F , over a period of time, delivered 
the strongest drink,.  A temperature of 0 F to a 5 F will render 
applejack of 7 to 10 % alcohol by volume, similar to strong hard cider, 
while a period of  -30F weather will transform normal fermented cider 
into a 30 - 33% alcoholic "oil", somewhat like a dry cordial liqeur with 
a 60 - 66 proof.  

In the far north, little attention was paid to removing ice or 
siphoning  increasingly stronger oil into other containers.  The barrel 
was simply allowed to freeze, thaw, and refreeze until a core of 
unfreezable liquor formed in the center.  Known as the  "frozen heart,," 
this core was tapped either by augar or a hot poker, and the alcohol 
transferred to stone jugs or bottles.   

   The "kick" and subsequent hangovers from imbibing applejack in 
somewhat less than judicious quantities is legendaryy, but given its 
alcoholic strength-- less than the commonly abused 40%, or 80 proof, 
rums vodkas and whiskeys-- it is now believed that aldehydes, esters, 
and fusel oils contained in the liquor were the culprits responsible for 
the tremulous "apply palsy"  For unlike distillation by heat, in which 
the rich deposits of aldehydes and esters found in the "heads," and 
fusel oils found in the "tails," are removed by fractionization or 
rectification, they are concentrated in fractionally crystallized cider 
oil.  The stronger the oil, the greater ohe mass of imperities by 
volume.  In this technique it's the discarded water and not the alcohol 
that is purest.   

and more.....wassail,   jim booth, lansing, mi 

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Subject: Don't want to reinvent the wheel 
From: "Richard Weiss" <morgan@clis.com> 
Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 21:45:56 -0400 

Hi, 
    I have gotten the urge to make a cherry cider....I have 8 gallons of 
Louisburg cider and a can of Vinter's Harvest Cherry Fruit wine base (96 
oz)....I want to make a sweet cider so I thought I'd use Cote De Blanc as 
the yeast but after that I'm lost....Has anyone done this before? 

I had planned to use the 96 oz can of cherry base and top up with 5 gallons 
of cider, pitch the yeast and "let er rip" so to speak.... Then I thought it 
would be better to get input from more knowledgeable people than me....any 
suggestions would be greatly appreciated 

These are some of the questions I had, but probably need to ask alot more 

    What ratio of base to cider should I use? 
    What is the best temp to ferment at? 
    Do I need to make acid adjustments? 
    Should I be looking for a certain pH? 
    Must I or should I sulfite? 
    What would be a typical Starting Gravity for something like this? 
    Is there a better yeast than Cote De Blanc that would give me a sweet 
cider? 
    Should this ferment out in 30-45 days? 
    What would I expect to see as a Final Gravity? 

I've brewed beer for several years but this is new to me and that's the 
reason for all the questions. 

Thanks in advance, 
    Dick Weiss 

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End of Cider Digest #811 
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