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Cider Digest #0922
Subject: Cider Digest #922, 5 October 2001
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #922 5 October 2001
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Cider Digest #921, 30 September 2001 - Pears (Rcapshew@aol.com)
Age and cider (Rod.McDonald@facs.gov.au)
perry (Bob and Winnie)
7th Annual Franklin County Cider Day (Terry Maloney)
First time cider - fermentation problems? (Carmen Salvatore)
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Subject: Re: Cider Digest #921, 30 September 2001 - Pears
From: Rcapshew@aol.com
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 22:48:24 EDT
We have had a great crop of Keiffer pears in the Ohio
River valley (greater Louisville) this year. The pears are
still greenish with some russeting so far. The seeds are
black but the sugars have not completely developed. At
what point should we pick them and when should we
press them for perry?
Bob Capshew
------------------------------
Subject: Age and cider
From: Rod.McDonald@facs.gov.au
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 09:50:56 +1000
A while back there was a discussion around how long a cider will keep, and the
general consensus was that after a couple of years the quality tends to decline
(for those who manage to keep any for that long, that is). Last weekend I
opened a bottle of a cider I made in 1998, bottled just on 3 years ago, and I
was surprised to find it tasted the best that that particular batch has so far
tasted. The batch has always struck me as being a little thin in body added to
what I assume to be a sort of high-end estery sort of flavour in it, which has
always meant that giving it 5 minutes of breathing before drinking has made it
more palatable. That 'ester' flavour has now receded to be almost imperceptable,
except as part of a balanced flavour profile, and it seems to now be augmenting
what had previously been quite thin. The cider was made from a mix of dessert
apples plus Yarlington Mill plus crab apples, with a champagne yeast, starting
at about 1.060 and fermenting out to dry - final gravity about 0.995 IIRC - so
it's reasonably strong and in its youth it sort of hit you with a bit of a
headache between the eyes. This is probably why I still have some left over.
I will now try and keep some for longer to see where it ends up going. Complex
things these cider flavours.
------------------------------
Subject: perry
From: Bob and Winnie <natvwine@cut.net>
Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 20:13:19 -0600
Right now I have 498 pnds of hand sorted dead ripe pears (800 more to
go) fermenting on the fruit, as I do every year. The level of CO2
production is such that one can't get closer than 12 or so inches and
neither can any fruit flies! Since acetification is an aerobic
process....
Most of the fermentation done in the world each year is done with the
fruit, skin and seeds fully involved.
Bill, on another subject; I have used Lalvin EC1118 based on the
recomendations from lab techs and others but have noticed that it
produces a very noticeable citric tone to the finished product. Have you
experienced the same?
> and the
> level of acetobacter contamination would be extreme.
>
>
>
> use a known good yeast inoculant [I prefer Lalvin
> EC1118], press and ferment as cold as possible, age well.
> Go with whatever works for ya!
>
> Bill . . .
>
------------------------------
Subject: 7th Annual Franklin County Cider Day
From: Terry Maloney <westcounty@attglobal.net>
Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2001 17:43:28 -0400
The Seventh Annual Franklin County Cider Day goes on for two days this
year, Nov 3rd & 4th, in northwest Massachusetts.
Special cider blends for fermentation, cider and cheese tasting, talks
and demonstrations on cider making, grafting, pruning and home cheese
making and Michael Pollan, author of "The Botany of Desire", talking
about what Johnny Appleseed was really doing. For more information go to
http://www.ciderday.org
Terry Maloney
West County Cider
terry@westcountycider.com
413 624 3481
------------------------------
Subject: First time cider - fermentation problems?
From: Carmen Salvatore <carmen.salvatore@lmco.com>
Date: Fri, 05 Oct 2001 10:15:51 -0400
Hi - first time poster and cider maker.
I'm not sure if I have a problem with my first batch - hope someone can
provide guidance.
I used the following recipe from the Cat's Meow database called "Fall
Cider".
6 gallons, fresh apple cider (no preservatives)
3 teaspoon, acid blend
1 teaspoon, yeast nutrient
2-1/2 teaspoon, pectic enzyme
1 cup, Dextrose (corn sugar)
1-1/4 teaspoon, sulfite crystals (potassium metabisulphite)
2 packs, dried yeast (Edme)
The only change I made was to switch the yeast from Edme to Red Star
Montrachet. I added everything listed, except the yeast, and let it sit
for about 24 hours. I then hydrated the yeast, added it and stirred.
It's now been 5 days and no signs of fermentation. I took a gravity
reading this morning and as expected . . . no change - still 1.055.
Now I'm used to brewing beer and expect to see active fermentation
within 24-48 worst case. I've looked up the following web site
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/andrew_lea/frameset.htm
There are fermentation graphs there that plot SG vs. time. From what I
can see it appears that there was no noticeable drop in SG for a couple
of weeks for all 4 fermentations.
I guess my question is simply does this sound like a 'normal' cider
fermentation or could I have a problem?? And if it's a problem what
might it be?? I don't believe that sanitation is an issue and the cider
came from a local cider mill so I expect that it's fresh. It was
pasteurized but according to the staff and signs there are no
preservatives added.
Thank You,
Carm Salvatore
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End of Cider Digest #922
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