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Cider Digest #1108
Subject: Cider Digest #1108, 18 January 2004
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1108 18 January 2004
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Not-dry land orcharding ("James W Luedtke")
Re: Cider Digest #1107, 14 January 2004 (Cornelius Traas)
Interesting article on VT cidermaker (Mark)
Unfermentable sweetners for sweetening cider (Michael Arighi)
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Subject: Not-dry land orcharding
From: "James W Luedtke" <james.luedtke@cgi.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 12:50:57 -0600
Unlike the those recently discussing dry-land orcharding, I'm trying to
deal with too much moisture in my (back yard), orchard. Though here in
Minnesota, we receive annual precipitation of about 27 inches, my back
yard is a virtual catch-basin for rain and snow run-off from the whole
neighborhood. Generally in the spring, we have standing water in the
lowest areas for 3 to 4 weeks. A neighbor and I are discussing ways to
eliminate the catch-basin effect, but it's doubtful we'll be able to
solve the run-off problem completely.
Up until now, I've been able to keep my trees in areas of the yard that
remain high and dry. This spring, though, the whips I set out will
closely approach the low spot. I've read countless times that apples do
not like 'to get their feet wet', so I know this is risky. I can keep
them away from areas that flood, but some will be on soil that in the
past has occasionally been saturated for days on end. I've mounded up
the soil in this area into rows about 3 feet wide by 8 inches high.
Based on what I've read about different rootstocks, I plan to keep the
B-9 roots in the higher areas, and put the P-2 roots in the lower areas.
In order to keep the roots from freezing in winter, I also may have to
heavily mulch in between the rows.
So, has any other subscriber tried 'moist-land' orcharding? Have you
had success with raising the soil?
Jim Luedtke
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Subject: Re: Cider Digest #1107, 14 January 2004
From: Cornelius Traas <con.traas@theapplefarm.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 22:37:59 +0000
Re: Helping wasps help orchards
It is good that Peter G is concerned about pesticide residues in cider.
The good news is that apples grown for cider (even where conventional
pesticides are used) are extremely unlikely to have any pesticide
residues on them, as pesticide usage for cider crops is minimal (due to
the fact that the cosmetic quality of the apples is not important, and
that most of these varieties are more disease and pest resistant than
eating varieties), and any average orchardist will be able to time the
applications so that the interval between last application and harvest
is so long that no residues will persist. However, this is not as
likely to be the case for apples grown for sale but whose out-grades
are then used for cider, and residues are more likely here. But, do not
be fooled ito believing that organically grown apples have any less
pesticides (or residues). In many situations organic growers use more
pesticides than conventional producers would need to in the same
situation. it's just a different set of pesticides that are permitted
in this situation.
I have no doubt that as we learn, both conventional and organic growers
will be able to lower their usage of pesticides through understanding
nature, plants and pests better.
Con Traas
The Apple Farm
Cahir
Ireland
------------------------------
Subject: Interesting article on VT cidermaker
From: Mark <scaffnet@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 21:13:31 -0800 (PST)
Here's an interesting article on Flag Hill Farm Cyder
from VT; note this quote:
"...spurred by consumers looking for alternatives to
beer and wine -- and the growing popularity of
microbreweries -- cider has experienced a revival in
recent years. Even though it commands less than 1
percent of the total U.S. beer market, about 75
million cases were sold in 2000, according to a paper
published by Mary Holz-Clause, co-director of the
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center at Iowa State
University, in November."
Full article here, including news about their apple
brandy: http://www.vnews.com/12142003/1467654.htm
Mark
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Subject: Unfermentable sweetners for sweetening cider
From: Michael Arighi <calzinman@earthlink.net>
Date: 15 Jan 2004 23:00:02 -0800
Jack O Feil wrote a while ago (sorry--lots of other stuff in my way since then):
>Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2004 14:00:58 -0800
>I' like to break into the current topic ,cider judging (pardon me)
>while this thought is still on my mind, how to make a slightly sweet
>sparkling cider. I fresh cider primed (10%) and got a nice little
>sparkle but it was too dry for my palate. I tried to come up with a
>method to accomplish sweetening dry sparkling cider. My thought turned
>to using an unfermentable sweetener, I'll probably try that unless
>someone out there can tell me why it won't work.
Lactose will work, although it's kind of expensive and much lower
sweetness to weight than sucrose or any of the standard sugars. I've
used it. It's OK. Any other non-hexose (six carbon atoms) sugar will
also work (mannose, for example), as they don't "look" like sugar to the
yeasts. Again, less sweetness/weight.
I'd be a bit leary of artificial sweetners, however. I've been playing
this game for quite a few years and had the same thought a number of
years ago, but there are "gotchas." I checked them out with my food
technology "staff" (my Dad's a retired one and a friend is the plant
chemist for a big carbonated beverage plant). The primary one is that
most artificial sweetners are not all that stable in storage in
alcoholic and fairly acid environments. Haven't checked it, but I'm
guessing my cider is in roughly the same pH range as my wine, which is
typically below pH 4. Any higher than that and you are likely to run
into bacterial problems. And that's pretty acid for most artificial
sweetners. And with 5-7% (for mine anyway) alcohol, to boot. So, rather
than sweetness, you're likely to get breakdown products (and no
sweetness) over relatively short aging periods.
Anybody finds something cheap and simple, I'm all ears.
Michael Arighi
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End of Cider Digest #1108
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