Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Cider Digest #1347
Subject: Cider Digest #1347, 30 October 2006
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1347 30 October 2006
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Roxbury Russet - experience? (Dick Dunn)
Re: Cider Digest #1346, 24 October 2006 (Steury & Noel)
Liberty apple (Bradley and Caitlin Hunter)
sulphury cider (Celia Congdon)
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 at www.talisman.com/cider
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Roxbury Russet - experience?
From: Dick Dunn <rcd@talisman.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 19:18:12 -0600
Having just processed a few small trees' worth of Roxbury Russet, I'm
curious whether my results are characteristic of the variety. (I had
smaller crops in previous years--encouraging in blends, but not enough
to get all science-y.)
I like the juice character, which is rich and sort of nutty. Seems to
carry over into cider. What surprised me this year was that I waited
what seemed very long before picking. The apples appeared ripe but still
pretty tart; the measured results squared up: 3.2 pH, SG 1.080 (right
about 20 Brix).
Do folks in other areas see the acidity on RR drop more as they ripen?
or are they really that sharp at full ripeness? Do you get that much
sugar?
It looks ideal for me, as I've got a bunch of bittersweet juice that
should blend nicely with this.
- --
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Cider Digest #1346, 24 October 2006
From: Steury & Noel <steurynoel@mail.potlatch.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:25:52 -0700
Subject: Apples in Prosser
From: Tim Steury
It's my great pleasure to report that the anecdotal perception noted by the
Andersons (of the wet west side) has no basis. Every tree of the cider
persuasion in our orchard over here, in the Palouse region (eastern WA and
into ID, pretty similar to Prosser) is an experiment. As such, we've
planted a few over a hundred different varieties, and they're producing
some very pleasant surprises, among them Kingston Black, Ellis Bitter, and
the Dieppe twins of Normandy. Yes, the apples here are going to be
different from those grown in a damper, cooler climate. I wouldn't be
surprised if the tannins are a bit lower. That hardly translates to
"inferior." I haven't got the capacity to measure them, other than my taste
buds. However, obviously, sugars are considerably higher, consistently 2-3
degrees higher than the Long Ashton specs. Water's the key in this
climate, I'm convinced. So Bob, do NOT irrigate cider varieties like the
commercial growers do around Prosser. And by the way, you've got some of
the best soil in the world for what you're after.
Diane Noel, Tim Steury, and David Steury
1021 McBride Road
Potlatch, ID 83855 USA
208.875.0804
------------------------------
Subject: Liberty apple
From: Bradley and Caitlin Hunter <hunter@midcoast.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 09:44:56 -0400
Two weeks ago I thought I was all done with my fall apple and pear
pressing here in coastal Maine.
All my carboys, oak barrels and kegs were full and fermenting.
Then a friend with a lovely organic orchard a few towns away said he
had 6 trees of Liberty apples that were loaded with fruit but were
probably not going to get harvested , so did I want them?
I hate to see good fruit go to waste and, although I'm growing a
couple of grafted Liberty trees in my fledgling orchard , my trees
are too young to produce fruit yet so I didn't have any experience
with fermenting Liberty.
Some quick research in local orchard catalogs actually listed Liberty
as quite a desirable variety for cider, one even going so far as to
say it was recommended " for single variety cider ", a suggestion I
thought was reserved for such treasures as Golden Russet, Kingston
Black and a few select others!
Since I just happened to have 6 emergency back up 5 gal. food grade
plastic fermenters I went ahead and pressed 27 gallons, adding to the
mix about 2/3 bushel of Luscious pears and 1/3 bushel of mixed local
crabs.
So, although technically not a single variety cider , it is
predominately Liberty and I'll be curious to sample the finished
product. Initial tasting at pressing time was very encouraging and
I'm wondering if any one out there has experience with this variety?
Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
Cheers,
Brad
------------------------------
Subject: sulphury cider
From: Celia Congdon <crrbc@comcast.net>
Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 21:20:04 -0700
A friend and I are trying our hand at our first batch of hard cider.
We have 8 carboys with a variety of single and blended cider. Three
of the carboys are filled with Ruston Pippin cider and Kingston Black
cider which we read are near perfect in composition for hard cider.
We have done our first racking and notice in all the carboys a very
distinct sulphur smell.
Was this due to insufficient oxygen during primary fermentation?
Will it go away? On its own or by adding DAP or some nutrient?
Additionally, all the ciders were bland - not sweet, not tart, etc.
Is this to be expected at this stage?
Are we screwed?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Celia and Sally
Vashon Island, WA
PS: Is there a subject index to back issues of Cider Digest or does
one hunt and peck for subjects such as the above?
------------------------------
End of Cider Digest #1347
*************************
