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Cider Digest #1444
Subject: Cider Digest #1444, 29 March 2008
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1444 29 March 2008
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
In-bottle pasteurisation (Andrew Lea)
Re: Cider Digest #1443, 21 March 2008 ("derek grout")
Licensed Distiller in CT ("drcath@tiac.net")
Re: Stopping fermentation // Bottle pasteurisation ("Stuart Grant")
Re: Cider Digest #1443, 21 March 2008 (Stephen Wood)
Re: In bottle pasteurization ("Gary Awdey")
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Subject: In-bottle pasteurisation
From: Andrew Lea <andrew_lea@compuserve.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:43:59 +0000
Jason asked:
> I know this subject has been discussed before on the digest, but I
> can't seem to find any detailed references or how-to's.
It's in the Ag-Canada booklet. See
<http://mars.ark.com/%7Esqueeze/ag-can/ag-book.htm> sections 19 and 20
This also has relevance to the question about stopping a (primary)
fermentation part way through. Pasteurisation is a possible route there too.
Andrew Lea
- --
Wittenham Hill Cider Page
http://www.cider.org.uk
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Subject: Re: Cider Digest #1443, 21 March 2008
From: "derek grout" <derekgrout@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:54:03 -0400
I'm a licensed farm distillery, making vodka and apple schnapps from
fermented apple cider. I can't add SO2 to the cider before I pitch my yeast,
because the sulfur flavors will concentrate in the distillate and the sulfur
is bad for the copper still. In lieu of heat pasteurization, I plan on
treating my next batch of cider with ultraviolet light to kill off naturally
occurring yeast and bacteria.
Do you know of anyone else who has successfully treated their fruit mash
with ultraviolet light before fermentation?
thanks,
Derek Grout
Harvest Spirits
Valatie, NY
http://www.harvestspirits.com/
mailto:derekgrout@gmail.com
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Subject: Licensed Distiller in CT
From: "drcath@tiac.net" <drcath@tiac.net>
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:00:47 -0400
Digesters,
Here's a look into an apple brandy distillery in Connecticut to wet your
whistle. Make's you feel like the all of the pruning is really worth it...
http://www.westfordhill.com/making_of_aged_brandy.html
Dave Catherman
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Subject: Re: Stopping fermentation // Bottle pasteurisation
From: "Stuart Grant" <stuart.grant1@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:25:42 +1100
Hi all,
I intended to respond to Dwight's question about stopping fermentation
by suggesting in-bottle pasterisation (excuse my Aussie-English
spelling, there) - but in doing so I'll be answering Jason's question
too.
Dwight - I've tried keeving every year since I read about it (maybe 5
seasons now), but I've never been close to achieving it. I'm sure it's
easier if you're pressing your own apples (ie. you can macerate the
crushed apples with PME), but I have to get a juice company to do it
for me because I don't have the gear.
As such, I experimented with in-bottle pasteurisation as an allegedly
inferior way to produce sweet cider. I expected it to be difficult; I
expected explosions - and most of all I expected the flavour of the
cider to change. None of these disasters occurred, however!
My method (this is for Jason, too) is this:
1. Ferment cider to dryness (I prefer not to add yeast, just 50ppm SO2
to kill off nasty bacteria). Leave it for a couple of months to
mature/clarify.
2. Add back enough reserved juice to sweeten to your desired level
(you can reserve juice by freezing it OR by keeping some in a glass
demijohn with ZERO headspace and more SO2 - like 100-150ppm - where it
shouldn't ferment much if at all). For the mixed cider/juice, I aim
for about 1.010 final gravity, which means adding reserved juice until
the SG is about 1.013 - which provides a couple of points SG for
carbonation.
2a. If you do manage to arrest fermentation by keeving OR by dropping
the temperature as described in the last digest, you can proceed from
this point without having to mix juice with cider.
3. Bottle it! I bottle in champagne-style bottles, which are virtually
unbreakable and highly recommended.
4. Allow the cider to ferment in the bottles until they have developed
enough carbonation. This takes between 3 days and 3 weeks, depending
on lots of factors (age of cider, temperature, amount of SO2 added
etc.).
4a. DON'T let if ferment too far! Less is more.
5. When the carbonation is right (test a bottle or two, then re-cap),
get a large, deep saucepan or something. It needs to be able to fit
the bottles inside it with water up to the level of the cider in the
bottle-neck. I use a converted brewery keg with the top cut off.
6. Pack bottles into the keg and fill with cold water (or warm water
if you're in a hurry - just don't use hot water or you might crack the
bottles). I always put an uncapped bottle of water in the mix so that
I can approximately know the internal temperature of the cider in the
other bottles.
7. Turn on the gas and heat until the temperature of the water in the
test-bottle is about 65=BAC/149=BAF. Don't be too concerned if some of the
bottles start "leaking" gas (hissing) - mine usually do and it's a bit
disconcerting but perfectly safe and the cider retains plenty of
carbonation.
8. Turn off the heat and hold the temperature above 60=BAC/140=BAF for 10-1=
5mins.
9. Remove bottles and cool. They should remain stable for
years/indefinitely. I was surprised that this method managed to kill
off all the yeast, but it works! I've kept bottles for 18 months at
room temperature with no signs of refermentation.
I hope I've covered everything. Let me know if you have other questions.
Cheers
Stuart Grant,
Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Cider Digest #1443, 21 March 2008
From: Stephen Wood <swood@povertylaneorchards.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:13:58 -0400
To Jason, re hot water bath for cider:
Jason,
You and I will both benefit from an occasional hot water bath. Our ciders
won't. With all due respect to all the terrors food science offers, and all
the instructions and warnings your inquiry will probably bring forth: try to
do everything else right, take a nice bath, and have a nice glass of
uncooked cider.
Steve Wood
Farnum Hill Ciders
------------------------------
Subject: Re: In bottle pasteurization
From: "Gary Awdey" <gawdey@att.net>
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:17:39 -0500
In Cider Digest #1443, 21 March 2008, Jason MacArthur wrote:
> I know this subject has been discussed before on the digest, but I
> can't seem to find any detailed references or how-to's. Can someone
> who has succesfully experimented with the hot water bath method of
> pasteurizing semi-sweet cider describe what they have done?
If you look in CD# 1017 (January 2003) in the archives of the Cider Digest,
Bill Rhyne gives a nice description of a bottle pasturization technique.
You'll find the link to
the archives at http://www.talisman.com/cider/#Archives.
Gary Awdey
Eden, New York
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End of Cider Digest #1444
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