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Cider Digest #1423
Subject: Cider Digest #1423, 27 November 2007
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1423 27 November 2007
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
voles ("verlindetaal")
Re: Harpoon Cider (mark@thealchemystudio.com)
stirring the pot ("info")
Cider adjunct's. Too Late? ()
Re: Harpoon Cider (Shawn Carney)
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Subject: voles
From: "verlindetaal" <djtaal@planet.nl>
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:22:52 +0100
Die Wühlmaus auch Schermaus genannt.
Is an austrian site I found on the net about catching voles , it's
easily translated with google. If you follow the method it is quite
effective, if you don't do it exactly as mentioned you only catch an
occasional mole.
The 'top cat' trap mentioned in it hasn't worked for me. The most cheap
traps work best. The trick is to adjust the trap so it will snap at the
lightest touch and to set lot's of traps at the same time in every hole
you can find.
Dirk Taal
djtaal@planet.nl
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Subject: Re: Harpoon Cider
From: mark@thealchemystudio.com
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:35:41 -0500 (EST)
Hello,
Like Ben, I tried the Harpoon cider at CiderDay a few weeks ago. I was not
overly impressed but thought it might cut the mustard with my wife, who is
not into some of the more assertive ciders being crafted by the smaller
fermenters (and being ineptly brewed by me as well...'harsh, with a yeasty
finish' is one of her more charitable reviews of my own product!) I saw
some the other day in a local store and bought it. She tried it, and hated
it. I tried it after her, and it was a lot weaker and thinner than I
recalled from a few weeks ago. Not impressive.
Now, what do I do with the rest of the 6 pack? Anyone want a bottle for
cost of postage?
Mark Lattanzi
------------------------------
Subject: stirring the pot
From: "info" <info@holmbergorchards.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:42:40 GMT
I have to respectfully weigh in on some of the opinions put forth by Ben
Watson:
"I sampled the test batches that Alan Tringham made for Boston Beer Co.
a few years ago, when they were thinking of doing a cider (and winning
UK cider competitions, under dubious colors). But the fact is that
their cider was far and away the best "draft" cider I've ever had --
not only was it fermented from actual juice, but it was made with a mix
of genuine European and American cider varieties. (I know, because they
got the fruit from Steve Wood at Poverty Lane Orchards in N.H.)"
I talked to these folks too. They did use some some real cider apples.
But, I know at least one of the ciders they were pouring was made from 95%
Gala apple juice with 5% bittersweet concentrate from England. I remember
clearly how the Sam's rep was really excited to tell me how much they liked
using Gala. I suspect that the other products they were pouring had some
degree of concentrate/"unsavory" juice in them as well. Anyone else know
anything about these products?
Yes, I was disappointed Harpoon cider. But, it was obvious to me that the
fault was not the ingredients - but the process. Lets says that they did
start with 100% mac juice. Unsavory? Consider that west county had an
"organic mac" label out for a few years (maybee still do?). Proof to
me that it can be done. Harpoon certainly has enough technology at their
disposal to make it happen. They just need to work on how to do it.
"So, while Harpoon should be encouraged, they're missing the mark here,
IMHO. It's great to support local orchards -- but don't support them in
growing Red Delicious and Macs. We need more people to start planting
(or better yet topworking) to superior cider and dual-use apples, not
perpetuating the bland monocultures of the past, or the present."
As a fourth generation commercial apple grower and cidermaker in New England,
it is my humble opinion that a producer such as harpoon can make perfectly
respectable six-pack cider using primarly culinary apples. Indeed, the
economics of a six pack demand low cost ingredients. It is a hard sell
to convince me or my colleges to remove or renovate productive blocks of
trees into "cider" apples when the current market for juice apples is only
paying five cents a pound. Apple orchards do not stay in business these
days growing ingredients for other businesses. They stay in business by
producing and selling the cider themselves(Value-added products). If you
want to see more "cider" apples grown in New England, it will be in the form
of small independent producers selling in high end packaging (ie 750ml).
If you want to see mainstream packaging with high fresh juice content,
you are going to have to conceed some fruit quality. Unfortunately,
this is where art meets commerce.
I would be happy to talk to anyone from Harpoon regarding this email.
Russell Holmberg
Holmberg Orchards
Gales Ferry, CT
www.holmbergorchards.com
------------------------------
Subject: Cider adjunct's. Too Late?
From: <32bituser@cox.net>
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 11:11:41 -0500
On Oct 21st, I pressed 20 gallons of cider into 4 carboys. O.G. = 1.040.
2 carboys got a White Labs English Cider yeast, which will be left alone
to finish as a nice, easy low alcohol dry cider, and 2 carboys got a White
Labs London Ale yeast, which I want to add honey and raisins to.
Here is the question - Gravity is down to 1.010, and I am getting ready to
rack to secondary, is it too late to add honey to the carboys at racking
time? This is only my second year at this and I am still way down the
wrong side of the learning curve..
Thanks!
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Harpoon Cider
From: Shawn Carney <shawn@blossomwoodcidery.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:31:36 -0500
Well said, Ben- I haven't had Harpoon cider, but remembering some old
George Carlin wisdom about eating brussel sprouts I don't think I have to
(at least in the mind of Carlin). The gist of it was ?I know I don't
like them even that I haven't tried them and if I ate them I know I would
like them even less?. As for supporting local orchards, adding yet
another market for $1.50 per bushel culled fruit does not help orchardists
and buying higher grade under ripe, bigger, and juicier dessert fruit
doesn't help cider, especially since you can buy good cider fruit in New
England for a reasonable price. I also hope Harpoon will keep on trying
to improve their product by using fruit better suited for the purpose.
I have been confused whether the people that make drinks like this (from
Boston to the Sierra foothills) just haven't had good cider before or if
they operate under the philosophy that people will believe whatever you
tell them ? tell them it's the best cider and they'll believe it! I hope
the first is true and they just haven't had the opportunity to sample an
array of quality ciders before deciding what their own contribution will be.
Shawn Carney
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End of Cider Digest #1423
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