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Cider Digest #1484
Subject: Cider Digest #1484, 26 January 2009
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1484 26 January 2009
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Reply to "Winter pruning" ("Walter Phelps")
MLF monitoring (Andrew Lea)
Re: Winter Pruning (Bill)
Re: First post and question (Ben Watson)
Sam Smith cider (Ben Watson)
"Colossal" is a nice goal (Alan Yelvington)
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Subject: Reply to "Winter pruning"
From: "Walter Phelps" <walter6353@verizon.net>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:41:55 -0500
RE; Winter pruning. Orchard Equipment Supply Company in Conway,
Massachusetts makes and sells the Wheeler pruning saw, a favorite with New
England pruners. The open handled design means that you can use it wearing
mittens or heavy gloves. They also sell a heavy duty lever action pole pruner
made by Allen Brothers in Westminster, VT. for smaller, hard-to-reach limbs.
------------------------------
Subject: MLF monitoring
From: Andrew Lea <andrew@HarpHill.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:54:36 +0000
Jason wrote:
> I have recently become interested in the ability to test for the
> presence of an ongoing MLF. It seems that there are a number of ways
> to do this- chromatography kits, testing for lactic or malic acid
> levels, or testing Total Acidity. In the experience of anyone who
> has tried these, does one method work better than another? Is one
> more sensitive than another? It seems that the kits for testing
> Lactic or Malic acid levels would be the most expensive route, but
> perhaps the simplest.
I have used all three. I have only ever used (enzyme based) kits for
testing malic and lactic acids specifically in a laboratory setting.
Unless there are some 'domestic' versions of these kits available, they
use specialised lab equipment eg spectrophotometers which are not found
in the average kitchen!
Thin layer chromatography (TLC) I have successfully used at home, but
only because I was able to bring in all the required solvents /
indicators / plates etc which I made up first in the lab. If there are
kits available - all well and good! One caution is that the spots are
really difficult to view (see my website
http://www.cider.org.uk/tlctext.htm for details - sorry the link to the
source paper seems to be broken) and succinic acid can interfere with
the lactic spot. With TLC you can monitor at any time, even if the MLF
has already started.
My view is that, at home, the simple drop in TA is easiest to do and to
follow. It is at least as sensitive as TLC and you do get a number!
Though it is no good if you don't start to monitor from well before the
MLF takes a hold. The virtue of cider is that 90% of the acid is malic
and so if a MLF gets going the TA can drop by 50%. Hence you have
sensible numbers which is not the case for say a grape wine where most
of the acid remains as tartaric.
Talking of grape wines also reminds me to say that, if there are
domestic kits out there for measurement of MLF by TLC or specific acids,
they will probably be intended for grape wines not ciders. So the
concentrations and dilutions will need adjusting to suit.
Andrew
Wittenham Hill Cider Page and 'Craft Cider Making' book
www.cider.org.uk
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Winter Pruning
From: Bill <squeeze@mars.ark.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:32:47 -0800
Alan: Your task would be much more enjoyable if you skip the winter
pruning, which will yield an immense amount of vigorous new *unwanted*
growth. Pruning during the growing season is what will have some chance
of bringing trees like that under control. Dormant pruning is pruning
for [forced]tree growth, especially on immature trees, Summer pruning is
pruning for fruit growth and health.
See <http://mars.ark.com/~squeeze/7B-orch.html#prune> and below
For tools, stick to professional grade lopers, which make cleaner cuts
up to about 1.5", and for larger cuts, proper pruning saws, with NO
plastic parts, but rather find wood [Ash] or aluminum handles, and avoid
"anvil" tools which tend to crush, making messy cuts - choose "bypass"
tools - Fiskars is a decent quality at a reasonable price, but there are
many .... also note that no pruning tool is designed for ease of use in
freezing weather, because that's not the time to be using them, frozen
wood is as likely to shatter as cut.
Bill <http://mars.ark.com/~squeeze/>
------------------------------
Subject: Re: First post and question
From: Ben Watson <BWatson@chelseagreen.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:42:02 -0500
Frank Stevens asks:
What would you plant this spring for your cider?
Gee, Frank, for a first question this one should stimulate a lot of
discussion . . . Nicely done.
It sounds as though you have a relatively small home orchard area to work
with -- there are so many good apples from which to choose that you should
have no problem finding several that will fill your needs for other uses
(eating, pies, sauce) and that will also contribute to a balanced and
good-tasting sweet and hard cider.
You are correct that some apples are more of a hassle to grow than others,
especially some of the European bittersweets and bittersharps. My advice
would be to start with North American varieties and get some that are
regionally well adapted.
If you would like to include some regional heritage varieties, I might
suggest Northwest Greening (high acid for sauce, pies, etc.) and Opalescent
(fresh eating) as good possibilities. Mike Beck and others in Michigan have
had good luck with Winter Banana, which I like as a cider apple (plus it's
very beautiful, though it bruises easily).
Phil Forsline at Geneva is from Minnesota, and he loves Kerr Crab, which I
suspect would be a decent cider apple, and is incredibly hardy and
dependable. Another Minnesota apple is Wealthy, which is an heirloom and
which Rich Stadnik at Pup's Cider in NH likes to use in his cider blend.
As far as new, disease-resistant apples, I am becoming enamored of Gold
Rush, which looks a bit like Golden Delicious, but is pretty much
scab-immune, and (IMHO) is more attractive and definitely better tasting
(and easier to press) than GD. It has a nice "spicy" sweet flavor that
reminds me of Grimes Golden, the old West Virginia apple also descended from
GD.
Anyway, given an ounce of encouragement I could certainly come up with a lot
more suggestions, but I'm sure that others (like Charles McGonegal) in your
region will want to weigh in.
Ben Watson
Francestown, NH
------------------------------
Subject: Sam Smith cider
From: Ben Watson <BWatson@chelseagreen.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:01:57 -0500
With the recent postings on Crispin cider, I was wondering if anyone else
has tried Samuel Smith's Organic Cider.
This comes in 550 ml. bottles, and isn't cheap (I paid $4.75 for the bottle
I purchased in Mass.). It was recommended to me as being a cut above the
typical industrial "draft" cider, but I have to say that I wasn't impressed.
It definitely tastes better than Harpoon's thin, watery stuff, and isn't
anywhere near as hypersweet as Ace or Cider Jack, etc. It's just very, very
basic and appley to my taste, and my reaction to it is "Eh, so what?" I
definitely don't think it's worth the premium price.
Part of the problem, I guess, is that I just don't enjoy drinking this style
of cider -- which as far as I'm concerned is a good thing, since I have
plenty of my own stuff to go through, and a lot of other artisan ciders in
New England from which to choose.
But it's still a relevant question, I think, for the CD to tackle, since not
everyone necessarily has access to good artisan cider -- or in fact enjoys
it. So what are the brands that others feel are worth drinking, if any? And
are any improved by truly being on a draft system, as opposed to in the
bottle. I could actually see myself enjoying the Sam Smith more on draft at
a bar than in the bottle -- just as I once had a decent Magners years ago in
an NYC bar. Perhaps it's being in the sociable company of other people, or
the "fresher" carbonation sensation?
Ben Watson
Francestown, NH
------------------------------
Subject: "Colossal" is a nice goal
From: Alan Yelvington <alany@semparpac.org>
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 09:35:37 -0500
A fun read, and I like the term "colossal" to describe cider production
back in the day...
http://proof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/drunk-as-a-skunk-or-a-wild-monkey-or-a
-pig/
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End of Cider Digest #1484
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