Cider Digest #1609

Published in

· 7 months ago

Subject: Cider Digest #1609, 15 January 2011 
From: cider-request@talisman.com 

Cider Digest #1609                                         15 January 2011 

                 Cider and Perry Discussion Forum 

Contents: 
  Apple mix for custom pressing ("David Houseman") 
  applejack ("drcath@tiac.net") 

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Digest Janitor: Dick Dunn 
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Subject: Apple mix for custom pressing 
From: "David Houseman" <david.houseman@verizon.net> 
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:24:25 -0500 

While I've read a lot about cider making and judged cider quite a few times, 
I've only made ciders but just from commercially available drinking cider. 
Other than the basics, I don't know apples.   Our club would be interested 
in having a local orchard do a custom pressing but we need to specify the 
apples.  I don't know at the moment what apples they have.   They are 
unlikely to have anything very rare or heritage and the cider they typically 
have is just good drinking cider.   Could someone specify a selection of 
sugar apples, acidic apples and apples for tannins that I can use to talk to 
the orchard.   At least with a list of apple varieties for each of the three 
categories it will be a good starting point. 

TIA, 

David Houseman 

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Subject: applejack 
From: "drcath@tiac.net" <drcath@tiac.net> 
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 10:59:35 -0500 

It seems unlikely that a commercial product based on fractional 
crystalization and marketed as such would be allowed. The applejack process 
purifies the water removed from a fermented cider and leaves the aldehydes, 
ketones and oily alcohols behind. These are the volatile organics 
responsible for one's "apple palsy" after drinking too much jack, not the 
ethanol level. A properly distilled apple brandy does not contain these 
VOCs because the heads and tails are thrown out leaving a purified ethanol 
in the product. In contrast applejack, depending on how cold it gets in 
your neck of the woods, just concentrates these paint stripping 
undesireables in the beverage. Apply for a distiller's license and 
handcraft an artisan brandy or calvados instead. 

Dave 

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End of Cider Digest #1609 
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