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Cider Digest #1627
Subject: Cider Digest #1627, 25 April 2011
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1627 25 April 2011
Cider and Perry Discussion Forum
Contents:
re: BEESWAX (Aaron Skelton)
Re: just kidding (Jay Hersh)
Re: Beeswax as a gasket material for juice and cider (Ben Watson)
FW: bag in box ("Mark Johnson")
cider & beeswax ("Eric C. Shatt")
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Subject: re: BEESWAX
From: Aaron Skelton <zookie400@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:08:58 -0400
re: BEESWAX
ALAN, I would not suggest using beeswax as a seal or gasket, because beeswax
is sugar based. I cannot speak from experience with this but I would
imagine that the fermenting would cause the sugar based wax to disappear.
For the record I have been wrong before!
Aaron Skelton
CT
------------------------------
Subject: Re: just kidding
From: Jay Hersh <jsh@doctorbeer.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:49:22 -0400
At 03:58 PM 4/20/2011, cider-request@talisman.com wrote:
>Sorry if any of you were unduly taken-in by my 1 April suggestion of cider
>flavored with apple-smoked bacon. I suspected that there were smoked
>ciders out there (after all, why not) but tried to put it OTT with the
>bacon part.
People make bacon martinis (yuch!) these days, so smoked bacon cider
isn't a stretch. I like bacon as much as the next guy but I draw the
line at putting it in drinks. I think the foodie thing is starting to
get a little out of control...
Jay H
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Subject: Re: Beeswax as a gasket material for juice and cider
From: Ben Watson <BWatson@chelseagreen.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:55:34 -0400
Al Yelvington asked whether beeswax would be dissolved by juice or cider if
used as a caulking or sealing material. I don't believe that it would be --
not that I have personal experience with it myself.
I am basing my opinion on a visit to a soon-to-be-opened ciderworks in
Virginia -- on Castle Hill Estates. I was down there with Steve Wood and
Louisa Spencer from Farnum Hill Ciders, and visited this past Sunday.
Stewart, the cidermaker, showed us around -- and in addition to the usual
metal fermentation tanks and other equippage, he took us outside where they
had buried eight large clay fermenters that they had purchased from Georgia
(as in the former Soviet republic). These Qvevri, as they're called were in
two sizes -- 200 liter and 1,300 liter capacity -- and they were made of
clay about two inches thick that was sealed inside with beeswax. Stewart was
also sealing around the top of the soapstone lids with beeswax -- the
soapstone covers had several holes drilled in the top that were fitted with
airlocks.
This technology is about 8000 years old, and I'll be very curious to hear
how cider ferments in these behemoths. The theory of course is that your
wine (or cider) ferments underground at a very constant ambient temperature.
Steve and I were trying to figure out how one would clean these out,
exactly, and Stewart was telling us about flushing the qvevri and then
getting down inside the bigger ones to clean them (this is when a skinny
10-year-old boy would come in handy). I'm dubious about that part of the
operation.
One other point, Al -- if you do decide to use the beeswax keep in mind that
this stuff retains heat and cools off rather slowly. So even when it's
turning back into a semisolid, it's incredibly hot to the touch. Which
should go without saying, but I'd probably burn my hands on the stuff if I
didn't think about it.
By the way, this visit all took place the day after the annual Cidermakers
Forum at Albemarle Ciderworks, which was well attended and as always
extremely interesting and useful. To see details, go to
http://www.vintagevirginiaapples.com
Ben Watson
Francestown, NH
------------------------------
Subject: FW: bag in box
From: "Mark Johnson" <friendlypool@astound.net>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:59:24 -0700
I thought you might be interested in this. There was a discussion about it
on the digest a while back. I am sure it is OK to post it on the digest as
well. Olin is the CEO of More Flavor! Inc. as you can see from his e-mail.
Mark "Ciderman" Johnson
From: Olin Schultz [mailto:oschultz@moreflavor.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 5:11 PM
To: friendlypool@astound.net
Subject: bag in box
HI Mark,
We did get this up on line if you know of anyone who is interested.
http://morewinemaking.com/search/103294/beerwinecoffee/coffeewinebeer/Wine_Bottl
es
Thanks again for the tip.
Cheers!
Olin
- --
Olin Schultz
CEO | MoreFlavor! Inc.
1-800-600-0033 | (925) 771-7101
oschultz@moreflavor.com | www.MoreFlavor.com
------------------------------
Subject: cider & beeswax
From: "Eric C. Shatt" <ecs222@cornell.edu>
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:47:29 -0400
In response to Alan Yelvington's question regarding beeswax and cider.
Just last week I bottled a cyser that I made this year where I added my
own raw unrefined honey to the fermentation. After fermentation I noticed
some peculiar white globular objects floating on top. I was concerned
it was some sort of strange film yeast. When I bottled it last week I
noticed that it was wax from the honey. It makes sense to me that the
wax would not dissolve in the cider so I think beeswax would make an
excellent food grade gasket or thread compound for leaky cider vessels.
It also could work well as something to protect half full tanks / carboys
from oxidation, if poured in the cider hot.
Eric Shatt
Burdett, NY
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End of Cider Digest #1627
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