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Cider Digest #1828
Subject: Cider Digest #1828, 1 December 2013
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1828 1 December 2013
Cider and Perry Discussion Forum
Contents:
Re: Cider Digest #1827, 29 November 2013 (pelagic13@gmail.com)
Cider Hard & Sweet (Ben Watson's book 3rd ed) review (Dick Dunn)
Re: Original Gravities English Cider Varieties (Claude Jolicoeur)
Bittersweet T-Shirt (John Bunker)
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Digest Janitor: Dick Dunn
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Subject: Re: Cider Digest #1827, 29 November 2013
From: pelagic13@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 12:31:34 -0500
Robert,
The WSU extension office offers some pretty invaluable information from
their cider tests. Starting brix, tannin%, malic%, ph etc...
http://extension.wsu.edu/maritimefruit/reports/Documents/Cider-Apples-11.pdf
Regards,
Cory Alexander
> Subject: Original Gravities English Cider Varieties
> From: "Robert and Kay West" <robandkaywest@tiscali.co.uk>
> Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 07:16:53 -0000
>
> Hello,
>
> I am in Herefordshire, England and I wonder if anyone knows of any
> publication, website etc. which details the expected gravities of pressed
> juice for each traditional cider variety.
>
> If anyone can point me in the right direction I would be grateful.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Robert West.
>
> Herefordshire, Great Britain.
------------------------------
Subject: Cider Hard & Sweet (Ben Watson's book 3rd ed) review
From: Dick Dunn <rcd@talisman.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:17:38 -0700
Herewith a short review of Ben Watson's book, Cider Hard & Sweet (History,
Traditions, and Making Your Own), 3rd edition.
Put this book on your Christmas list. Better yet, go buy yourself a copy
- -right-now- and start reading it; then get another copy and give it to a
friend for Christmas.
I don't know why Ben's book has been such a sleeper. It ought to be on the
shelves of every homebrew and home-wine shop. IMNSHO it's better than the
ubiquitous (and by now very dated) Proulx & Nichols. Watson has brought
his book up-to-date with timely material such as an exploration/explanation
of Spanish ciders and has added useful new material in numerous sections.
There are more photographs and they're now in color. The book is accurate
and gives a balanced treatment of topics.
A while back I did some quick comments on Claude Jolicoeur's big Cider
Maker's Handbook. I still think that's essential for anybody who's serious
about cider. But it may be too intense for someone who's still tentative
about getting into cidermaking, or not ready to "mainline" so much info.
Ben's book is a gentler, shorter intro to cider. He really maps out the
territory, ciderspace you might say. It's also a book that you just sit
down and read because it's enjoyable. Ben is a good writer so the book
pulls you right along.
Also, Ben is an old-timer in the cider community...the reason he can write
about the whole of it is that he's been involved and active for so long.
I've been pursuing cider for some years myself, yet off-and-on I found
myself saying, "Hmmm...I didn't know that!" or "Never thought of it that
way."
The chapter on cider styles and traditions is particularly good for how it
can give you perspective.
I'm not a big fan of recipes, but the recipe chapter is a sensibly
proportioned and varied set of recipes using or connected to sweet or hard
cider.
The perry chapter is pretty good, and it's nice to have pages about perry
instead of just the byword in some other books.
Understand: This is not a book about how to make cider. This is a book
about cider. "How to make cider" is in there, and well-done, but it's only
parts of the book. Even if you just want to learn how to make cider, get
this book and read all of it. The material that's not pure how-to will
give you a much larger context and appreciation for what you're doing.
My one complaint is that in going from the 2nd to 3rd edition, the book
went from hardbound to paperback.
Highly recommended.
- --
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Original Gravities English Cider Varieties
From: Claude Jolicoeur <cjoliprsf@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2013 15:58:17 -0500
In Cider Digest #1827, 29 November 2013
>Subject: Original Gravities English Cider Varieties
>From: "Robert and Kay West" <robandkaywest@tiscali.co.uk>
>
>I am in Herefordshire, England and I wonder if anyone knows of any
>publication, website etc. which details the expected gravities of pressed
>juice for each traditional cider variety.
The best reference I know would be Liz Copas, "A Somerset Pomona". It
does give for 80 English cider varieties the SG, acidity and tannin
numbers. But it is sold out... You might be able to find a copy at
some used book store online.
There is a new edition of this book: "Cider Apples The New Pomona",
and I gather it is now in preorder. See Liz Copas website:
http://www.lizcopas.com/
Claude Jolicoeur
------------------------------
Subject: Bittersweet T-Shirt
From: John Bunker <john.p.bunker@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2013 11:47:57 -0500
Recently we put together a color T-shirt featuring paintings of
several classic cider apples and the slogan,
"It's alway OK to be bitter" If you're interested in purchasing a T-
shirt for your cider-loving buddies, you can see the shirt on our
website,
http://outonalimbcsa.wordpress.com/goodies/
Wassail!
John Bunker and the Out On A Limb crew
------------------------------
End of Cider Digest #1828
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