Cider Digest #1933

eZine lover (@eZine)

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Cider Digest

 · 8 months ago

Subject: Cider Digest #1933, 20 January 2015 
From: cider-request@talisman.com 

 
Cider Digest #1933                                         20 January 2015 

                 Cider and Perry Discussion Forum 

Contents: 
  Spotty apples for cidermaking (David McEwan) 
  Any advice about carbonation and bottle filling would be appreciated (Sujin) 
  Wassail the Orchard (jejanicke) 
  Ranav apple (John Yeo) 

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Digest Janitor: Dick Dunn 
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Subject: Spotty apples for cidermaking 
From: David McEwan <david.c.mcewan@gmail.com> 
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 17:28:53 +1100 

Thanks to  those who responded to my questions about bottle conditioning. 
All very helpful as are the archives. 

A more serious issue has developed.  The trees I had earmarked for my 
maiden cider  crush (Pink Lady, Granny Smith and Fuji) have all developed 
small black spots on the fruit.  Some have a small brown "bruise".  The 
spots don't wipe off. 

We have had a warm, very wet spring and early summer.  Given that and the 
speed of the affliction I suspect the problem is fungal.  There is about 
2-300Kg of fruit at stake. 

Should I a) persist with the fruit, let it ripen (about March) and crush 
away  - what is the risk of taint in the cider? 
b) spray with a preventative/curative - i was thinking Copper Oxychloride 
and/or Mancozeb and then proceed - again is there a risk of taint from the 
spray, or 

c) dump the fruit and hope for better next year? 

Grateful for any advice. 

David McEwan 

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Subject: Any advice about carbonation and bottle filling would be appreciated 
From: Sujin <eesujin@gmail.com> 
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 10:59:09 -0500 

New to Cider Digest, new to cider making, and new to carbonating and 
pressure filling... 

I've had amazing luck working with an experienced winemaker (with zero 
cider experience) producing our first batch of cider ever! We have sterile 
filtered it, added SO2, and put it into a 7 bbl bright tank to be 
carbonated. At the moment, we're having some difficulty with our cooling 
system, so the cider is at 44 F, but we're aiming to bring it down to as 
close to 32 F as possible. Ultimately we are trying to achieve about 3-3.5 
volumes of CO2 -- I'm not sure how much that translates as bars of 
pressure. What I'm worried about is that the tank is rated for only 15 psi. 
According to the chart that came with the tank, it looks like we can get 
close to our goal as long as we can get the temperature down. 

I'm hoping to get other people's experiences with force carbonation, if our 
goal is feasible with this equipment, at what pressure to carbonate, for 
how long, and for how long we need to let it sit once we achieve (I hope) 
our desired carbonation. 

We've also built a simple 4-head manual counter pressure filler to use for 
bottling. We're in our testing phases -- learning how to clean and use it 
- -- so we'd appreciate any advice or warnings before we get into the throes 
of carbonating and bottling madness. 

Trying to stay warm in Geneva, NY, 
Susan Yi 

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Subject: Wassail the Orchard 
From: jejanicke <jejanicke@gmail.com> 
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 11:14:46 -0700 

Just to close the loop.  Went to the orchard yesterday about dusk with 
all the prescribed gear.  Placed a cider soaked piece of toast in a forked 
branch of the best tree as a toast to the goddess Pomona.  While pouring 
cider on the roots of other trees the toast fell and the dog wolfed it down 
almost before it hit the ground.  Beat the tree and made a lot of racket 
finishing with reading the poem and firing a (blank) shot into the branches. 
The dog was very excited with the whole affair. 
 We retired. 
Now it will be interesting to see the results. 
Ole Joe= 

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Subject: Ranav apple 
From: John Yeo <john.yeo@oregonstate.edu> 
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 09:45:23 -0800 

I'm looking for information on the origin of an apple called Ranav. It's a 
very high tannin speckled apple approximately 2.25" diameter. Trees are 
vigorous and annual bearing. 

We have some in a local collection I'd like to propagate, but I can't find 
any references to it. 

Thanks, 
John Yeo 

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End of Cider Digest #1933 
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