What you say is right, these things happen very slowly. It took aust. wine a long time to become a quality product, the process is just happening with cider. If we get enough people committed to making good quality craft cider, things will improve. Until then people will drink sweet fizzy apple softdrink.
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Dave70
Le roi est mort..
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I'm afraid I'd never lump production of cider on par with that of beer.
It personally always evokes the image of some ruddy cheeked, mutton chopped farmer from Englands south west who let a bunch of apples rot in an barrel for a month then hammered a tap into it.
That's the kind of prejudice River Cottage led me to.
Nettle beer?...please..
It personally always evokes the image of some ruddy cheeked, mutton chopped farmer from Englands south west who let a bunch of apples rot in an barrel for a month then hammered a tap into it.
That's the kind of prejudice River Cottage led me to.
Nettle beer?...please..
You could try using pear juice in the intial blend.
I'll qualify this by saying I haven't actually brewed a cider, but I've been thinking about doing one and doing a bit of research. What I can gather is that some fruits contain a small percentage of sorbitol, a non-fermentable sugar, as well as the fermentable glucose and fructose. Thus the amount of sorbitol in the juice to be fermented contributes to the sweetness (or otherwise) of the final fermented beverage.
Apples are generally low in sorbitol, while pears can have a much higher proportion of their overall sugar content. I guess that's why pear juice works as a back sweetener for bottle carbonation.
I've also read that sucralose can be used to back sweeten. I think that's an artificial sweetener and I'm not keen on them personally.
I'll qualify this by saying I haven't actually brewed a cider, but I've been thinking about doing one and doing a bit of research. What I can gather is that some fruits contain a small percentage of sorbitol, a non-fermentable sugar, as well as the fermentable glucose and fructose. Thus the amount of sorbitol in the juice to be fermented contributes to the sweetness (or otherwise) of the final fermented beverage.
Apples are generally low in sorbitol, while pears can have a much higher proportion of their overall sugar content. I guess that's why pear juice works as a back sweetener for bottle carbonation.
I've also read that sucralose can be used to back sweeten. I think that's an artificial sweetener and I'm not keen on them personally.
manticle
Standing up for the Aussie Bottler
No need to. Just appreciate the fact that both have a diversity of histories and cultures from which they are derived and that cider isn't just cider any more than beer is just beer.
"Well-crafted cider doesn't really taste of apples any more than a fine wine tastes of table grapes. Good cider is neither better nor worse than good wine and good ale." - Darren Kelly, Kellybrook winery.
My old man used to buy cider from officer/pakenham area in the early-mid 70s (My old man is a Dandenong lad). He likens what he was buying then to more like the cider I produce in my brewery than whats available from the commercials.
I love my cider brews - but that doesnt mean that a Mercury Draught Cider doesn't have a place in my fridge. Much like, shock horror, I tend to keep some carlton or VB in the fridge for visitors or for though hot days after mowing the lawn.
I probably make 4:1 (cider:beer) in my brewing schedules. My missus loves it. I love it and its so much less work (admittedly I'm not crushing my own apples - did it once and whilst the flavours were superior I dont have the time nor do I care for the clean up effort) than putting a batch through my 3V RIMS brewery.
I keep my cider for at least 6 months before bottling - I've got some coming upto 18 months that I'm about to bottle.
I have sweetend some batches with lactose.
My old man used to buy cider from officer/pakenham area in the early-mid 70s (My old man is a Dandenong lad). He likens what he was buying then to more like the cider I produce in my brewery than whats available from the commercials.
I love my cider brews - but that doesnt mean that a Mercury Draught Cider doesn't have a place in my fridge. Much like, shock horror, I tend to keep some carlton or VB in the fridge for visitors or for though hot days after mowing the lawn.
I probably make 4:1 (cider:beer) in my brewing schedules. My missus loves it. I love it and its so much less work (admittedly I'm not crushing my own apples - did it once and whilst the flavours were superior I dont have the time nor do I care for the clean up effort) than putting a batch through my 3V RIMS brewery.
I keep my cider for at least 6 months before bottling - I've got some coming upto 18 months that I'm about to bottle.
I have sweetend some batches with lactose.
