Craft Hard Cider: Recipes, Tips, and Ideas for Making & Enjoying Hard Cider
Yeast Derivative Products (YDPs) can aid fermentation, turbidity, and aroma. Have you ever heard of Yeast Derivative Products (YDPs)? If you are exposed to the wine industry, you have probably come across them as they are becoming more widely used in that industry. Rarely do I hear about there use in cider. I should clarify … Continue reading Cider Words: Yeast Derivative Products (YDPs)
Yes, I’m making sourdough crackers almost every weekend. That just means I have to let my starter sit out over night so I can make a pizza dough, some pretzels, or bread loaf as well. This has slowed our pizza proliferation, but it definitely hasn’t stopped it. You might also notice a shift in our … Continue reading Pizza & Hard Cider: Part IX
Winesap Phenolic Compounds Winesap is an heirloom apple variety in America and it was the parent of numerous other apples including various Winesap seedlings. Stayman Winesap is an example of a Winesap seedling that is commonly found in the United States. Arkansas Black apples are also thought to be a seedling of Winesap. While originally … Continue reading Apple Phenolics: Winesap
After cider, sourdough is probably my second favorite thing to make. Like hard cider, it is very diverse. You can use it to make so many different foods and just like cider, you can combine it with many different adjuncts. Pizza and crackers have been at the top of the list for using my sourdough. … Continue reading Sourdough Pretzels & Hard Cider
Preservatives naturally found in hard cider Fermenting apple juice and making hard cider will naturally create compounds that act as preservatives. These compounds, like SO2 and CO2, can be added but, I am focusing on how these compounds are naturally created. The compounds are produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast in your juice … Continue reading Cider Words: Natural Preservatives
Blue Flame Cider Label My love of spicy food has been carrying over into my cider making. One of my favorites from last year was my cider mistelle, Ruby Reaper. It uses Carolina Reaper peppers, which were considered the world’s hottest pepper. I also made a hop and pepper cider called Flamin’ Hops that you … Continue reading Making Blue Flame Cider
Understanding pH to Make Better Cider Have you ever thought about what pH really means and why it might be important to cider making? Well you should. It is one of the key measurements that can help you make better hard cider. It’s also one if the easiest to measure since inexpensive and reasonably accurate … Continue reading CiderWords: pH
I did a previous experiment using heavy toasted French and American oak on a cider to see if we could recognize a difference in the aromas. This led to using oak more often and to even start experimenting with different wood, like maple, hickory, and birch. Wood is a great adjunct for cider. Besides adding … Continue reading Aging Cider with Oak
Proanthocyanidins Characteristics Besides providing hard cider with organoleptic benefits, like bitterness and astringency, phenolic compounds can provide valuable health benefits. The old adage of an apple a day keeps the doctor away has a lot of truth to it. Many studies have shown the healthful benefits derived from the moderate consumption of red wine. These … Continue reading Cider and Health – Proanthocyanidins
Flora Dora Cider Mistelle Label Flora Dora is another fortified hard cider recipe. It is what I call a cider mistelle. I put mistelles in my Dessert style of ciders. These are ciders with higher levels of alcohol and are normally served with the dessert course. The dryer versions I sometimes serve as apéritifs and … Continue reading Making Flora Dora Cider Mistelle
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