Cider Flashcards
What is a traditional cider made from?
100% fermented apple juice
what are the 3 main ingredients of traditional cider?
- apples
- yeast
- sugar
what kinds of apples are used to make cider?
tart and bittersweet apples, some with lots of tannin - not the ones you’d find at a grocery store or market
in what kind of climate is cider generally made
cool climates – usually so cold the climate cannot support grape growing
can a cider maker use selected yeast strains to make cider or are all ciders always made with indigenous yeast?
Cidermakers can absolutely use selected, or commercial, yeast strains to make cider.
Selected yeast produce reliable results while indigenous yeasts are more difficult to manager; indigenous yeasts also lend funky aromas and flavors
if apples already have natural sugar in them, why would a cider maker add sugar to the juice before fermentation?
- increase final alcohol content
- balance tartness + bitterness
what are the steps in making cider?
the fruit is:
- crushed
- pressed
- yeast + sugar added
- fermented
- filtered if being done
- rest
- botteld
what is the abv range of traditional cider?
5-8% abv
what are the fermentation vessels typically used to make cider?
- large, neutral wooden vats
2. stainless steel tanks
what are the 2 overarching styles of cider?
- new world
2. old world/ European
in an old world / European style of cider, what do you expect it to reflect?
the place from which it comes, highlighting the:
- soil
- climate
- style of that region (sparkling, still, stinky, etc.)
what sorts of cider do you see in New World styles?
A veritable rainbow of styles:
- sweet
- dry
- sparkling
- still
- added fruits and flavors
how is a sparkling cider made?
2 ways:
- it can be force-carbonated, like soda pop
- it can go through secondary fermentation
if a sparkling cider is made by it going through secondary fermentation, where can that secondary fermentation happen?
- in tank, like prosecco
- in the bottle, like champagne or crémant
name some old world/ European countries + regions where cider is made
- southwest England
- France - in Normandy and Brittany
- Spain - In Basque Country and Asturias
- Germany
- Austria
