Cider and Vinegar Making on a Small to Moderate Scale

Terry BradshawLost Meadow Orchard and Cider Mill

Calais, VTwww.lostmeadowvt.com

September 7, 2013

Why Cider?•Historical context• ‘Old World’ since Roman times• Prominence in Northern Europe• Crossed to America with first settlers• New England culture• Recent revival of (hard) cidermaking

Cider: Definitions•Sweet cider – unprocessed, fresh squeezed juice from apples ( in Europe, Canada, etc.)Pasteurization and UV treatment?

•Apple Juice: Squeezed juice from apples processed through heat, concentration, or clarification

Cider: Definitions• (Hard) cider – Fermented Apple Juice•Differentiation between amount of processing• Adjuncts• ‘Real Cider’

•Cider Vinegar• Cider processed by Acetobacter

Cider Safety and Regulation:Why Even Worry?

Food Illness Outbreaks Associated with Cider

• 1923: Salmonella typhimurium: 24 cases• 1974, NJ: S. typhimurium: 300

cases• 1980, ON: E. coli 0157:H7: 14

cases, 1 death• 1991, MA: E. coli 0157:H7: 23

cases• 1993, ME: Cryptosporidium

spp.: 213 cases• 1996, CA, etc: E. coli 0157:H7:

66 cases, 1 death• 1996, NY: C. parvum : 32 cases• 1996, CT: E. coli 0157:H7: 14

cases• 1996, WA: E. coli 0157:H7: 6

cases• 1998, ON: E. coli 0157:H7: 10

cases

• 1999, OK: E. coli 0157:H7: 25 cases• 2003, OH: C. parvum, 144 cases• 2004, NY: E. coli 0157:H7 and C.

parvum, 212 cases• 2005, ON: E. coli 0157:H7: 4

cases• 2007, MA: E. coli 0157:H7: 9

cases• 2008, IA: E. coli 0157:H7: 7

cases• 2010, MD: E. coli 0157:H7: 7

cases

Juice Safety Myths• “I grew up on raw cider/ milk and have built up immunities”

• “We have been squeezing drops forever”

• “E. Coli 0157:H7 only comes from grain fed industrial farm animals”

• “Pasteurized cider tastes terrible/won’t ferment”

Juice Safety MythsThe chance of major food sickness…

Is it worth it?

Consider impact of an outbreak on FamilyHomeThe overall food system

USE COMMON SENSE and SOUND SCIENCE

Cider Mill Regulation• In VT cider mills are regulated by: • 2001 FDA juice rule • FDA CGMP rule•Health Regulations for Food Service Establishments • VT Dept of Health• >$10,000 total gross sales

•1998 VT Legislature: non-binding resolution in favor of allowing cider mills to operate without pasteurization

FDA Cider Mill Regulation “The Juice Rule”•Drafted in response to 1997 and other FBI outbreaks in juice• Four years of consumer, industry and producer input• Final rule in 2001, all parts effective in 2003• Set clear precedents on producers / processors for food safety

FDA Cider Mill Regulation “The Juice Rule”•Applies both inter and intra-state•All juice wholesaled must be processed under a HACCP plan• Recordkeeping System• Addresses many safety issues in the juice mill (physical, chemical, microbiological)• Pasteurization or UV treatment is a key step in the (wholesale) plan to achieve 5-log reduction in potential pathogen load

FDA Cider Mill Regulation “The Juice Rule”•5-log kill step: 99.999% reduction in pathogen of concern•MUST be done on verifiable equipment • Time/Temp Charts or UV intensity/hold times• Approved Manufacturers

• Cost $8k – 30k•Done wrong is no better (and maybe worse) than not done at all

www.goodnature.com

FDA Cider Mill Regulation “The Juice Rule”• Retail exemption: Retail-only operations are exempt from the HACCP regulation but still liable for food safety (CGMP rule) and must post warning statement

FDA CGMP Rule•Federal rule applies to all food processors•Often ‘enforced’ by state health departments•General Provisions • Personnel- hygiene, supervision, training

• Buildings and Facilities• Design, cleaning, water supply

• Equipment• Cleaning and sanitiation,

• Production and Processing

Cider Mill Safety: Clean fruit•Good orchard practices• Affidavits from growers?• NO Manure use in orchard

•No drops, rots, soil, etc• Drops not expressly prohibited in VT but without

complete culling, washing, and kill step…BAD IDEA•Washing / culling system•Won’t eat, don’t squeeze• Think twice about custom pressing?

Cider Mill Safety: Clean Mill

•Facility: INDOORS, running water (hot and cold), floor drains•Nonporous surfaces• Equipment, walls, floor

•New jugs/containers•Cold chain (refrigeration)

www.hochorchard.com

Cider Mill Safety: Clean Mill

• Cleaning and sanitation regimen (SSOP’s)• Write a washing ‘regime’, follow it• Sanitize properly

• Cl, Acid washes, peroxides• Organic certification considerations

•Operator training• Hygeine• Processing steps

Cider Mill Safety: Home Cider•Use common sense• Apply principles of good sanitation, storage, etc.•Not for sale- less regulation BUT• Liability still exists

• Be Smart

http://samcook.areavoices.com/2010/10/04/cider-making-day-at-the-moen-kolenz-home/

Cider Mill Setup and Operation

The Cider Mill• Loading system:• Hopper, bin bumper,

etc.•Grinder• Hardest to build

yourself• Commercial units are

expensive but worth it for sanitation alone

The Cider Mill•Pomace Management•Tub presses•Rack and cloth•Modern racks made of plastic rather than wood

•Belt press• Strictly large-scale

The Cider Mill•Press•Relatively easy to build or modify•Screw, ratchet, hydraulic jack as pressure source•50-100 psi @ rack surface

Hand Screw Press• Relatively cheap ($500-1000 new)• Easy to move, easy to fix• Available widely

• Inefficient (<2 gal / bu)• Time consuming• 50-100 gallons per day is a lot• (Usually plenty for homeowners and neighborhood

cider bees)

Commercial Press•Used market is full of them•Permanent setup, lots of space•Higher cost, higher yield (3+ gal / bu)•Rack and cloth 2+ person operation•High quality juice (low pulp)

Making the Cider

Sweet Cider• Any clean, ripe apples okay• Varietal and seasonal differences•New England: McIntosh• A mix is best• Later varieties tend to be better (more body, aroma)

Sweet Cider: Keeping• Clean cider, refrigerated: 7-10 days• Pasteurized and refrigerated: 10-14 days +• Short time (160F for 5 secs, immediately cooled)

• Frozen: 1 year +• Canned: 2+ years• NOT a substitute for HACCP • Home use: follow canning rules

• Fermentation

Hard Cider• Fermented Apple Juice• Traditional (Old World) method of preservation• Peer-reviewed University trials: effective means of 5-log pathogen reduction• Complicated by alcohol issue

Hard Cider: Regulation• VT state law: Cider sales outside of state system but only in 32 gallon-barrel increments• Federal Law trumps archaic state law• Multiple Agencies to deal with

Hard Cider: Licensing•VT state law: Cider sales outside of state system but only in 32 gallon-barrel increments

•Bureau ATF license & bonding• Labeling:• ≥ 7% abv, Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau, Dept. of Treasury• < 7% abv, FDA

• Local, state license and zoning• Certificate of Approval for Malt and Vinous Beverages

•Selling? •Wholesale/distributor account• Retail License (and location)

Hard Cider: At Home• 1978 US Law allows for home production of alcohol

• 100 gallons/year, 200 if >1 adult in the household• Licensed producers may

‘remove’ that amount for personal use• Cannot be sold or offered

for sale or barter

Hard Cider: The Juice•Best juice is from a cidermaker’s blend•General Blend (Proulx and Nichols)•Neutral 30 - 60%• Cortland, Rome, G. Delicious, Baldwin

• Tart 10 - 20% • Jonathan, Liberty (fresh), Greening, Spy

• Aromatic 10 - 20%• Cox, Russetts, McIntosh

• Astringent 5 - 10%• Crabapples, Bittersweets

Hard Cider Apples: Dessert Fruit•Heirloom Varieties not always best!• Looking for depth, complexity of flavor• Imagine the fruit with all sweetness removed

European Hard Cider Apples•Balanced Tannin, Acid, Sugar•Types:•Bittersharps: • Kingston Black, Stoke Red

•Bittersweets: •Dabinett, Michelin, Nehou

•Sharps: • Stembridge Cluster, Brown’s Apple

•Sweets: • Sweet Alford, Sweet Coppin

Cidermaking Basics•Raw juice has all you need•Carboy, Stopper, Time•Fermentation 1-3+ months• Cooler and longer is better

•Farmhouse style cider•Dry•Dessert fruit: tart• Possibly thin bodied

Cidermaking BasicsEquipment• Fermenter:• Carboys best• Buckets/HDPE barrels• Oak barrels• Stainless Tanks

‘Advanced’ Cidermaking:Juice Stabilization•Sulfite powder or tablets• pH dependent: 3.4 needs 100 ppm for ‘kill’• Typically add cultured yeast after (basic wine yeast works)

•Sulfite-free ciders are fine (sometimes great) but be prepared for inconsistencies

Advanced Cidermaking:Sugar Measurement and Addition•Typical specific gravity 1.045-1.060• 5.5 – 7.8 % abv

•Low-gravity juice or certain styles may require 2-6 oz sugar per gallon•White: neutral taste, no body• Brown: caramelized taste, only for NE ciders•Honey: light flavor, good for cysers

Advanced Cidermaking:Acid Adjustment•Acid measured through titration•0.75-1.25% ok•Target pH 3.2-3.5•Adjust with TA acid blends or through juice blending• Let pH take care of itself

Advanced Cidermaking:Fermentation Temperature•Cooler is better•< 60F, 40-50 better•Cold cellars work well• Stay away from potatoes, onions, other smells

•Primary ferment may take 3 months• Clearing, maturation through following summer

Advanced Cidermaking:Arresting Fermentation• Cold Stabilization knocks yeast out of suspension• 100-200 ppm sulfite kills them off• Addition of potassium sorbate can keep them down• Filters can remove yeast from suspension and stabilize sweet

ciders• Works best in closed systems• Kegs, bright tanks

• In-bottle pasteurization also works• All require strict sanitation downstream

Advanced Cidermaking:Arresting Fermentation

Cidermaking: Bottling and Storage•Bottle choice is wide• Wine, beer cap, keg

• Bottling must be clean to avoid infection, referment• Storage:• Cool• Vibration-free

Vinegar• Acetobacter convert alcohol to acetic acid• Aerobic process • Initial yeast ferment required

• Start: Fermented cider • Open top container• Screened• Warm: >75 F

Vinegar• 6% abv cider will finish ~ 5% acid vinegar• Acidity content determines stability• Measure with Titration, adjust

• At 75 F, 1% acid/month in passive system• Speed up with aeration, heating• Aquarium pumps, heaters• Use stainless or other food-grade materials

Vinegar• After 1 month finished vinegar will clear with thick ‘mother’ on surface• Remove Mother before bottling• Watch pumps for plugging• Plenty of bacteria will remain• Settle vinegar ~ 1week, then bottle

• Raw or pasteurized/canned

Vinegar: Tips• Aerobic process: • Aerate if needed, keep air out for cider

•Heat if necessary to maintain 70-80°F• Acid test to determine finish, safety• Acetobacter are everywhere and stay there• Keep away from cidermaking• Never share equipment

Thank You!

www.lostmeadowvt.com