dominic rivard wineplanet consulting - michigan wines · cleanliness is next to godliness –very...
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A TECHNICAL INSIDER’S VIEW
Dominic Rivard – WinePlanet Consulting
Has a long and interesting history. Part of America’s history and making a resurgence.
Made on a commercial scale where ever apples are grown.
Can be made in as many styles as wine is. Cider is very versatile.
Quality is increasing fast.
Presently fastest growth in the alcoholic drink sector.
In many markets, it’s the only growing sector…
Young - 80% under 40
50% male, 50% female
College educated
Interested in variety
Drink a lot of craft and import
beer
More health conscious
Refreshing
Goes down easy
Slightly sweeter
Pairs well with food
Appropriate for day or night
High quality/natural perception
Alternative to both beer or wine
Gluten free
5.7%10.1%
20.2%
74.5%
64.8%68.3%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Cider Volume % Chg vs. YA High growth in most markets
Cider category is a growing part of the “craft” sector.
Starting to take a bite out of the craft beer market
Taking an increasingly larger bit out of the “mass” beer market too.
Typical quality blend is 40% Sweet, 40% Sharp, 20% Tannic Apples
Sweets (low acid, low tannin): McIntosh, Golden Russet, Gala
Bittersweets (low acid, high tannin): Dabinett, Yarlington Mill
Sharps (high acid, low tannin): EsopusSpitzenburg, Crimson King, Winesap
Bittersharps (high acid, high tannin): Kingston Black, Dolgo Crab
Big difference between “dessert” apples and cider apples. Often, the less edible the apple is,
the better it is for cider! We blend different varieties of apples to achieve various
sweetness, acidity, tannin structure, etc. This directly influences the style, character,
aroma, flavour and structure of the cider.
If you do not trust the source of the apples, you need to clean them.
Crushers (Puree, choppers, pulverizers)
Must Pumps – lobe or impeller
Presses (Basket, Idropress, Hydrolic, Belt Type, Squeeze Box)
Use of Rice Hulls
Washer
Crusher
Good Nature “Squeeze Box” Press
Pumps –Impeller/Centrifugal / Air Diaphram
Tanks – Plastic, Stainless, Cement, Oak
Filters – DE, Cross Flow, Plate, Cartridge
• Glycol Chiller – chill cider to -3’C
• Insulated/carbonation tank
• Labeler – PS vs. CG
• Counter-Pressure filler
• Capper/Corker
• Canning Line
• Keg Filler
Other options: Charmat/Champenoise
Cleanliness is next to Godliness – very true in cider making
Cider can be more prone to contamination than wine due to often higher pH levels and lower alcohol levels. Cidery hygiene is extremely important.
Difference between: Cleaning, Sanitation, Disinfection and Sterilization
Cleaners/Sanitizers used: Bleach (bad), Caustic Soda, Phospheric Acid, Iodine, Ozone, Steam
BASIC RULES:
Clean everything BEFORE you use it. And then sanitize. Even new equipment
Clean everything AFTER you use it. Right after. Now. Bottles, too!
Clean the cidery premises, not just the equipment, on a regular basis.
Keep the winery free of clutter.
Watch for pests (bacteria, mold, wild yeast, rodents, etc.), remove them, and prevent their return.
Deal with pomace IMMEDIATELY.
Understanding the composition of your juice/cider and its specification is one of the most important way to control and adjust the final product of the cider and make sure it gets the results you wish the cider to have.
pH/TA Measurements Adjustments – pH meter, titration
Fermentable Sugar Analysis (hydrometry, refractometry, CliniTest, GoldCoast Test
Chromotography testing for Malic acid and Lactic acid content.
Nitrogen analysis – YAN level testing
YAN stands for Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen. Nitrogen is the most important macronutrient for yeast after sugar. Proline testing
Free and Total Sulphite Testing – confirming amounts really needed
Ethanol/Alcohol level testing – Still method versus ebulometer
Acetic acid/VA Testing
Enzymes – PEC5L, HC, Lalzyme – breaks down pectins, increases juice yields, clarifies juice and will improve filtration.
Acids – Malic, Lactic, Citric
Tannins – FT Blanc, FT Blanc Citrus, post ferment tannins
Nutrient – DAP, Fermaid, Opti-White, Booster Blanc, etc
Use Inactivated yeast instead of DAP
Yeast – DV10, EC-1118, Cross-Evolution, etc
Rehydration Aid – Go-Ferm
THE RIGHT YEAST AND PROPER NUTRITION IS IMPORTANT!
59% of aroma descriptors and 79% of flavour is derived and influenced by the specific strains used in the cider.
Know what you want to achieve before you chose your yeast.
Improper yeast nutrition will cause stuck ferments, off-flavors, high VA and more.
Common Yeasts for Cider:
EC1118 – Low foaming, compact lees, neutral, good for champenoise method and re-start stuck ferments
DV10 – Good for low pH juice, clean ferment and can ferment at low temperatures
71B – Enhanced fruit character development needs warmer temperatures
Cross-Evolution – Enhanced mouthfeel and fruit character, more citrus characters.
Anchor Alchemy 1 – Tropical note development
Temperature: Do you have temperature control? Some strains run and ferment fast. Can burn off desirable flavors.
Ideal fermentation temperature for most styles of ciders is between 14-18’C. Above that, volatile esters start to burn off.
If you do not have temperature control, chose a yeast that is a slower fermenter such as 71B or others. Do not use DAP if you do not have temperature control – can cause heat spikes.
Some yeasts foam more than others. If your tanks are very full, don’t ferment with a high foaming yeast or you will have a big mess to deal with!
Quick/High Nutrient Ferments (2-3 weeks) = Clean flavour and aroma, simple, problem-free ciders
Slow/Low Nutrient Ferments (2-3 months) = Potentially more interesting, complex ciders but higher chance of VA and other off-negative flavours.
Ciders do not necessarily need to be fines and filtered but you will have better consistency and higher stability if you do.
Bentonite Fining: Removes the largest suspended solid particles and assists with protein stabilization of the cider. Is gentle on the cider if not over done. Do bench trials!
Gelatine/Isinglass Fining: Used to fine with more clarity, lower excess tannins and create a more compact lees, increase yields. Must be used together.
PVPP/Activated Carbon are used to remove off flavours or aromas – A last case solution
Usually, a cider is filtered 4 times: Rough through DE or pads at 1.5-2 micron, medium through pads at 0.8 micron, finishing pads at 0.45 micron and a sterile (absolute) cartridge at bottling or carbonation at 0.45 micron.
Crossflow filtration is becoming the “new standard” for those who can afford it.
Fermentation will not start – sluggish start – lack of nutrient – check your YAN!
Start of fermentation on wild yeast – improper yeast inoculation
Film Yeast – Candida, Micoderma – too much air space, lack of SO2, no N2 used
Hydrogen Sulphite – Rotten Eggs – solve by splash racking or copper sulphate
Acetic acid development
Hard to filter cider:
hazes – tannic haze, pectin haze - over pasteurized juice.
Improper fining
Trapped gases holding fining in suspension
Oxydation of juice or cider – lacking SO2, juice not treated quickly enough
Prevention is the best cure!
Make sure you have enough FSO2 present for the cider pH level
Heat/Protein Stability Testing – heat at 80’C for 6 hours, look for hazes
Cold Stability Testing Chill to just above freezing overnight, look for deposits/crystals
Yeast and Bacteria Counting – use a microscope and hemacytometer and aim for <10x6cells per ml. If more, do more filtration or fining.
Understand Preservative!
Sulphur Dioxide – directly correlated to your pH level
Sorbate/Sorbic Acid – know the legal limits to where you are shipping to.
Benzoate – Still used by industrial producers – can cause cancer!
Velcorin – effective but expensive set up – could forgo sterile filtration if used
Know your PU units – too little, no effect, too much, degradation of flavors.
Most operations aim for a PU of 50.
Inline pasteurization versus batch pasteurization
Pros:
Do not need Sorbate or Velcorin if used. More “natural”.
When well done, there is no sensory impact to the cider or juice.
Cons:
Expensive set-up, high labor and high energy costs
Units take a lot of facility space
Can not pasteurize kegs!
Glass Bottles, PET, Cans
Closures – Crown Caps, Stelvins/ROPP, Champagne Cork/Cage
Kegs – Metal, One-Way (Petainers, KeyKegs), various sizes
Growlers/Squeelers – popular!
Labels – PS, Cold Glue, Screen Printing, Full Body Wraps
6-Pack, 56.3%
12-Pack, 26.2%
4-Pack, 14.4%
Singles- 22Oz+, 1.9%
Singles- Under 22Oz, 1.1%
6-packs still
remain the
primary package
in the Cider
category
The end style needs to be planned and imagined at the very start of the process.
Apples used, initial juice adjustments and inputs plus final “tweaks” to a finished cider base will create the style of the cider.
Traditional Styles:
French – dry to sweet with distinctive “barnyard” flavors with loads of fruit notes.
English – dry, sweet. Crip acid, ripe fruit and softer tannins than French cider.
Spanish – wild yeast fermentation, interesting “funk” with citric notes. Usually dry.
North American Styles:
Farmhouse – Rustic, terroir driven. High tannin content, riper fruit and larger blend
Crackling – The more common craft cider, use of sweeter, less tannic apples, fruity
Flavored – Neutral cider base blended with fruit wines or fruit flavours, usually sweeter
Beer Inspired or Infused – hop ciders, “mulled” styles – seasonal styles
Ice Cider – Usually still, very sweet and produced through cryo-extraction
Commercial – Mass market, lower priced cider usually made from commodity concentrates, usually sweet for entry level market.
FRENCH CIDER
ENGLISH CIDER
SPANISH CIDER
AMERICAN
CIDER
Critically tasting and evaluating helps you learn from successes and mistakes.
Points to remember:
Don’t drink ice-cold – 50-55’F is ideal tasting temperature for most styles
Use proper glassware – An ISO tulip shaped glass is best to evaluate
Taste flights of cider in their proper order – dry to sweet, neutral to flavoured, etc.
Learn the organoleptic terminology and judging descriptors.
Judging Cider:
Look for faults or a cider outside of its stated style.
Take account of its appearance, aroma and flavour attributes such as taste, mouthfeel, body, balance and aftertaste. This will then provide you with a general impression of that cider over its peers.
