Tart cider

[Anton]

I've been making turbo cider (cloudy apple juice from Sainsburys, ascorbic acid additive, EC-1118) for a couple of years. The second batch is drinkable, and my wife kindly says she likes it, but I find a bit tart (but thankfully not vinegary). I added half a dozen oak chips per 5 litres to this batch. I also added pectolase and isinglass finings, as I did with the first batch.

Is anything in the above likely to have made it acidic, or is there something I can do with it (or the next batch) to make it less tart? I don't want it sweet.

 

[Clint]

Add a non fermentable sweetener..you'll have to try adding a little at a time to a poured bottle until you get what you want then multiply by your batch amount for next time.

 

[Anton]

Thanks @Clint .

I did think of something along those lines, but I was hoping there was a way to reduce the tartness without making it sweet.

I guess I really want to reduce the acidity (raise the pH), rather than mask it with sweetness. And prevent the next batch from being too tart, if possible.

 

[Clint]

I've not done much turbo cider..is it tannin you need?

 

[Scrattajack]

When I was making cider from local apples, it was left to ferment/mature for a year with the hope that a malolactic fermentation would turn up, changing the tart malic acid into the softer lactic. It was hit and miss, but when it happened the resulting cider was far, far better. These days I don't think you need to leave it to chance, you can just buy the bacteria.

 

[Anton]

@Scrattajack i didn't know there was a culture that would do it. What is it called?

 

[Scrattajack]

The culture is Oenococcus oenii.

There's a product here and another here

 

[Anton]

Thanks for that - I've ordered the first of the two products, expecting it soon.

Presumably one adds the MLF culture after the main fermentation has ceased?

Another question, if I may? Do you clarify your cider, or leave it hazy/cloudy? I love the colour of the cleared cider, and it seems to taste better than when still cloudy.

I'm not sure if I'm doing it at the right times in the process, though. I wait till all the bubbling has stopped, then add pectolase, wait a few days, then add isinglass. It does eventually settle out but I seem to have to add an awful lot of those items, sometimes more than once -- which makes me suspect that I'm getting the time wrong.

I'd be grateful for any pointers or tips?

 

[Scrattajack]

Presumably one adds the MLF culture after the main fermentation has ceased?

At or near the end of fermentation I think.

Do you clarify your cider, or leave it hazy/cloudy?

I always left mine but then it was conditioning for a year so dropped quite bright(ish).

I wait till all the bubbling has stopped, then add pectolase

I believe pectolase is best added before fermentation as you need a lot less that way.

 

[johncrobinson]

Pectolase works slowly at room temperatures.So its best to add it at the very start of fermentation.

 

[johncrobinson]

You could add precipitated chalk.
Young's (homebrew) sell it for the express purpose of reducing excess acid in wine and cider musts.

 

[DavieC]

Hi @Anton , if you want clear cider you're best using clear apple juice instead of the cloudy you mention in your OP. I use either Tesco,Aldi ,lidl...as long as it's 100% juice or from concentrate,clears in no time.

 

[Anton]

Thanks for all the replies. I've set the apple jiuce down in clear containers to let most of the particles settle out, after adding the pectolase. Haven't started the brewing yet - too cold. I'll try the chalk in my next batch - thanks @johncrobinson . I agree that clear juice would work better, but can't find any pure jiuce with no preservatives in local shops - yet, anyway - @DavieC . I'll keep looking.

@Scrattajack - I have one demijohn of clarified cider to which I've added malolactic culture. It started out with a pH of ±3.5 presumably due to malic acid? Does lactic acid have a higher pH? What should I be aiming for?

 

[Scrattajack]

I have one demijohn of clarified cider to which I've added malolactic culture. It started out with a pH of ±3.5 presumably due to malic acid? Does lactic acid have a higher pH? What should I be aiming for?

My experience of malo-lactic fermentation is restricted to the naturally occurring phenomenon and I wasn't testing pH at the time so I'm afraid I don't know for sure. However, I started looking into it with a view to attacking some home-made red wine with it and came across a Wikipedia article (worth a read) that mentioned an increase of 0.3 units.

 

[Anton]

Thanks @Scrattajack - I found a Wikipedia article which sounds like the one you referred to - very interesting.

The leaflet that came with the culture suggests 2-4 weeks - is that your experience?

 

[Scrattajack]

The leaflet that came with the culture suggests 2-4 weeks - is that your experience?

I couldn't say. My method was to crush and press the apples in autumn, extracting about 10 gallons of juice. This was divided into two fermenters and left under airlock (no added yeast) for as long as it took (a month or so). Then I'd replace the airlocks with bungs and whack it in the garage to be dug out the following autumn and bottled. I wouldn't be aware of the MLF going on.

 

[Anton]

Interesting. Did you just let the wild yeast on the apples do it?

My very first attempt at going the whole hog, using windfall apples that I collected, also had no added yeast. After 4 years, to my surprise, it turned into a very palatable cider, have gone through a really rough patch.

 

[DavieC]

Hi Anton have you a Tesco near to you? I use the 'Growers harvest' @59p per litre.

 

[Scrattajack]

Did you just let the wild yeast on the apples do it?

Yes. I was lucky in having a very good local homebrew shop nearby (now gone) which ran courses in brewing and as a one-off, one on cider making too. The guy who ran it had been making cider regularly fo 30+ years, never used commercial yeast for it and never had a duff batch. So I followed suit.

 

[Anton]

Hi Anton have you a Tesco near to you? I use the 'Growers harvest' @59p per litre.

I had a few of those in my shopping trolley a week ago, intending to use them for cider. I know ascorbic acid is an acceptable additive (anti-oxidant), but I believe there are other things some manufacturers add (preservatives) which make it unsuitable for cider.

I scrutinised the carton on all sides but found no additive information. Did I miss something?