The Monmouth inquirer., 1897-02-25

CIDER MAKING.

French Methods Described Difference BE-
tween French and American Cider Mills.
The French do not mix matured fruit
with that which is either green or over
ripe. To make fancy cider, the fruit must
contain sugar, albuminoids, tannin, min
eral matter and a certain degree Of acid
ity. Sugar is necessary to fermentation,
and its transformation into alcohol
gives to the cider its strength and body
and its preseryative property. One may
overcome its absence by adding. say, 8 x
pounds Of sugar to the barrel of crude
juice. Tannin is the clarifying and an
tiseptic property of cider, and serves to
modify the alcohol in it, and with
out it the cider would soon become
thick and ropy. In apples of good quail
ity there should be from three to four
grains of tannin per 1000. but certain
sweet apples do not contain more than
two grains Albuminous bodies give
body and softness to the cider and help
to preserve it by preventing fermenta-
tion of cider into acetio acid or vinegar
A moderate quantity of malic or tartar
10 acid is indispensable to proper fer
mentation, during which these acids aos
upon the alcohol as it is produced and
form an ether, which gives to the cider
characteristic taste and smell known
as bouquet. Very sour apples contain
too much acid and are mixed with sweet
fruits to improve the taste of the cider
and render it more digestible, hence the
mixing of several varieties of apples.
The foregoing is compiled from report
of the recent French genealogical con-
gress American Agriculturist in this
connection adds:
We judge French cider mills are not
usually as good as our American ma
chimes, which make a complete mash of
the fruit by grinding it to fine pulp.
After mashing the apples, the usual
practice in France is to place the pulp
in uncovered vats or tubs and leave it
10 or / 4 hours before pressing, stirring
it meanwhile from time to time with
wooden shovels, in order to bring the
mass into contact with the air This
is done to improve the color of the
cider and make it richer in tan
mic acid, but recently it has been
found that these advantages can be OBJ
tanned as readily by aerating the crude
juice, which is the practice in the best
American cider mills.
After the juice or must" is in the
barrels prompt but brief fermentation
is necessary to clarity it before the sug-
ar is entirely changed into alcohol. The
remaining sugar keeps up a slow fer
mentation and prevents vinegar. This
working is caused by great variety
of microbes. One will produce sweet
cider, another dry or sharp cider; one
produces fragrant, limpid drink; an
other gives fiat and turbid cider. In
France leaven of microbes, made from
apples of the finest cider qualities, is
added to common juice to improve the
cider.
Fermentation is slowest at 80 degrees
F. or less At 1870 to 140 degrees
many of the germs die. Between 68
and 78 degrees they are most active.
If the temperature is below 68, a small
quantity of must, heated to about 100
or 125 degrees, is poured into the bar
rel. Oxygen is essential to fermenta-
ton; hence the liquid should be stirred
frequently. Draw off quantity now
and then and return it to the barrel.
Leave the bunghole open, or preferably
stop it with a bit of cotton wool, which
admits the air, but excludes injurious
microbes. Fill the barrel only two-thirds
full of the juice at first, so that much
larger surface 6f the liquid will be ex-
posed to the air. If the fermentation is
acid, add a little juice from barrel
that is working satisfactorily. Some
times acid juice is neutralized by the
addition Of handful of wood ashes to
the barrel and then stirred, but this pro-
duces flat cider without color. When
fermentation is active, a characteristic
brownish foam rises to the surface; 9TH
erwise there will be white scum,
which is bad sign.
After 10 or Is days fermentation
ceases The liquor has become clear,
the dregs settling to the bottom or ris-
ing to the surface This is the time to
draw it off by siphon or by spigot.
The cider is now run into clean bar
rel, where it undergoes a second fer
mentation. When this ceases, indicated
by the absence of further bubbles of car
bonic acid gas the barrel should be COM
pletely closed until the time arrives for
using the cider. Cider is preserved well
enough in barrels when they are com
pletely full, but when the barrel has
been partly emptied there is danger Of
its degenerating in quality. Bottling
cider has become large industry in
France.