Contributed Post
American cider has always been hit, and miss with the general public and Irish and English ciders have taken precedent. The traditions of cider brewing have long since been passed down from generation to generation in the island of Ireland. Irish ciders have been a prominent favorite with consumers because the brewing techniques have been able to create smooth, punchy and bittersweet alcoholic beverages without a cheap aftertaste. English ciders have been giving the Irish a run for their money as Somerset brewed ciders like Thatchers Gold is becoming widely acclaimed for making vintage ciders. However, the American market is not used to high volume percentages and likes something a little flatter; which is where dry cider comes into the fray. Although hard cider has introduced many of the younger generation to cider, artisan craft cider businesses are now taking the full-blooded. But, just exactly what does this mean for the market?
Credit – Pixabay
Home brewing has skyrocketed
Apples are cleaner to work with than grapes as the precipitates are easy to deal with in the brewing tanks. Unlike making wine, the average cider will have a 5 percent volume, and thus the gases from fermentation can be easily precautioned against by using something like https://www.abestmeter.com/thermal-flow-switch/. By using such apparatus, the gas and water flows can be monitored for temperature as the yeast is added and compressed into the hops and apple mixture. The great thing about cider is, sugar does not need to be added to the acidic nature of cider apples, brings the natural sweetness out of the apple flesh and peel. The basic homebrew equipment of airlocked medium-sized brewing tanks can be bought online with no industrial legalities that need to followed. The equipment for crushing apples is widely available too, compared to large drums that are needed for wine. An apple press isn’t very large and can be fitted into an average garden, to extract the juice from the apples when they have ripened.
Image by – baka_san
Why dry cider is making a comeback
Traditionally seen as the ‘old man’s drink,’ dry cider has been appearing in bars and restaurants as an alternative to white wine. The sourness and pungent alcoholic punch with the aftertaste of sweet apples go well with seafood dishes as finger food snacks. Adding pectic enzymes like pectinase clarifies the juice and releases the aromas of the particular flavors the brewer has chosen. As the enzymes are added before the fermentation, dry ciders have a unique reversed tasting combination. In perries and normal ‘wet’ ciders the sweetness of the fruit is what hits the palate first, then the alcoholic taste arrives after the liquid has been swallowed; with dry ciders, this is reversed. Consequently, this goes well with food as the syrup does not overwhelm the flavor of the meal and the alcohol enhances spices. Dry ciders have made a comeback with the NFL lovers as the hot spicy sauce of buffalo wings can be contrasted with the dryness of apple and pear ciders while not overpowering the chicken. As the alcohol isn’t too strong, it normally equals the strength of a generic beer such as Budweiser or Coors, thus dry cider doesn’t take anybody by surprise.
Pingback: Vintage And Ideas: How The Past Inspires Creativity – ERIC SAN JUAN