Low acid apple juice - good or bad?
- Thread starter globell
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Acid and tannin are required components of a well balanced cider. With low acid your cider will be bland and lifeless. It'll also taste sweeter than it really is. Taste is, of course, subjective so your impression of it might be different than someone else's. The good news is that you can always add some acid before bottling.
Acid also affects the cider's stability and resistance to infections. You should be extra diligent in your sanitation and headspace management with this batch.
I don't suppose you measured the pH?
Acid also affects the cider's stability and resistance to infections. You should be extra diligent in your sanitation and headspace management with this batch.
I don't suppose you measured the pH?
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
I think its a worthwhile experiment to try it. But I'd do 3 gallons or less to see what you get.
You can further experiment my getting some high acid apples like Granny Smith or Ida Red, Northern Spy or something similar, press them however you can, ferment separately and then blend with your low acid cider.
You can further experiment my getting some high acid apples like Granny Smith or Ida Red, Northern Spy or something similar, press them however you can, ferment separately and then blend with your low acid cider.
I didn't check the pH but I could do so. Looking for something easy and mellow to drink - like some of the commercial cider wanna be drinks that are on the market (what the masses believe cider is suppose to taste like and I occassionally enjoy). I also added about 3 liters of tart fresh pressed juice to the mix for some body so I guess that's the difference in why I think it tastes fairly good. It's not one I'll age....
Thanks!
Thanks!
If the pH is above 3.8 or 4, I think you'll surely want to add some acid now to get it down a bit.
pH is measured with either narrow range litmus strips (remember high school chemistry?) or with a digital pH meter.
pH is a measure of the strength of acid. TA (titratable acidity) is a measure of the amount of acid. TA is what we perceive in taste. pH is important in fermentation because it affects the health of the yeast and the susceptibility of the must to foreign organisms.
As indolent noted, we want the pH of our cider to be between 3.3 and 3.8 for a healthy ferment. Mark, you use unpasteurized orchard cider, and the amount of K-Meta to use is a direct function of the juice's pH. Stronger acid (lower pH) needs less sulfite for protection.
pH is a measure of the strength of acid. TA (titratable acidity) is a measure of the amount of acid. TA is what we perceive in taste. pH is important in fermentation because it affects the health of the yeast and the susceptibility of the must to foreign organisms.
As indolent noted, we want the pH of our cider to be between 3.3 and 3.8 for a healthy ferment. Mark, you use unpasteurized orchard cider, and the amount of K-Meta to use is a direct function of the juice's pH. Stronger acid (lower pH) needs less sulfite for protection.
Definitely likely to come across as flabby, and may get mistaken for a cider that has gone through malolactic fermentation. Get some malic acid powder, draw off a sample and add measured amounts of malic tasting as you go. Then scale up to your batch size at bottling time
