tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3634870909559270527.post2790966362977802986..comments2023-11-29T07:51:22.045+00:00Comments on Cider Pages: Heritage English Cider and the missing cider blogger...Thoughts on cider...http://www.blogger.com/profile/10088137649328959012noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3634870909559270527.post-23685149293446395342014-06-25T10:39:32.627+01:002014-06-25T10:39:32.627+01:00Hi @Pom'Ace,
There are some very practical re...Hi @Pom'Ace,<br /><br />There are some very practical reasons for allowing the addition of sugar, and it is something worth having up your sleeve for very poor (often wet) years. <br /><br />Cider naturally ferments to between 5-7.5% in standard years. However, some varieties can get down to about 3% in particularly poor years. This is a problem for the craft producer - the % is useful for protecting against infections etc. when kept well... but at 3-4% it isn't effective. So a producer may (and some do) add sugar to raise the SG prior to fermentation.<br /><br />So - in the main I doubt producers will use this, but why rule something out that can be a useful part of the cider makers toolkit?<br /><br />Its the same with dilution. Sure, if you can get weaker juice then that is the ideal option - but in a very good year it is feasable that there won't be any. As UK duty rules are up to 7.5% for cider, it is (again) a useful tool and one that has been used for generations by craft producers. After all, the duty over 7.5% is a lot more - and even a duty exempt producer would have to pay it (in fact, it would knock them out of exemption for their whole production).<br /><br />So - both are a practical solution to particular problems and ruling them out would be excessively pedantic. And its worth noting that these are 'minimum' requirements (you don't have to add sugar or dilute for the PGI) - and subject to the 85% minimum juice... which itself is a 'minimum'.<br /><br />Although to a bystander they may appear to make things more complicated, they are designed to make things more straightforward for craft producers.<br /><br />Hope that clarifies things for you.Thoughts on cider...https://www.blogger.com/profile/10088137649328959012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3634870909559270527.post-43318071463522480352014-06-24T21:55:56.684+01:002014-06-24T21:55:56.684+01:00Why allow adding sugar pre fermentation? Apples, e...Why allow adding sugar pre fermentation? Apples, even during low sugar years are high in natural fermentable sugars so not sure a) why this is necessary and b) why you would want to do it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com