164 



CIDER MAKING. 



[1854 



make good cider ; this rule, however, is not invariable, as the golden 

 pippin and sonic other fin? apples appear to contain the proper 

 admixture of acid and sweetness which is desirable in the liquor. 

 Mr. Knight recommends that the different sorts of fruit be kept 

 separate; and considers that only those apples which are yellow, 

 or mixed with red make good cider ; and that the fruit of which 

 the fresh or rind is green, are very inferior. He recommends 

 that the apples should be perfectly ripe — even mellow, but never 

 decayed — before they are crushed. 



" There was a curious manuscript written by Dr. John Beale, 

 a fellow of the Royal Society in 16^7, upon the subject, of which 

 the following are extracts: — 'Crabs and wild pears, such as 

 grow in the wildest and barren cliff's, and on hills, make the 

 richest, strongest, the most pleasant, and lasting wines that 

 England yet yields, or is ever likely to yield. I have so well 

 proved it already by so many hundred experiments in Here- 

 fordshire, that wise men tell me that these pans of England are 

 some hundred thousand pounds sterling the better for the knowr 

 ledge of it.' He mentions of these kinds of austere fruit the 

 Bromsburv crab, the Barland pear, and intimates 'that the dis- 

 covery of them was then but lately made, yet they had gotten a 

 great reputation.' He adds, ' the soft crab and white or red 

 horse pear excel them and all others known or spoken of in 

 other counties.' Of the red horse pear of Felton or Longland, 

 he says. ' that it has pleasant masculine rigour, especially in dry 

 grounds, and has a peculiar property to overcome all blasts. 

 Of the quality of the fruit he observes, 'such is the effect which 

 the austerity has on the mouth on tasting the liquor, that the 

 rustics declare it as if the roof of the mouth were filed away, and 

 that neither man nor beast care to touch one of these pears, 

 though ever so ripe.' Of the pear called rinny winter pear, 

 which grows about Ross, in that county lie observes, ' that it is 

 of no use but for cider ; and that if a thief steal it, he would 

 incur a speedy vengeance, it being a furious purger; but being 

 joined with well chosen crabs, and reserved to a due maturity, 

 becomes richer than good French wine ; but if drunk before the 

 time, it stupifies the roof of the mouth, assaults the brain, and 

 purges more violently than a Galenist" 



" Of the quality of the liquor he says, 'according as it is 

 managed, it proves strong Rhenish, Barrack, yea, pleasant 

 Canary, sugared of itself, or as rough as the fiercest Greek wine, 

 opening or binding, holding one, two, three, or more years, so 

 that no mortal can say yet at what age it is past the best. This 

 we can say, that we have kept it until it burn as quickly as sack, 

 draws the flame like naptha, and fires the stomach like aqua 

 vitas.' Thus there appears a great difference between the 

 opinions of these two men, who probably paid more attention to 

 the subject than any others; and the question naturally arises, 

 is the cider and perry of the country as good or better than it 

 used to be, after greater attention has been paid to the orchards? 

 I am decidedly of opinion that it is inferior; and it was, this im- 

 pression which caused me to venture to call your attention to 

 the subject. If such be the case, it is a great object to ascertain 

 what has caused the deterioration in the liquor. I believe it is 

 for want of a due proportion of the peculiar acid which is found 

 in the greatest quantity in the wild fruit; and beg to suggest 

 whether it would not be worth while to try back, and mix a 

 certain quantity of crabs with the fruit before it is crushed. 



The best time of the year for making Cider. 



" It has been before observed, that Mr. Knight recommends 



the fruit to be perfectly ripe, even mellow, before it is crushed, 



and this can only happen late in the autumn. As it is known 



to be more difficult to manage the fermentation of the liquor in 



warm weather, it is usual to defer making cider till November 

 or December : if, however, the liquor can be put ia a cold cellar 

 after the first fermentation is over, I am of opinion that it might 

 be commenced earlier. The juice of unripe fruits ferments more 

 quickly than of that which is ripe, and contains more malic acid. 

 AVhere there is the convenience of a good underground cellar, 

 the difference of temperature between that and the outward air 

 is greater in moderately warm weather than in November; so 

 that if the liquor were fermented under sheds, as Mr. Knight 

 recommends (and his instructions as to the management of the 

 cider whilst fermenting are excellent,) and, as soon as fine, re- 

 moved into the cold cellar, the change of temperature would be 

 greater at the end of September than in November, and this 

 wotdd probably tend to prevent the liquor fermenting again. If 

 the new cider cannot bo removed, from the warmth of the at- 

 mosphere, there can be no question that is better to defer making 

 till the weather becomes cool. 



Fermentation of the Juice. 



" The researches of scientific men, although very elaborate, 

 have done very little in throwing light on the subject of fer- 

 mentation ; it appears to partake, in a measure, of the vital prin» 

 ciple, of the phenomena attending which we know nothing. 

 Many curious and interesting facts have been discovered during 

 the investigation, but none of which appear to be of much use in 

 the making of cider. There are three kinds of fermentation, or 

 rather there are some products which pass regularly through 

 three stages of fermentation, viz., the vinous, the acetous, and the 

 putrescent. Other substances pass at onceto one or other of the 

 latter stages; gum and water turning to vinegar without forming 

 any spirit, and meat at once putrefying. It is not desirable that 

 the vinous fermentation should be complete in the manufacture 

 of eider, in which case all the sugar of the apple would be con- 

 verted into spirit; this never does happen without a portion of 

 vinegar being also formed, the acetous fermentation going on 

 conjointly with the vinous, as when cider frets a great deal it 

 may be very strong, but is comparatively of little value, having 

 lost all its richness and become sour. The vinous fermentation 

 stops naturally before it has run its course, and it is the object of 

 the maker, to avail himself of this property in the liquor, and to 

 endeavour to prevent any secondary fermentation taking place; 

 the nuniber of schemes which haye been suggested to prevent 

 which, showing that it is the most important point to be attended 

 to in the manufacture of good cider, I am of opinion that the 

 100-galIon cask is much better than larger, and that the liquor 

 is not only more oasily managed, but more likely to be good ; it 

 may be that cider in large casks becomes stronger, but not so 

 frequently rich as in single hogsheads. Although it may not be 

 apparent, fermentation commences as soon as the juice is ex- 

 pressed from the fruit; and the sooner the cask is filled and al- 

 lowed to remain quiet, the more regular and certain will be the 

 process. What should we think of the brewer who, whilst Jiis 

 beer was working, brewed another quantity, and added the raw 

 wort to the first ? Yet this is constantly done in filling a large 

 cask with cider; or even worse, for the apple juice is added cold, 

 whereas the wort might be mixed with the beer whilst warm. It 

 would be greatly better to keep the liquor in open tubs, till 

 enough be obtained to fill the cask, and then to put it together 

 at once. 



"If I may be allowed to suggest an experiment, there is one 

 use to which I should be very glad to see a large cask applied ; 

 that is, to fill it partly with fresh muss, and the remainder with 

 boiling water — the probable result would be a very pleasant and 

 Useful liquor. Temperature has much to do with fermentation, 



