158 Qualities of Good Cider. 



able to conclude that the flavour of cider very largely 

 depends upon the non-fermentable substances present in the 

 juice ; and that if these are in excess, they will so cover the 

 flavour due to fermentation as to materially lessen the value 

 of the resulting liquid. If this theory is correct, it is evident 

 that by diminishing the quantity of unfermentable material, 

 one should improve the flavour of the resulting cider. 



Why is the cider made from early-gathered apples seldom^ 

 if ever, so good as that made subsequently r It was in trying 

 to solve this problem that the influence of the non-ferment- 

 able constituents first occurred to Mr. Lloyd. 



Experiments were started to test this view. Some apple- 

 juice from windfalls was fermented as usual in one barrel, 

 while a portion of similar juice was diluted with one-half its 

 own volume of water — by which the non-fermentable con- 

 stituents would be greatly reduced— and sufficient sugar was 

 then added to make the liquid contain the same amount of 

 sugar as the whole juice. The result was a better cider from 

 the diluted juice than from the whole juice. 



These experiments with early-made cider have been more 

 striking in their results than experiments carried out subse- 

 quently with what may be termed ordinary juice, though 

 even in the latter case benefit has sometimes resulted. It is 

 not unlikely that the amount of these non-fermentable 

 constituents depends, partly upon the season, partly upon 

 the variety of apple, and partly upon the care which is taken 

 in the management of the orchard ; but on these points 

 further investigation will be necessary. 



It is generally believed that the chief reason why cider 

 has not become a more popular drink has been the difliculty 

 of obtaining it of uniform quality, flavour, and colour. The 

 results recorded at Butleigh seem to point to the desirability 

 of obtaining a "standard" composition for the juice, 

 and of blending or diluting the entire juice, until this 

 standard is obtained. Not until this is done will it be 

 possible to produce a liquid which shall have the same 

 uniformity as is now obtained in the wines of the leading 

 manufacturers in foreign countries. 



It has been stated that a certain amount of sugar in cider 



