572 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



free from suspended solid matter; or it may be cloudy and muddy) 

 looking, and contain a large amount of suspended particles of appl; 

 pulp. In the former case it is generally advisable to pump it at oncj 

 into the fermenting casks ; but in the latter case it may be * * keeved '! 

 with advantage. This is done by allowing it to stand for several day 

 in a large open vat or " keeve," until a thick brown head has beej 

 thrown up. The clear juice between this head and the sedimen' 

 deposited in the vat is then carefully racked into the fermenting casks 



The juice is usually allowed to ferment spontaneously, and the fir^ 

 signs generally appear in a week or so. The course of fermentation i' 

 closely watched, and its progress is gauged by taking frequent record 

 of the specific gravity with a hydrometer. When it is desired to ched 

 fermentation, racking may frequently be resorted to with success! 

 but progressive makers now use specially constructed filters to arres 

 fermentation when it has reached the stage required. 



After the final racking, when the cider has begun to " fine " itself 

 or after filtration, as the case may be, the cider is placed in the storl 

 casks to mature. These are filled full and kept tightly bunged downl 

 since it is essential that from this stage onwards as little air as possibL 

 should reach the cider ; otherwise acetification will inevitably take placej 

 After a few weeks under these conditions the cider is fit for con 

 sumption. 



The character of the cider produced depends very largely upon th(; 

 varieties of apples used. Cider apples may be divided into three mail! 

 classes — (a) the sour " or " sharp," containing a relatively higl 

 percentage of malic acid; (h) the "bitter-sweet," containing a smal 

 amount of malic acid and a high percentage of tannin; and (c) th( 

 " sweet," containing low percentages of both malic acid and tannin 

 By suitably blending members of these three classes, either by mixing 

 the fruit itself before milling or by blending the juices or mature ciders! 

 a liquor containing proportions of malic acid and tannin in the desirec 

 degree can be obtained. The standard of composition aimed at is usually 

 .35 to .65 per cent, of malic acid and .15 to .25 per cent, of tannin. 



The quality of the fresh juice depends largely upon the amount ol 

 sugar it contains. The average juice has a specific gravity of about 

 1.050, which represents approximately about 10 per cent, of sugar: 

 Good juices may range in specific gravity between 1.060 and 1.075,! 

 with the amounts of sugar varying from 13 to 16 per cent- 



Comparatively few varieties yield really good ciders when used 

 alone, usually on account of the juice containing an excess or a defici- 

 ency of one or more of the necessary elements of flavour; and they; 

 generally possess an individual character more or less distinct from 

 that of any other variety. Varieties belonging to the sharp class exhibit 

 this feature to a marked extent. Hence the character of a cider is to 

 a very great extent determined by the varieties of apples used. 



While the quality of any variety varies considerably under different 

 conditions, its characteristic features are generally fairly constantly 

 preserved. For example, the amount of sugar, the degree of acidity and 



