unit 1 lesson 1

Study Notes

Cider is an alcoholic beverage produced from the fermentation of sugars derived from apples or pears.
The production process uses the ability of yeast to ferment sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas.
Cider production has a basic structure of raw materials (fruit), milling, juice production, fermentation, and maturation.
The finished cider is then packaged and ready to drink.
Orchards are where apple (or pear) trees are grown
Harvesting apples (or pears) from the tree can be done by hand or with mechanization
After the apples are picked, they are crushed and turned into juice
Fermentation of the juice takes place in barrels or other containers
There are two main steps to fermentation: milling and pressing
Fermentation can be done with a commercially grown yeast or with a mixture of yeast and bacteria present in the juice
Spontaneous fermentation is where the juice is left to ferment without using barrels
During the fermentation process, sugars in the juice convert to alcohol and other flavour compounds.
The stage of fermentation is crucial as the sugars in the juice convert to alcohol and some flavour compounds.
Maturation removes unwanted flavour compounds by letting the yeast and sometimes bacteria react with them to reduce their effect.
Maturation also gives time for the yeast and other solid materials in the fermented cider to settle out, making the cider clearer.
Clarification involves filtering the cider, although other methods like centrifuges can be used.
Blending is a key step in all types of the cidery, and it may come as a final step before packaging the cider or earlier, for example, after maturation.