Brewing cider is a complicated process that requires a lot of attention. The temperature during fermentation, the type of yeast, and the fermentation time are some of the factors you will have to consider as it does affect the aromatic profile, appearance and alcohol percentage of your final product. Most yeast strains used for cider…
Hard ciders, like other alcoholic beverages, comes in a variety of flavour pallets, and while some people love their ciders “bitter”, others would rather be without be without these somewhat hostile taste nuances. Most of the bitter tastes in cider comes from the alcohol and phenols – most of which are tannins. The tannic quality…
You may have heard of a method called “cold crashing” originally used for wine brewing. For wine, this process has been used for centuries to precipitate the yeast and tartaric acid crystals, but cold crashing has a slightly different function for most mead brewers. Cold crashing is the process by which mead at the end…
You might have heard that hard cider should be stored for a few months to improve its taste before drinking. The same is the case for whine, which is often stored for years before reaching its full potential! Here we are talking about the aging done in a separate container after fermentation and the effect…
Are you’re also tired of paying the cost of premade hard cider at the store? Or you would like to experience the rewarding feeling of making cider yourself and reap the financial benefits as well? Making apple cider at home can seem pricy at first, but if you do the math it actually gets cheaper…
If you’re totally new to home brewing it can seem confusing how cider and beer are different. And though there are many differences that separate them, in this article I will tell you how they differ but also how they can end up tasting quite similar to each other! Strictly speaking, hard cider is a…
If you’re curious about the differences between applejack and calvados, you’ve come to the right place. Both applejack and calvados are popular wines (brandies) distilled from fermented apples – applejack from the US (Pennsylvania) and Calvados is French (Normandy). The difference in origin naturally also implies a difference in the apple cultivars used, and whereas…
A lot of people are intimidated by wine, thinking it’s too snooty or complicated. But it doesn’t have to be! Choosing a good sweet white wine is not always trivial, as these are often associated with the cheaper, less acidic and full-bodied wines or those exclusively used for desserts. As a general rule, wines grown…
Sour beers are becoming increasingly popular in the craft beer world as brewers experiment with different techniques to create unique flavor profiles. While the tart, acidic flavors may not be for everyone, those who enjoy sour beers often find them to be refreshing and complex. As part of my research to write this post, I…
For brewers around the world, the summer season means sour beers. The rise of craft breweries in the United States is partially responsible for keeping the brewing traditions behind these sour ales and lagers alive. Sour beers are somewhat in between a cider and a regular beer when it comes to taste, but they are…