Every year, people come from all over the East Coast and as far away as Chicago come to Pine Hill Orchard in Colrain to pick up gallons of specially blended apple juices for fermenting, said owners Brady and Matt Shearer.
“We’re one of the few bulk places you can get good blends,” said Brady Shearer, adding that their blends have been tested and are ready to go. “We grow special varieties just for making hard cider. People bring jugs, carboys, kegs, and buckets to pick up their blends,” she added.
Pine Hill Orchard has four blends this year and have produced 4,000 gallons for home brewers using a 100-year-old press, the couple said.
“I think we have been doing this for about 20 years,” said Matt Shearer.
“Long-time fermenter,” Charles Olchowski of Greenfield, often instructs home brewers and was at Pine Hill Orchard for Cider Days on Nov. 6 to help out.
Olchowski, along with Paul Correnty of Pepperell, were originators of Cider Days in 1994 as part of a promotion for the book, “The Art of Cider Making,” Olchowski said.
What goes into making a good juice blend for fermenting? Olchowski said “you want apples with a good aroma. Acid balance, tannins for astringency, and sugar levels sufficient to produce alcohol. There are a lot of different nuances.”
Olchowski said Macintosh apples, for example, have become known for their aromatics. He noted that one of the most popular apples for hard cider making, the Baldwin Macintosh, was nearly wiped out in “1932 or 1933 when we had a massive early freeze. They all died.”
Part of what made the Baldwin Macintosh special was a low need for refrigeration. As refrigeration became more common, other varieties became more popular, he said.
“You have to master the art of blends to make a good cider,” he added.
Some of the varieties used include Galas, Winesaps and Rome Beauties. But any apples can be used to make cider/hard cider.
Olchowski said the process can start simply with “wild yeast. You are almost there already. The product is already contaminated, so to speak, with yeast. It’s all over your processing materials.”
He said the next step is to add potassium metabisulphite to kill and suppress microbes and “weaken the yeasts you don’t want.” You will want to add the potassium metabisulphite and wait 24 hours regardless of which method of fermenting you choose, he said.
If you want a more controlled and consistent product, Olchowski said you would add one package of Champagne yeast to five gallons of juice. “How it ferments out determines its final character,” he said.
Ciders can have varying characteristics of being dry, sweet, and aromatic. “You want an end product that is likable and palatable. Fermenting by way of wild yeast can be kind of a crap shoot,” he said.
A pectin enzyme can also be added to help break down apple solids for maximum extraction. “It helps separate the fruit from the juice and prevents haze,” he said.
If you are adding Champagne yeast, follow the directions on the packet. “Depending on the temperature (you are keeping the juice at) you will start seeing foam on the surface after about 24 hours. The warmer it is, the bigger the head you are going to get,” said Olchowski.
He added he likes to do a “slower ferment at a cooler temperature. It slows the action as sugar is converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Slow and steady creates more aromatics.” He said when the cider gets “too foamy” it strips some of the aromatics. “It won’t be as fruity or interesting,” he said.
You want to be sure to leave room in your bucket for the foam that does develop, so you wouldn’t fill the bucket to the very top, Olchowski said. Also, having a clear container is helpful to see when you are starting to get “clear patches” as the carbon dioxide dissipates.
When you observe the product starting to clear, you siphon off or “rack” the product into a fresh, clean carboy (big jug) for the next step in the process. “Racking allows you to leave behind the dead yeast cells and apple sediments,” said Olchowski.
You would use a “racking tube,” essentially, a long, clear vinyl tube to siphon your product. You would then place a CO2 lock on the top of the jug. “The lock allows the carbon dioxide to escape and it stops infection and aeration. The beauty of the glass is watching the day-by-day process,” he said.
Olchowski said you want to watch your cider until you start to see a good amount of sediment on the bottom of the carboy. You then rack the product into another carboy or fermenting bucket that you can place a CO2 lock in the lid once again. Racking the second time helps to get enough “lees” or solid material to create a finer product, he said.
Then comes the hard part — waiting four to six months for the finished product. “Then you bottle. If you make enough yearly, you’ll always have enough around. It makes the pace easier to deal with,” he said.
Olchowski describes hard cider fermenting as an art form. To learn more, he suggests online research and “asking your fellow cider makers.”
Cris Carl is an avid local gardener, licensed therapist and certified herbalist. You can reach her at cstormfox57@gmail.com.