Type of apples for better cider

[Rudy Daoud]

Dear All,

I am starting a study in order to develop a cider business. I am new on this group and need your help and assistance with my study.

 

First of all I am located in Lebanon and the apples available here are Red Delicious, Top Red (Standard), Scarlet Spur (Spur), Top Spur (Spur), Super Chief (Spur),

Red Chief (Spur), Early Red One (Standard), Breaburn, Gala, Fugi, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Golden Gibson or Golden Supreme (spur), Early Gold (Spur), Lyse Golden (Standard), Golden Spur (Spur), Golden B (standard) and Smoothee (Spur).

 

 

Which of the above types of apples do you suggest me to use?

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Regards,

Rudy 

 

[Cornelius Traas]

Hello Rudy,

As there have not been many answers, I will give a quick one. None of your apples are what we would consider "traditional" cider apples. Basically what you have there are Red Delicious types, Golden Delicious types, Fuji, Gala, Braeburn and Granny Smith. This is a small choice for you, but it should be possible to make a cider using them. I would certainly include the Red Delicious and Granny Smith, and perhaps Braeburn. The Golden Delicious and Gala are by themselves too low in acidity.

If you try a little, you will probably learn a lot.

Con Traas

 

The Apple Farm,
Moorstown, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.
Tel: 052 744 1459
Email: c...@theapplefarm.com

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[from Heather]

We just told the last guy to use Jonagold, and they are grown a bit here in WA, but I'm not sure about BC.

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From: c...@theapplefarm.com
To: cider-w...@googlegroups.com

Subject: [Cider Workshop] Type of apples for better cider

Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:36:14 +0100

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The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. Get busy.

[Rudy Daoud]

Hi Con, Hi Heather,

 

Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate your help.

Could you help me define the kind of apples thet are considered as traditional apple for Cider?

 

Best Regards,

 

Rudy

[Andrew Lea]

Rudy,

Could I respectfully suggest you look at the Cider Workshop website
www.ciderworkshop.com and read the Science of Cidermaking articles on my
website www.cider.org.uk. That will give you some idea of how English
craft cider is made. Part 2 of my articles deals with 'our' typical
apples. They are grown only for that purpose and I very much doubt they
would grow successfully where you are. There is also an article on my
website entitled Mainstream Cidermaking which gives a wider perspective.

I think you have to accept that in Lebanon you are working with very
different parameters (fruit types, climate) than most of us on this list
who are in cool temperate zones (apart from some Australians and
Californians). Since there is no history of cider making with you, you
will have to invent it! It will certainly be possible for you to make a
cider from the dessert varieties you mention but it will be distinct and
not like any UK or French examples. For instance, I know that Granny
Smith has been used for cider making in South Africa and also in parts
of Australia. But there will not be many people here who can advise you
on how best to use it, since the list is biased towards the temperate zone.

As Con says, you will need to experiment and research your own situation.

Good Luck

Andrew

[Rudy Daoud]

Thank you Andrew for your below e-mail. It's very interesting reading you.

 

 

Like you proposed I'll visit the websites you mentioned. I'll do my homework and I'll keep you updated with the cider project I am preparing. Thanks you very much for your precious help.

 

Regards,

 

Rudy 

[Claude Jolicoeur]

Rudy Daoud wrote:
> Like you proposed I'll visit the websites you mentioned. I'll do my homework
> and I'll keep you updated with the cider project I am preparing. Thanks you
> very much for your precious help.

Rudy, there are many other points that could influence your project.
For example, are you planting an orchard or do you intend to buy
apples from commercial growers? If you are starting an orchard (which
in my opinion is the better way to go, but it takes more time), you
could probably get some scion wood of true cider apples next winter
and test them under your climate - after all, some of them grow well
in Australia which is quite a different climate than their original
place!
Has there been apple growing in Lebanon for a long time or is this
something new? If there are some old orchards, then most likely there
will be some wild apple seedlings in the country - some of them might
be interesting for cider and could be worth propagating.
In any case, most likely you will have to do quite a bit of testing to
find the ideal apples for cider in your corner of the world... but
this should be interesting and rewarding.
Claude

[Rudy Daoud]

Thanks Claude for your e-mail.

 

Yes I intend to plant an orchard, but meanwhile start some testing on the available apples.

Lebanon is known for a long time for his apples and is an exporter country. I'll try to find some apple seedlings that could be interesting for cider.

Getting some scion wood of true cider apples is a great idea. I'll surely do and test.

 

Thanks for your precious help.

 

I'll keep you updated.

 

Sincerely,

 

Rudy