Cider Apples In Germany

[Jannis Wegmann]

Hey guys!

I'm currently running the first steps of a small cider project here in germany...

My long-term-plan is to produce a nice, crisp, refreshing carbonated (rather) dry organic cider on a medium scale.

Right now I have two batches of 20l going which are about to be bottled.

Those are made from store-bought organic, untreated juice and are my first attempts of cider-making at all - just to get to know the basic principles before harvest arrives this autumn.

The real challenge for me is to acquire nice cider apples.

You get a lot of input on english cider apple varieties (bittersweet, bittersharp, sweet, ... ) but I doubt that these specific apple varieties (Kingston Black, Rattler, Golden Russet, ... ) can be found in germany.

So has anybody maybe got some input on german apple varieties that are great for cider production? Some bittersweets, bittersharps and where to find them?

We have some mixed orchard projects that could be a nice source of apples I guess but I don't know whether the apples I could get there are suitable for cider-making.

I was thinking of traveling to the frankfurt-area, where german apple wine is a common thing, and ask for advice, but if anybody in here could help me as well I would really appreciate it!

Cheers!

[Andrew Lea]

There is a list of apples used for cider in Hesse here

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52010XC0218(02)&from=EN

Andrew 

Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
www.cider.org.uk

[David Llewellyn]

With the caveat, surely, that German cider (Apfelwein/”Ebbelwoi”) is quite a different animal to English West Country cider or Normandy cider, being much more acidic and less tannic, as reflected in the varieties they traditionally use there….Most of it is like the kind of cider “we” might make from blends of dessert and culinary apples.

 

David Llewellyn

Tel: + 353 87 2843879

www.llewellynsorchard.ie

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[David Llewellyn]

With the caveat, surely, that German cider (Apfelwein/”Ebbelwoi”) is quite a different animal to English West Country cider or Normandy cider, being much more acidic and less tannic, as reflected in the varieties they traditionally use there….Most of it is like the kind of cider “we” might make from blends of dessert and culinary apples.

 

David Llewellyn

Tel: + 353 87 2843879

www.llewellynsorchard.ie

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From: cider-w...@googlegroups.com [mailto:cider-w...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Lea
Sent: 18 July 2016 20:59
To: cider-w...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Cider Workshop] Cider Apples In Germany

 

There is a list of apples used for cider in Hesse here

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[John Kerr]

Send me a pm i am based in hamburg john

Sent from my iPhone

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[Jannis Wegmann]

Thanks for the answers so far!

Andrew, the list you posted is very interesting! I guess there is no simple classification for german apples as there is for english/american (bittersweet, bittersharp, etc...), though that would be exactly what I'm looking for. ;) Is there maybe another database where I can look up the specific attributes of the apples listed? (Like usual sugar-content, acidity, tannin-levels, ... )

And John, I sent you a pm! :)

Best wishes,

Jannis

[Andrew Lea]

On 19/07/2016 14:18, 'Jannis Wegmann' via Cider Workshop wrote:

> Andrew, the list you posted is very interesting! I guess there is no
> simple classification for german apples as there is for english/american
> (bittersweet, bittersharp, etc...),

No, because as you suggested and David confirmed, they don't fall into
the same classes as British and French cider fruit does. German cider
isn't the same as ours. Nor is American cider (unless they happen to be
using European varieties).

> Is there maybe another database where I can look up
> the specific attributes of the apples listed? (Like usual sugar-content,
> acidity, tannin-levels, ... )

You are being rather optimistic expecting to find consolidated data in
the public domain. Your best bet for finding analytical data on apples
grown in Germany is probably to talk nicely to the folks at Geisenheim
http://www.hs-geisenheim.de/forschungszentren/institut-fuer-weinanalytik-getraenkeforschung.html

Andrew


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near Oxford, UK