Is there a "best apple"

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nickbbb
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Is there a "best apple"

Post by nickbbb »

Is there a "best apple" to use in what we do? Or is an apple an apple? I am wanting to start meddling with fermenting apples for all kinds of different stuff.
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der wo
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Re: Is there a "best apple"

Post by der wo »

Very aromatic apples I get in my country are Boskoop, Goldparmäne and Rubinette.
Most famous for brandy is probably Gravensteiner.
Each region has different apples. Look what you get and search them with google.
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure. - Rosa Luxemburg
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cranky
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Re: Is there a "best apple"

Post by cranky »

In my experience the best type of apple is free apples somebody else picked :mrgreen: In the event you can't get ahold of that type the next best is free apples you have to pick yourself :lol: There are lots of varieties of apples, the smaller apples tend to be more packed with flavor. Those huge apples we get around here that weigh 1.5 LBS each are not very good because the flavor tends to be lacking. I like old heirloom cooking apples best because they pack a lot of flavor.
jb-texshine
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Re: Is there a "best apple"

Post by jb-texshine »

I knew you would say free apples!
But there you have it from the apple man hisself,free or cheapest first!
Remember not to blow yourself up,you only get to forget once!


Deo Vendice

Never eat Mexican food north or east of Dallas tx!
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cranky
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Re: Is there a "best apple"

Post by cranky »

jb-texshine wrote:I knew you would say free apples!
But there you have it from the apple man hisself,free or cheapest first!
Of course free is best :D just like most things, what you have already is often your best option. Even cheap apples are expensive because it takes about 16 pounds to make a gallon of juice and something like 35 pounds of apples to a bottle of brandy. I have done the actual math in the past and Jimbo's apple thread talks about it, but I don't really concern myself with it too much anymore, since I don't pay for apples, but if you think about it, if you pay for apples it can get very pricey. A lot of the flavor with apples is in or near the peel so smaller apples = more peel, more peel = more flavor. If selecting specific varieties things get even more complicated because you have 4 different classifications of apples to deal with, sweet, bittersweet, acidic and bitter, and ideally you want to try to get the right blend. Apple brandy, or any brandy, like anything else can get as complicated as you let it and every apple is different and takes time to figure out. I'm fortunate in that I have an abundance of old apple trees to pick from and most of them were actually intended to be cider trees but even if they weren't I would still be making brandy out of them because they are free, and free is my second favorite price :D
goose eye
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Re: Is there a "best apple"

Post by goose eye »

First of all is you gonna squeeze em or just chip em.
You gonna squeeze em stay away from Ben Davis you gonna put em thru a chiper might work.

No matter where you is you probable got a colege that teaches ag stuff. Look on there web site an look it up. Mostly for cider you want stand alone variety. Good cider apples ain't good for everything like eatin.
Winesap is a good all round one in these parts

So I'm tole
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Soft batch
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Re: Is there a "best apple"

Post by Soft batch »

Of the apples I have - Fuji, Gala, Cortland,McIntosh, and Winesap; I think the Winesap adds the most character to a cider (and in turn, brandy). I always blend the apples when making cider. I do grind and the press for the most extraction before fermenting.

The Europeans grow apples specifically for cider - small, tart, and flavorful. Not good for eating though.
MDH
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Re: Is there a "best apple"

Post by MDH »

nickbbb wrote:Is there a "best apple" to use in what we do? Or is an apple an apple? I am wanting to start meddling with fermenting apples for all kinds of different stuff.
Margil and Winter Banana. Also as Der Wo mentioned, Gravenstein. You have to shelf-ripen it for some time to develop its character.
The still is not a liar. Mash and ferment quality is 99.9% of your performance.
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der wo
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Re: Is there a "best apple"

Post by der wo »

Soft batch wrote:The Europeans grow apples specifically for cider - small, tart, and flavorful. Not good for eating though.
Yes. I live near a part of Germany where they drink cider instead of beer or wine usually. The apples they use are a bit more acidic than usual. They don't need to have a very strong aroma, the fresh acidic taste is important. So good cider apples are not the necessarily good brandy apples.
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure. - Rosa Luxemburg
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Bushman
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Re: Is there a "best apple"

Post by Bushman »

When we are visiting my wife's relatives outside of Hanau, seems like during the right time of the year a lot of farmers set-up tables in their fields and sell apple wine or have apple wine festivals.
Back on track for best apples. I only have limited experience with two of my friends orchards on the island we go to but for me the best cider is when we combine varieties of 2-3 types of apples.
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