User:Mamper/sandbox

Classification of cider apples
In 1903, Professor B.T.P. Barker, the first director of the Long Ashton Research Station (LARS) in Bristol, England, established an analytical classification system for cider apples based on tannin and malic acid percentages in pressed juice. This system is divided into four flavor categories, which are as follows:

In France and Spain, the system also has an intermediate category called “acidulée or “acidulada” respectively, which is sometimes used to classify cider apples that are semi-tart and have low tannin content. British cidermakers normally blend juice from apples of multiple categories to ensure a finished cider with a balanced flavor for the best and most consistent quality. For instance, bittersweets and bittersharps can be used for clarity, balance, and astringency. Sharps with their high acid content keep the cider pH below 3.8 to prevent spoilage. Sweets provide adequate sugar for fermentation to the proper alcohol content. Most special cider cultivars for European ciders are bittersweets and bittersharps, which have high tannin content. There are not a lot of cultivars with high tannins readily available in the U.S. Most ciders in the United States are made from culled dessert apples that are generally sweets and sharps. There is no systematic classification of North American apple cultivars for cider-making purposes. However, there is a database for apple varieties called the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). Other measurements taken of apple varieties towards use in cider classification include pH, polyphenol composition, Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN), and soluble solid concentration (ºBrix).

Combined Information
This is the combined stuff for my group, placed here to test it out altogether (note that putting these altogether below my original contribution may cause repeats in the sources)

LARS Classification System
In 1903, Professor B.T.P. Barker, the first director of the Long Ashton Research Station (LARS) in Bristol, England, established an analytical classification system for cider apples based on tannin and malic acid percentages in pressed juice. This system is divided into four flavor categories, which are as follows:

British cidermakers normally blend juice from apples of multiple categories to ensure a finished cider with a balanced flavor for the best and most consistent quality. For instance, bittersweets and bittersharps can be used for clarity, balance, and astringency. Sharps with their high acid content keep the cider pH below 3.8 to prevent spoilage. Sweets provide adequate sugar for fermentation to the proper alcohol content.

French Classification System
In addition to the Long Ashton Research Station Classification, Charles Neal has written about a French classification system. In France and Spain, the system has an intermediate category called “acidulée or “acidulada” respectively, which is sometimes used to classify cider apples that are semi-tart and have low tannin content. Similar to the English system, acidity and tannins are considered, but with the additional factor of sugar content. Apples are classified as follows:

In the US, there are four regions where cider apples are grown in orchards: the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Northwest. Out of the twenty most commonly grown cider apple varieties, half originate from England, two come from France, and the rest originate from America. Most special cider cultivars for European ciders are bittersweets and bittersharps, which have high tannin content. There are not a lot of cultivars with high tannins readily available in the U.S. Most ciders in the United States are made from culled dessert apples that are generally sweets and sharps. There is no systematic classification of North American apple cultivars for cider-making purposes. However, there is a database for apple varieties called the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS).

Other Classification Considerations
Beyond the Long-Ashton English system and French system for classifying cider apples, there are other considerations for characterization. Other measurements taken of apple varieties towards use in cider classification include pH, polyphenol composition, Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN), and soluble solid concentration (ºBrix). The sharpness of an apple is affected by pH and titratable acidity. Most cultivars must reach pH levels of around 3.3 to 3.8 to aid in the fermentation process, and additions of malic acid may be necessary if the cider apple is over this desired threshold. Soluble solids as measured in units of degrees Brix can be used to quantify the potential alcohol that a yeast can ferment from the initial juice of the cider apple. This is carefully considered in cultivars from areas where there are tax regulations on the percentage of alcohol by volume that is contained in these products. In the United States, hard cider legally falls between the 0.5% to 8.5% alcohol by volume tax bracket. Cideries that exceed a soluble solids level of 17 °Brix will be subject to higher tax levels that are classified under cider wine. In the United Kingdom, real hard cider falls in two duty brackets, with a flat rate for up to 7.4% ABV, and a higher duty rate for ciders between 7.4% to 8.5% ABV. Foaming is an intricate, yet essential component that can be used to assess the overall quality of a cider and distinguish between natural and sparkling ciders. Chemically, hydrophobic polypeptides contribute to the initial foam, bubble size, the extent to which it persists, number of nucleation sites, and the froth of the foam (foam collar). These chemical compositions and parameters are quantitatively measured through metrics such as foam height, foam stability height, and stability time. The olfactory sensory profile is used to determine the specific aroma of the cider, whether it is sweet, spicy, and/or lees. Research is still ongoing in this field, but the aromas that contribute to the sensory perceptions of cider mainly come from the phenols 4-ethyl guaiacol and 4-ethyl phenol.