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Recipe: Bauman’s Mountain Rose Single-Varietal Cider
At Bauman’s Cider in Gervais, Oregon, owner and cidermaker Christine Walker prefers to bottle her ciders as single-varietals whenever the harvest makes it possible—and this one features the red-fleshed Mountain Rose apple, native to Oregon.
Also known as Hidden Rose or Airlie Red Flesh, the Mountain Rose apple is native to Airlie, Oregon, in the Willamette Valley.
“There are many red-fleshed apples grown around the world, and I have always found them to be high in aromatics and acid, which both lend to more interesting ciders,” Walker says. “Mountain Rose apples don’t have much by way of structural tannins, so they can be enjoyed within a week of finishing. The anthocyanins offer antioxidant protection, so it ages beautifully. I just drank a five-year-old bottle of Mountain Rose cider and couldn’t have been happier with it.”
CIDER
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
OG: 1.051 (12.6°P)
FG: 0.999 (–0.3°P)
ABV: 6.9%
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Also known as Hidden Rose or Airlie Red Flesh, the Mountain Rose apple is native to Airlie, Oregon, in the Willamette Valley.
“There are many red-fleshed apples grown around the world, and I have always found them to be high in aromatics and acid, which both lend to more interesting ciders,” Walker says. “Mountain Rose apples don’t have much by way of structural tannins, so they can be enjoyed within a week of finishing. The anthocyanins offer antioxidant protection, so it ages beautifully. I just drank a five-year-old bottle of Mountain Rose cider and couldn’t have been happier with it.”
CIDER
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
OG: 1.051 (12.6°P)
FG: 0.999 (–0.3°P)
ABV: 6.9%
[PAYWALL]
INGREDIENTS
5 gallons (19 liters) Mountain Rose apple juice
3 ml Pec5L pectic enzyme
YEAST
Lalvin EC-1118
DIRECTIONS
Add the enzyme and yeast to a sanitized fermentor, then pour the fresh juice on top. Aerate or oxygenate the juice, and then repeat after 12–24 hours. Patiently ferment at 54–58°F (12–14°C) until complete, then gently rack off the lees into a secondary fermentor. If the body isn’t as hearty as you’d like, you can do a little sur lie aging: A day or two after specific gravity hits 1.000, gently stir to rouse the lees, then rack after allowing it to settle. Backsweeten if desired, package, and carbonate.
CIDERMAKER’S NOTES
Delicate Hue: Because this is a red-fleshed apple, we’re careful not to use any sulfites around the juice or finished cider that might compromise the color. If you’re cleaning any equipment or vessels with an oxidizing sanitizer or cleaner, do a citric-acid rinse before contact with juice or cider.
Fermentation: The EC1118 strain is straightforward, with a wide range of acceptable temperatures and relatively low nutrient needs. I add a small dose of pectic enzyme to help with clarity. I prefer to ferment red-flesh ciders (and most other ciders) a little cooler because a warmer, more vigorous ferment blows off a lot of those wonderful apple aromatics. I like to keep it cool and slow.
Backsweetening: I tend to backsweeten with a little organic cane sugar. I think the sweetness balances that gorgeous acid profile. To preference, obviously, but I typically like a final gravity sweetened to 2 points.
Tannin addition: Since sulfites are not a good option for antioxidant protection in this cider, you might try adding a scant ⅛ tsp of finishing tannins, such as Enartis Hideki.
Pét-Nat option: I will often bottle at about 1.005–1.007, for natural carbonation. This will take the cider to completely dry, but it’s still lovely.
