Ever wondered why some ciders are still and others are sparkling? It may seem like a pretty simple question to ask, but the answer is more complex and covers more areas of cider making than meets the eye. The history, science and processes behind what makes some ciders fizzy and other ciders flat spans centuries, and has inspired and influenced many other drinks in the process. But before we get into that, let’s start to answer this question by tackling the basics first: what makes cider still and what makes cider sparkle?
Before we can talk about sparkling cider we have to talk about fermentation. Why? Well, one would not exist without the other. Fermentation is required for all alcoholic drinks. In terms of cider, apples are picked, pressed and juiced, and that juice contains lots of lovely sugars—primarily glucose, fructose and sucrose, if you want to get scientific about it.
Yeast—be it natural or commercial—is introduced to the apple juice and eats every morsel of sugar it can get its little single-cell organism hands on. As animals, when we eat we produce waste products, and yeast is no exception. As the yeast feasts on the apple’s sugar it produces two very important things: ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide (a gas). Once the sugar has been consumed, and the alcoholic level of the juice has increased as a result, the yeast has nothing left to survive on, so dies. And, et voilà, what was apple juice is now apple cider.
“Next time you’re in a cider bottle shop try and see if you can find the same variety as a still and as a sparkling and see if you can taste the difference the bubbles (or lack of) make.”
So if carbon dioxide is always produced during fermentation, why is some cider still? Well that’s a very good question. First of all, it’s important to note that there is a difference between still cider and flat cider. Still cider will have been made intentionally, whereas a flat cider is a sparkling cider that, for whatever reason, has lost its bubbles along the way.
To make still cider you simply allow fermentation to occur in a non pressurised environment. When carbon dioxide is produced in the fermentation process, it can only remain as bubbles within the cider if that cider is being stored under pressure. Just like a can of coke that’s been opened, or a glass of champagne once it has been poured, if there is no pressure to maintain the sparkle, the bubbles simply dissipate away. Choosing to make still cider over sparkling cider is often a personal preference of the cider maker. Next time you’re in a cider bottle shop try and see if you can find the same variety as a still and as a sparkling and see if you can taste the difference the bubbles (or lack of) make.
Very simply, the difference between a still cider and a sparkling cider is the existence of carbonation—carbon dioxide bubbles present in the liquid. But how do you keep the carbon dioxide in the cider to ensure it fizzes?
The vast majority of sparkling ciders are made using two fermentation processes, often referred to as secondary fermentation. The methods differ and this is something we will look at in more detail later on. But in short, yeast and sugar will be introduced to a still cider, causing fermentation to happen all over again. Only this time when the carbon dioxide is produced, each sparkling method incorporates some way of keeping the cider under pressure so the gas can dissolve and keep the cider fizzy until it is time to drink it.
“There are lots of different types of sparkling ciders. Each method will have its own taste and texture associated with it and a list of pros and cons for choosing one over the other.”
There are lots of different methods when it comes to sparkling cider production, which is part of what makes it such an interesting topic. Some methods you have have come across are:
Force Carbonated: Not dissimilar to putting the cider through a soda stream, this method involves an injection of carbon dioxide as opposed to a curation of it.
Pétillant–Naturel: The oldest sparkling method in the book. Involves one fermentation, not two, and is sometimes called Ancestral Method, or simply Pét-Nat.
Traditional Method: Sometimes known as Champagne Method, this method is the crème de la crème of creating sparkling ciders.
Charmat Method: The same method used in Prosecco production, also known as tank method.
Keg Conditioned: Sometimes referred to as live cider, keg conditioning gives cider an ever so slight effervescence.
There are lots of different types of sparkling ciders. Each method will have its own taste and texture associated with it and a list of pros and cons for choosing one over the other. We’ll look into this further in the next instalment but for now, why not celebrate your new found appreciation for bubbles with a glass of the fizzy stuff?
Rachel Hendry
Rachel Hendry
Rachel Hendry
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