Glossary · Chemistry
Glycerol
Also written glycerine. Each is a name for the same thing, which is why none of them has an entry of its own.
Definition
A three-carbon polyol produced by yeast during fermentation, chiefly early on as it balances its internal redox state. It contributes slight sweetness and a sense of viscosity.
- Subject
- Chemistry
- Also written
- glycerine
In more detail
Glycerol is often credited with more textural effect than the evidence supports: at typical cider concentrations of a few grams per litre its contribution to viscosity is small, and much of what drinkers attribute to it comes from alcohol, residual sugar and polysaccharides. Yields vary with yeast strain and with fermentation temperature.
Where this is covered properly
The glossary defines; these pages explain. Each is described in its own words.
Related terms
Terms that belong to the same part of the subject, or that this one is routinely confused with.
Chemistry
Sorbitol
A sugar alcohol present in substantial quantity in pears and in smaller amounts in apples. Yeast does not ferment it, so it survives fermentation and leaves a fully dry perry tasting faintly sweet.
Sensory
Mouthfeel
The tactile impression of a drink in the mouth — viscosity, weight, texture, prickle and drying — as distinct from its taste and aroma.
Sensory
Body
The perceived weight and fullness of a cider in the mouth. Full-bodied ciders feel substantial and coating; thin ones feel watery regardless of their alcohol.
Fermentation
Fermentation
The conversion of sugar to ethanol and carbon dioxide by yeast, together with the many secondary reactions that occur alongside it and which supply most of a cider’s aroma.
Where to go next
- Cider glossary — The whole vocabulary, by subject and A–Z.
- Comparisons — Terms that are only really clear when set against the thing they are not.
- Search — Finds terms by their aliases and by their spellings in other languages.
Sources
What this page rests on. Where a source is marked as registered rather than read, CiderHQ is recording that the body is authoritative on the subject without claiming to have worked through the document itself. See our evidence policy for what each state means.
The Science of Cidermaking and associated technical writing
Andrew Lea · reference work · passage verified 2026-08-24
Written by a food chemist who worked at Long Ashton on apple phenolics. Unusual among specialist cider writing in that it is primary-research-adjacent: the author is describing work he did, and cites the literature. This is why it is registered at tier 1 for chemistry while a general cider book is not.
Cornell Cider Research and Extension programme
Cornell University, School of Integrative Plant Science · university · passage verified 2026-08-24
Runs cultivar trials in New York State and publishes juice chemistry for European cider varieties grown in a North American climate — the single most useful counterweight to treating English figures as universal.