Tool
How much sharp juice do I need to add?
The acid a blend will land on, and what proportion of sharp fruit gets you to a target — an arithmetic question with a microbiological answer behind it.
Acid blending
Bittersweet juice is typically low — often under 3 g/L as malic acid.
A culinary apple such as Bramley can run far higher.
Blended acid
3.40 g/L
Total volume: 100.0 L
How this is worked out
- Total volume: 100.0 L
- Bittersweet: 80.0 L at 2.00 g/L — 80.0% of the blend
- Sharp: 20.0 L at 9.00 g/L — 20.0% of the blend
- Weighted result: 3.40 g/L
What this assumes (2)
- Volumes are assumed to be additive. For cider and juice that is close enough; for a blend involving a spirit it is not.
- Acid, sugar and alcohol all blend arithmetically. Perceived sweetness, bitterness and astringency do not — the palate is not a weighted average, and a blend can taste more astringent than either component if the tannins and acids reinforce each other.
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Where this reading comes from
Guides that reach this calculator, and what the number decides once you have it.
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From sound cider to good cider
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Planning a batch: fruit in, bottles out
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