Do you need to see a foamy head in order to state its sparkling? I carbonated my cider to 2.5 volumes and it’s definitely carbonated but I don’t get the foamy head that some folks told me I would need to have. I do get a little bit of foam though.
This is my first cider and I have plans to enter it in a competition and want to make sure I select the appropriate option, petillant or sparkling.
Thanks in advance :cheers:
I don’t know how the comp works for this, but I would call that sparkling. For champagnes, the classification has nothing to do with foam, but only with how pressurized it is. Grand Cru is pressurized to 4 barr, cremant to 2 barr. Petilant would be just a gentle tingling on the tongue.
Thanks!!!
:cheers:
My cider making experience is limited to this year and 12 yrs ago, but I never had a foamy head.
Cider lacks the protein (?) to hold a head.
Just like when you pour a cola into a glass, a cider might fizz a lot when you first pour, but it should never have a head that stays around – if it does then you’ve done something wrong.
Or you’ve made a Graf, which gives you a real nice head that lasts. 
If you didn’t live in Maine, you could swing by the Manitowoc Brewfest next weekend Feb. 21 to taste my graf. 
I’d love to Dave, but it’s a long way from Maine to Wisconsin… and a lot of snow inbetween(we’ve got another blizzard coming this weekend. Will make over 6feet this miserable winter).
My Graf this year turned out real nice as well.
Thanks everyone. As expected the foam does dissipate quickly.
:cheers:
