Sediment and Fill Height Answered

We have gotten a few questions about sediment at the bottom of cans and fill heights.  Hopefully I can explain both sufficiently.  Feel free to give us a call (207-200-7332) if you have any further questions.

SEDIMENT:  When there's some sediment at the bottom of the can, it is simply apple particles that have fallen out of solution.  In looking at filtered vs unfiltered, we had to weigh two options.  Using a filter, we could have a "perfect" looking cider, where all the small particles were strained out, although half the flavor would come with those particles, or, we could leave it unfiltered, and get a full-on flavor but have to deal with the sediment.  We chose the latter, with hopes that you, the consumer would appreciate the sacrifices that go into leaving a product unfiltered.  Believe me when I say it would be much easier to use a filter, and not have any questions/concerns regarding sediment in cans, or the occasional sludge keg.  But this, along with our decision to use real juice, is the reason that many people love Downeast Cider.  Authenticity can not be faked, especially in the mind of a discerning consumer.  We love hearing "this tastes like it came right off the farm!" rather than "this is some sterile shit!"  One day, when we have (a lot) more money, we can pay a team of food scientists to solve this problem without harming quality, but that day is still well ahead of us.

FILL HEIGHT:  This is a problem that hopefully we've fixed, although I'm sure there are still some of the "high fill" cans out there.  Our current canning equipment is VERY low tech, and the fill height is determined by us and a little knob/stem.  The high fills were just a novice move.  We filled those things to the brim and then capped and sealed.  After making a few hundred cases like this, the reports started coming in, so we brought the fill height down.  Those good fill heights should be hitting the market soon.

--Downeast