3. Specific steps in the cider-making process

3.1 Must clarification for cider production

Apple musts can be fermented as is. However, the traditional methods described for producing quality ciders involve clarifying the must before fermentation. At present, several methods coexist (figure 10 ), but the traditional method, known as "defecation" in France and "keeving" in England, is still used in a more reliable form. It consists of gelling the must, then shrinking the gel at the top of the tank to form a brown foam that traps the lees. The clear must is then racked to another tank. This method is still widely used today, and work carried out in the 1980s