Yeast Nutrient Supplementation Influences Cider Chemistry and Consumer Preference for Naturally Fermented Cider, While Information About Production Practices Does Not Influence Consumer Preference

In North America, a wide range of apple cultivars are used for cider production, including heirloom and multi-purpose cultivars. Cider fermentation is managed using varying strategies. Thus, a wide range of cider styles are available, including increasingly popular naturally fermented ciders. With such variation in the market, it is not possible to reliably predict consumer preference based on cider chemistry alone. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of fruit cultivar (GoldRush—multi-purpose, or Harrison—heirloom) and fermentation strategy (natural vs. inoculated, with and without yeast nutrients) on cider chemistry and consumer perceptions of ciders made from Virginia, USA-grown apples, and the extent to which knowledge about production practices influences consumer valuation of these ciders. Eight experimental ciders were produced using a factorial design combining cultivar, inoculation strategy, and nutrient addition. The greatest impacts of the treatments on cider chemistry were observed in residual sugar and volatile acidity. Nitrogen-rich yeast nutrients resulted in lower residual sugar and lower volatile acidity in naturally-fermented Harrison, and lower volatile acidity in naturally-fermented GoldRush, demonstrating the potential for yeast nutrient additions to mitigate risk of incomplete fermentation and excess volatile acidity in naturally fermented ciders. Consumers segmented into four groups with varying preferences for the experimental ciders. The purchase intent (on a 5-point scale) for the evaluated sample set ranged from 2.5 to 3.11, while willingness-to-pay ranged from $4.78 to $5.93 (USD) for a glass of cider. Consumer knowledge of production practices did not influence preferences or willingness-to-pay.