What is malic acid? Docs Draft

Ok so I'm fairly new to cider, having brewed 1 gallon batch and one 5 gallon caramel cider batch. Had my second commercial cider yesterday... A docs draft pear hard cider. It was made with apples, pears, champagne yeast and malic acid. I LOVED this cider. I was wondering though about the malic acid. The cider tasted a bit dry with almost an end note of sourness and it smelled a bit sour. AWESOME. Was this due to the malic acid? I'm thinking about doing a 5 gallon batch of cider over raspberry a, how much malic acid should I add to get this sourness? Thanks guys!!

Malic acid is the primary acid produced by apples. It is very tart. Sour Patch candy is dusted with crystals of sugar and malic acid. Add only small amounts at a time (1tsps per gallon is a good start) until the proper tartness level is reached.

Perfect that's hat I was looking for. If you age a cider that has malic acid, will it disappear over time(like the hop aroma/ taste in an IPA)

Nope!

Malic acid is sour, but has no aroma. It would have been added to the commercial cider to correct the pH. Malic acid is an energy source for microbes, so you may get malolactic fermentation (MLF) which converts malic acid to the much less sour lactic acid. (you can research MLF on google). MLF often happens during ageing, but cool temps below 60F or so2 (campden tablets) will prevent it.

Nothing to add but I do love Doc's. It is the best commercial cider IMO. Stopped by last Sunday and had some draft. Bought 4 bottles of wine and a bottle of raspberry cider that's in my fridge right now. I think I'll open it tonight.

gregbathurst said:

Malic acid is sour, but has no aroma. It would have been added to the commercial cider to correct the pH. Malic acid is an energy source for microbes, so you may get malolactic fermentation (MLF) which converts malic acid to the much less sour lactic acid. (you can research MLF on google). MLF often happens during ageing, but cool temps below 60F or so2 (campden tablets) will prevent it.

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Well since when I make a big batch I don't store them any place near 60 degrees and don't add campden tablets since I carb my bottles. Do you think pasteurizing post bottling would stop MLF. I shall also be googling this. I love learning new things about brewing cider making

Pasteurizing will definitely prevent MLF.

If you add campden tablets at a fairly low rate(one tab per gallon) you can still bottle condition/carb and stop MLF, pasteurising will also work and allow you to backsweeten, but pasteurising carbed cider is a little hazardous, don't handle the bottles till they have cooled.