Additional index words. Malus 3domestica, phenolic, polyphenol, tannin, titratable acidity, yeast assimilable nitrogen Abstract. To assess the impact crop load has on hard cider chemistry, 'York' apple (Malus 3domestica Borkh.) trees were hand thinned to three different crop loads: low [two apples per cm 2 branch cross-sectional area (BCSA)], medium (four apples per BCSA), and high (six apples per BCSA). Higher crop loads produced smaller, less acidic fruit that were slightly more mature. In juice made from fruit from these treatments, the total polyphenol content did not differ at harvest, but, after fermentation, the medium crop load had 27% and the high crop load had 37% greater total polyphenol content than the low crop load. Yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) concentration in juice made from fruit from the low crop load treatment had 18% and 22% greater than the medium and high crop load, respectively. YAN concentrations in juice from the medium and high crop load treatments were similar. Our results provide apple growers and hard cider producers with a better understanding of how apple crop load impacts YAN concentrations in juice and total polyphenol concentrations in juice and cider.

Yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) is essential for yeast growth and metabolism during apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) cider fermentation. YAN concentration and composition can impact cider fermentation kinetics and the formation of volatile aroma compounds by yeast. The YAN concentration and composition of apples grown in Virginia, USA over the course of two seasons was determined through analysis of both free amino nitrogen (FAN) and ammonium ion concentration. FAN was the largest fraction of YAN, with a mean value of 51 mg N L−1 FAN compared to 9 mg N L−1 ammonium. Observed YAN values ranged from nine to 249 mg N L−1, with a mean value of 59 mg N L−1. Ninety‐four percent of all samples analyzed in this study contained <140 mg N L−1 YAN, a concentration generally considered the minimum level needed in grape‐based wines for yeast to fully utilize all of the fermentable sugars. FAN concentration was correlated with total YAN concentration, but ammonium concentration was not. Likewise, there was no correlation between FAN and ammonium concentration.

BACKGROUNDFungicide residues on fruit may adversely affect yeast during cider fermentation, leading to sluggish or stuck fermentation or the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is an undesirable aroma compound. This phenomenon has been studied in grape fermentation but not in apple fermentation. Low nitrogen availability, which is characteristic of apples, may further exacerbate the effects of fungicides on yeast during fermentation. The present study explored the effects of three fungicides: elemental sulfur (S0) (known to result in increased H2S in wine); fenbuconazole (used in orchards but not vineyards); and fludioxonil (used in post‐harvest storage of apples).RESULTSOnly S0 led to increased H2S production. Fenbuconazole (≥0.2 mg L−1) resulted in a decreased fermentation rate and increased residual sugar. An interactive effect of yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) concentration and fenbuconazole was observed such that increasing the YAN concentration alleviated the negative effects of fenbuconazole on fermentation kinetics.CONCLUSIONCidermakers should be aware that residual fenbuconazole (as low as 0.2 mg L−1) in apple juice may lead to stuck fermentation, especially when the YAN concentration is below 250 mg L−1. These results indicate that fermentation problems attributed to low YAN may be caused or exacerbated by additional factors such as fungicide residues, which have a greater impact on fermentation performance under low YAN conditions. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) concentration and composition impact hydrogen sulphide (H2S) production and fermentation kinetics during wine fermentation, but this phenomenon has not been extensively studied in cider fermentation. Our hypothesis was that H2S production during cider fermentation could be decreased through pre‐fermentation modification of concentrations of individual amino acids. Apple juice (53 mg L−1 YAN) was supplemented with asparagine, arginine, methionine or ammonium and fermented with EC1118 and UCD522 yeast strains. No difference in H2S production among fermentations was observed with addition of asparagine, arginine or ammonium. Methionine addition of 5 mg L−1 decreased H2S production by yeast strain EC1118 at 53 mg L−1 YAN. With 153 mg L−1 initial YAN, only methionine addition of 50 mg L−1 decreased H2S production, and no tested methionine rates decreased H2S production with 253 mg L−1 initial YAN. Supplementation to 153 mg L−1 YAN resulted in increased H2S production at all methionine concentrations tested. Sensory differences in aroma were detected in samples supplemented with ammonium and methionine, and these differences were correlated with observed differences in H2S production. Our results indicate that supplementing cider fermentations with methionine leads to lower H2S formation, especially in apple juice containing low YAN. © 2017 The Authors Journal of the Institute of Brewing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Institute of Brewing & Distilling

Though Diego Velazquez's masterpiece Las Meninas is one of the most celebrated paintings in the modern world, its full meaning is still considered somewhat of a mystery. In view of this, the authors of this essay, two experienced law enforcement profilers, employ criminal profiling analysis and techniques to examine the actual evidence in plain sight within the painting as a whole. Much commentary has been written about the skills of the artist, and various eras and styles of art or the proportions in the painting; yet, this is not simply a painting about the artist and his manifold subjects portrayed in a specific era; the evidence within the painting points us in a rather new and unique direction, providing us with a -plausible rival hypothesis‖ about the artistic purpose in the painting. In essence, Velazquez is creating and paying deep homage to the new royal court and power of artistic creation; in turn, he is honoring the almost divine-like powers of new royalty, the artist as Creator-King. As such, we as spectators are also participants and the critical subjects and audience, in this new ROYAL COURT OF ART, as portrayed in this extraordinary painting by the Artist King, Diego Velazquez.Uniqueness is often overlooked by scholars, eager to situate singular events or even creations in a theoretical and thus generalized context, but never by law enforcement investigators. As such, the painting Las Meninas is the primary scene to be investigated, not of an illustrious example of Baroque period art, but first and foremost, as a unique creation. As such, our perspective is that of investigators searching for or looking at the evidence in plain sight, not simply as witnesses or appreciative spectators. Furthermore, the evidence in a superior realist painting (or crime scene) is often profoundly interrelated and interdependent; yet, such subtle interplay is often lost on spectators who cannot get beyond their own prejudices, stereotypes or shibboleths to see theradical uniqueness of life or art.