North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>]

If you can keep the vinegar organisms out to start with, keeping air out of 
your bottle or whatever you are fermenting in should ensure you get wine 
rather than vinegar.  Leaving plenty of room at the top of the jar or bottle 
and opening it at intervals or just tying a cloth over it should ensure 
vinegar rather than wine.  Normally we get wine, but I have tried making 
hard cider and it goes to vinegar nearly every time.  I kind of hate to 
pasteurize it first.  Normally I bring home apples from various trees I know 
of, as mine aren't producing, but this year there are no free or cheap 
apples.  The one green grocer I have access got his apples from Virginia 
this year instead of from the Sequatchie Valley as usual.    Donna