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Pectic Enzyme Info and Questions
I have been researching my first batch of cider. The recipe I settled on recommends filtering the cider but I don't own a filtering system to the point of sterility, and it recommends force carbonating... but I don't have a kegging system. So, I figured I'd leave it unfiltered and carbonate it by priming it like I do beer. But further research tells me that the pectin in apples is liable to leave a haze... so now we're back to filtering it... but I can't afford a filtering system at this point (maybe I'll ask for one for Mother's Day!)
Someone suggested Pectic Enzyme to me. I asked "what's that do?" and got told "it clears fruit drinks", so I asked how... the answer was "I dunno. I guess like Irish Moss or gelatin does". It occurs to me that pectin is what makes jellies gel, so pectic enzyme can't work like gelatin.. and since Irish Moss works on the same principal, pectic enzyme might do something different. So I did a little research.
Turns out pectic enzyme is an organism (for lack of a better word) which eats pectin and produces sugar. (Kind of like how yeast in beer eats sugar and makes alcohol). The sugars produced by pectic enzymes are fermentable and the yeast ends up eating the sugar and cleaning the pectin from the must. Simple enough concept. I figured I'd share that since I didnt see anything like it on the site - although I am new at this so I might be explaining the obvious to those who already know!! 
My question is: Since pectic enzyme produces fermentable sugars is this going to increase the alcohol content in the finished cider? Or is it going to make the cider sweeter?
Anyone know?
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