# Regular vinegar vs. Cider vinegar question?



## bnew17 (Jan 19, 2012)

Does cider vinegar have more of a sour tangy taste to it compared to it Regular vinegar? i recently made a mustart bbq sauce with cider vinegar. While its good its very tangy and i have cut the vinegar amount in half. The only other ingredients in the sauce are white pepper, black pepper, salt, chili pepper, and soy sauce. I have only made sauce a few times and have not tried making any with regular white vinegar so i am unsure on if it has a different taste in sauce.


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## big andy a (Jan 19, 2012)

I assume you're speaking of apple cider vinegar and my impression is it has a more rounded, fruity, mellower taste to it than regular vinegar which I find very sharp tasting.  I know, not great adjectives but that's how I describe them.  For any sauce I make I think I use cider vinegar 10 times to each single time I use regular vinegar.

Curt.


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## scarbelly (Jan 19, 2012)

Found this on Cooks Illustrated

White vinegar is made from grain and cider vinegar is made from apples. Cider vinegar has a nicer, fruity taste, as compared to the harsher grain-alcohol-based white vinegar.


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## alelover (Jan 19, 2012)

Then you also have red wine vinegar as well.


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## venture (Jan 19, 2012)

For acidity, the basic store bought stuff has about the same for distilled and cider.  For flavor, I usually prefer the apple cider vinegar.

Also, consider wine vinegars, balsamic and malt vinegars.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## sausageboy (Jan 19, 2012)

Try Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar or make homemade!
It's SO much better than Heinz and most others!!! Eden is also pretty good!


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## chef jimmyj (Jan 19, 2012)

You will find Malt Vinegar is slightly less acidic and Rice Vinegar even more so, but look for Unseasoned Rice Vinegar. Most off the self are seasoned with Salt and Sugar, it is ok to use but you will have to adjust your recipe. You can always add sugar to balance the acidity of any Vinegar...JJ


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## moikel (Jan 19, 2012)

Apple cider vinegar I find is a better ingredient for sauces,marinades etc. Nice combination with Apple cider for pork dishes. Sherry vinegar is a great product but not cheap. Malt ,white I only use for pickling.


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## smokinhusker (Jan 19, 2012)

Venture said:


> For acidity, the basic store bought stuff has about the same for distilled and cider.  For flavor, I usually prefer the apple cider vinegar.
> 
> Also, consider wine vinegars, balsamic and malt vinegars.
> 
> Good luck and good smoking.




What he said!


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## techsasgirl (Jan 29, 2012)

All vinegars have a different taste, depending on what they're made from. They all are enjoyed for the acidity they offer. The level of acidity, the sourness, the sweetness, floral notes, etc are all going to be different depending on how aged the vinegar is, as well as your tastes. Personally, I always use apple cider vinegar or balsalmic vinegar for the sauces I offer (on the side, of course!). They are sweeter as far as vinegar goes,  but still tangy enough to give you that little bite in the jaws that makes your mouth water! Based on the ingredients you describe in the post, I don't think that white vinegar would be my first choice. I think you need one with a more dynamic flavor. However, you might as well try it! You'll never know until you do. A really great Idea would be to make 5-6 batches of this recipe (cut down to 1/4 the recipe, of course) and use a different vinegar for each. That way you can learn what your preferences are. Also, once you've done this, you'll have a better grip on the different things that vinegar can do for you in your cooking.


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