Cider Chat

Ragged Hill Cidery since 2017 Steve Garwood is the Head Cidermaker at Ragged Hill Cidery. He and his daughter Anne Garwood Hampp who manages Sales and Marketing and orchardist Keith Arsenault form the Ragged Hill Cider Company in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. Keith began planting the orchard back in 1984. Find Apple Varieties at Ragged Hill Orchard on their page at New England Apple Association...

We are Garagiste! Liza and Eric Coffi - Courthouse Creek Garagistes Liza and Eric Coffi jokingly call themselves 'Garagistes' of the cider world. Courthouse Creek is a family-run, small agri-business committed to respecting our land and our community.  They grow apples and other fruits and vegetables using sustainable, low impact practices, and produce orchard-based cider by adhering to natural me...

Securing a Trademark This episode is Part 2 of the series "Building a Cidery". In Part 1  episode 255 "What is a Trademark" and "Why it matters" was presented by attorney Kevin Regan. Both episodes on Trademark Law were originally presented by attorney Kevin Regan at CiderCon 2020. If you would like to view the power point presentation that Kevin is referring to during this lecture, you will find...

Trademark Defined This episode kicks off a new series called "Building a Cidery". This episode and #256 are both on Trademark Law as presented by attorney Kevin Regan at CiderCon 2020. If you would like to view the power point presentation that Kevin is referring to during this lecture, you will find it as a free download at the Cider Chat Patreon page. While there, please consider becoming a patr...

Blending as Maker like Chef Blending is a key part of cidermaking. It can take place at the pressing of the apple juice prior to ferment or after the cider has finished fermenting. Knowing when to blend is not something you can learn from reading a book, because is not a strict science. To blend well requires a fine palate, a developed nose and a bounty of apple knowledge. Makers are much like che...

Harvest the brightest fruit on the Quince Tree In late 2019, Vermont Quince Company was awarded USDA-funded Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) to support commercial and backyard growers by compiling and disseminating resources and expertise about growing quince in New England. Knowing when to harvest is key to this discussio...

#GrowQuince - it is easy to do! In late 2019, Vermont Quince Company was awarded USDA-funded Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) to support commercial and backyard growers by compiling and disseminating resources and expertise about growing quince in New England. The #GrowQuince is helping to spotlight this forgotten fruit On...

Kertelreiter Cider Kertelreiter Cider is based in the village of Schefflenz in North Baden, Germany. The cidery came about when Irishman Barry Masterson fell in love with a German lass and moved to her homeland to raise a family.  Though Barry's first love was beer, this full time land surveyor found himself eyeing and then eventually fermenting the ample supply of culinary apples in his area.  Ba...

We are celebrating the 250th episode of Cider Chat. Each season we invite The Nose to come on into the Cider House recording room and have a chat. We also have the opportunity to hear a bit more on how The Nose became The Nose! She even has a special tip on how to train your own nose! We take look back at Season 5 of Cider Chat and look forward to the year ahead in Season 6!   Check out the New***...

Old School Cider for Modern Times episode 249 is about this cider podcaster's backstory on making cider over the course of 26 years. This episode was inspired by my good friend Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider in Ontario. It was his idea to interview me about my backstory in cider as this podcast rolled up to episode 250. Seeing that I never turn down an opportunity to talk with Ryan so of course I...

The New England Quince Taste Test 2020 was hosted by Vermont Quince . Nan Stefanik founded Vermont Quince in 2012 and coined the hashtag #growquince Her passion for this pomme is contagious and her quince based products help to further showcase the versatility of the quince.  This year's New England Quince Taste Test was a virtual event. Boxes of quince juice, raw quince and poached quince were se...

Marijuana as of 2020 is now legal in 15 states in the United States. CBD products are popping up in can drinks nearly every where you look these days. Is it legal? Can cider now be fused with cider or at least CBD or perhaps THC? Find out in this special presentation prerecorded at CiderCon2020. Opening slide to: Current regulatory status of marijuana and CBD beverages Presentors Attorney Marc Sor...

Becoming Pomona was recorded at the 25th Franklin County CiderDays in November of 2019. The goal of this pomona panel discussion was to share personal stories on the inspirational effect of CiderDays on women in the cider industry, specifically the following women: CiderDays co-founder Judith Maloney of West County Cider. Judith was crowned Queen Pomona the night prior to this panel discussion Jud...

245: Apples of New England " App l es of New England "  was presented by  Russell Steven Powell Powell served as executive director of the New England Apple Association from 1998 to 2024 ( the NEAA closed it's doors on June 30, 2024) go to Episode 417 to hear more about the legacy and shuttering of this 89-year-old organization. He published the blog  newenglandorchards.org , and is the author of ...

Franklin County CiderDays now has a "Cider Trail" with 16 stops covering western Massachusetts and the Berkshires! This is part 2 of the series on traveling the Cider Trail and we will look at 10 stops along the trail. Episode 243 is part 1 of this series and details a 5 stop loop and day trip. View from West County Cider - picnic area looking out to Vermont and New Hampshire[/caption] This episod...

Plan the Perfect Cider Road Trip! This is Part 1 of a two part series on the new Cider Trail for Franklin County CiderDays 2020. The following is a recommended loop to visit 5 venues on the map. You can go in either direction of this loop - look to ciderdays.org to find the map and additional info on the other stops along the Cider Trail 1. Beaver Pond Distillery A German-made copper still for onl...

Tips on "SelectIng Your Perfect Cider" With so many choices on the shelf, purchasing cider can begin to feel daunting! This episode will provide tips to help you make that choice when faced with a wide range of cider styles. Here are the key tips to consider when -  Purchasing Cider Look for: Cider made from 100% apples.  Look for single varietal ciders to begin honing in on the wide variation of...

How to Bottle Cider at Home is Part 6 and the final episode of the Cidermaker Series "Oh September" for 2020 Learn How to Make Cider at Home in Part 1 of this Cidermaking Series. Part 5 To Rack or Not To Rack is a must listen too because it brings you through the conditioning of your cider before bottling. Now lets get into the basic of bottling cider at home! When to bottle When the Specific Grav...

This chat provides a a sip of something for everyone, from makers who want to improve their skills to consumers who enjoy knowing why a cider tastes a particular way. In this Cider Chat, we look at the next step after primary fermentation of cider and discuss the benefits of racking the cider over and why you may chose to not rack your cider. If you are a newbie to cidermaking, I recommend that yo...

Cleaning considerations for 3 different cider operations - DYI, Farm Winery and Production with Stormalong Cider. (l-r) Ben Roberts-Sano, Bright McConnell, Shannon Edgar DIY - Home Cidermaking  It is soak and scrub for the DIYers. Soak carboys parts nylon bags airlocks all threaded parts Rinse with copious amounts of water thoroughly and sanitize. Boil with hot water, if possible. Drainage and set...

This is Part 3 featuring chemistry safety tips for cidermakers! Part 1 - How to Make Cider at home, provides a recipe for making a 1 gallon jug of cider Part 2 - Makers Tips for Growth and Cleanliness was the first part of a conversation with the Cider Team at Stormalong Cider in Leominster, Massachusetts. Stormalong Head Cidermaker, Ben Robert-Sano begins with an overview of these 3 components to...

Stormalong Cider scaled up their operations in 2017 when they moved from their cozy barn centered cidery to a shared production facility in Leominster in Massachusetts. We begin with considerations for growth of a cidery and then begin a dive deep into the production side of making cider with a specific focus on cleaning. Featuring Stormalong owner, Shannon Edgar, Head Cidermaker Ben Roberts-Sano...

Make Cider at home! It is fun and easy to do! In this episode on How-to Make cider: Benefits to you when you make cider at home Where to get your juice, what kind of juice and "what if you have an apple tree in your yard?" Basic equipment needed to make a gallon to 5 gallons of cider. The process for both a "controlled" cider and a wild ferment. How to clean your equipment Equipment and Juice By b...

Maxim Brecht didn't grow up thinking he wanted to become a cidermaker. Cider in Russia is barely known. Maxim says, "People think of cider as being very acetic and dry." Maxim Brecht His path towards cider began when he saw the surplus of apples in the country. He had heard the word cider and thus started researching online, which led him to taking a cidermaking course in England, by Peter Mitchel...

Elena V. Tyukina is the Brewmaster and co-owner along with her husband of Knightberg Brewery in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Located in the historical district of this premier European city of distinction, is not small task. Think small road ways and antiquated systems that need to be revved up to meet the modern demand of brewing and fermenting. Fermenters world wide are not afraid of doing the impo...