Cider Chat

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...

OMG and the story of two sommeliers! Meet Olga and Micheal Efremov are Russian Sommeliers with two cider brands, OMG and Incider . Michael and Olga Efremov They are based outside of Moscow in a small town, but close enough to work with restaurants in the city. Micheal is the cidermaker and Olga, the educator, leading tasting workshops. During this chat recorded in February of 2020 at Cidrexpo, Olg...

Russia is having a party and cider is invited! The first ever Cider Party was held in Moscow this July and over 200 people attended dancing into the night and drinking cider! This episode 232 is Part 1 of a 4 part series featuring 4 makers whom I had a chance to sit down and have a chat with while I was attending Cidrexpo in February of 2020. This episode introduces Alina Lotkeva, whom helped prod...

The Big Book of Cidermaking authors Christopher Shockey and Kristen K. Shockey are this episode's featured guest! The book will be released on September 1, 2020. Go to http://ferment.works/ to pre-order you copy today! Moved to Applegate, Oregon in 1998 and found apple trees on their property and began fermenting cider. They also began fermenting vegetables. Soon they were writing about the skill...

Ciderville Updates & Coming Attractions is a mini episode beginning with info on the England Cider Tour scheduled for September 1-6, 2020. I also discuss Totally Cider Tours that I will be look forwarding to once we get by coronavirus. Next up is an Audio Snap Shop from Denmark listener, Sune! Find out about the October 10, 2020 cider fest for this country. Coming Attractions features a reading by...

The Orchard Mystery Serie s is written by author Sheila Connolly who passed away in April of 2020. This episode 229 is dedicated to her for taking readers on a journey into the orchards of western Massachusetts, where this series takes place. The first book in the Orchard Series is titled One Bad Apple (2008).  There are a total of 12 books with the last one Nipped in the Bud being published in 20...

The Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) was founded in 2007 and serves Philadelphia and it surrounding area. This nonprofit organization both plants and supports community orchards in the city of Philadelphia. 2019 Harvest Festival at Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram's Garden This chat features a chat with Kim Jordan who has been with POP since its founding. In 2019, she became a full time employe...

The Color of Cider provides a snap shot of an early practices used to deter black farmers gaining true equality and the difficulties facing African Americans today who may view farming as a step back to the plantation. We begin this episode with a quote from Booker T. Washington who born into slavery on April 5, 1856. He was able to learn to read and write despite the tendency of slave owners to n...

Northern Spy is a short story that weaves the tale of the early grafting of the apple known as the Northern Spy, Quaker values, and the Underground Railroad. Read and written by Ryan Monkman, for the new Cider Chat segment titled "Stories in Ciderville". For additional reading and inspiration look to the children's book An Apple for Harriet Tubman.   Northern Spy by Ryan Monkman About 200 years ag...

New England was the Plymouth Rock of cider in the US for the colonist and western Massachusetts is the launch pad of the modern day US cider market. It was here in 1984 that West County Cider and The Maloney family rekindled America's love affair with cider. Thirty Six years forward to 2020, provides a perfect time to explore the terroir of cider in western Massachusetts with Field Maloney,   Soha...

What is Flor aka Film Yeast and can the cider be saved? It's all in Part 4  of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Plus, Why are FieldBird Ciders so wine like and "How did Ryan get into cider?" Ryan Monkman Listen Part 1 ,   Part 2 , Part 3 of the Quarantine Quad Series. Ryan's chat begins...

Discover two cidermaking techniques that are also used in winemaking, called Maderisation and Bâtonnage . We delve into both of these topics in   Part 3  of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan"  with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Maderisation: What is this technique and can it be used with cider? Bâtonnage: are there any shor...

Part 2 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan"  continues with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners on working with oak barrels. Listen Part 1 of the Quarantine Quad Series Ryan addresses: Stacking Oak Barrels At FieldBird they call climbing up stacked barrels: Monkey climbing, where they uses e barrels as a ladder. Managing Head spa...

"Ask Ryan" features Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Ryan expertise with oak barrel ferments and oak barrels in general inspired this 4 part series. The fact that he also makes mighty fine cider and perry is also a factor. [caption id="attachment_5059" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ryan in the barrel room[/caption] Ryan has been feat...

This is a continuation of our conversation with Arnould Narzain of Paris. Listen to Part 1 in episode 218: Sorbs not Sulfites Arnould Narzain with a drop backdrop of Sorbs In this episode Arnould shares even more attributes of the Pomme Sorbus Domestica. George Washington brought a Sorb tree back from his visit to France and planted it at Mount Vernon Women long ago used it for wrinkles. Green Sor...

Bonus Cider Chat Live with the New York Cider Association's Scott Ramsey Scott Ramsey stepped into his role as Executive Director of the New York Cider Association on March 1, 2020. New York State was soon to become the hot spot for Covid-19. In short, Scott started his new job while a global pandemic was raging world wide and quickly spreading in the US. The Northeastern Cider Conference schedule...

Sorbus Domestica enthusiast Arnould Narazian of Paris France, shares his knowledge and passion for this King of all Pommes. This "Service Tree's wood was used for wooden screws used in wine presses and the fruit to help cure ailing cider and wine. This chat was recorded at Cidrexpo in February 2020 in Caen France. The main chat begins at 9:20 minutes Arnould Nazarian What are some of the cultural/...