055: Apple Songs to Sing-a-long

055: Apple Songs to Sing-a-long

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist November 18, 2016 Duration: 32:01

Apple songs and sing-a-longs helps put a rhythm to the work day and marks Wassail celebrations around the world.

This week's chat we begin with a fun Apple Song led by David Gott, who has worked as a pruner and maker of fresh pressed Sweet Cider. David's banjo style and ability to lead a group in a sing-a-long is reminiscent of the late and legendary singer/songwriter Pete Seeger.

The beginning of this chat, which by the way I recorded while sitting on the floor at my AirBnB while away from home for work, I chat on the basics of 'racking cider over' once the initial fermentation is done.

Tips for racking cider.

  • Sanitize all your racking equipment, the outside of the carboy and inside the new carboy (5 or 3 gallon glass vessel).
  • Use food grade tubing,
  • Use a clothes pin to hold the food grade clear tubing at the mouth of the carboy so it doesn't slide down to the bottom and suck up all the "smutch" on the bottom. Leave that behind and pour off into a mason jar once done, then place the jar into your refrigerator and let is separate. You can then drink the clear liquid off and get to know your cider better on its path to conditioning.
  • Use sterile water in the airlock or if you have the cash use vodka in the airlock. The airlock is an S-shaped tube that goes into a stopper. It releases the CO2 that is being produced during the initial fermentation, while keeping Oxygen out.
  • The biggest tip is to have fun.

About 13 minutes in we sing two more songs.

The first is make up by David Gott and Rick Stone called Thick Grow the Branches oh!

The second the Wassail Song

Wait till the end and sing-a-long for an oldie but goodie song.

Mentions in this chat

YouTube video of Ria picking the Lady Apple titled: Real Cidermakers pick their own apples

www.hasegawaladders.com/ light weight apple picking ladders

Episode 003: Robert Colnes | Building a Cider House. Robert passes away this past spring. This Sing-a-long was recorded at the farm where Robert and Carol B. Hillman's son built the ciderhouse. Stunning!

 

 

Ask for the following 3 #CiderGoingUP Campaign cider supporters - By supporting these cider makers, you in turn help Ciderville.

Big Apple Hard Cider - NYC

Kurant Cider - Pennsylvania

Oliver's Cider and Perry - Herefordshire/UK

Go to this page to see the ciderchat.com show notes page with photos

Please Help Support Cider Chat's (Ria's) to CiderCon2017. Please donate today.

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
498: Heeman's Cellar | Somewhere Cider from Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:05
In this episode of Cider Chat, we visit Heeman Cellars in Ontario, where a multi-generational strawberry farm expanded into cider and mead production focused on heritage apples, terroir, and experimentation. We taste ble…
496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:28
Liberty Ciderworks in Spokane, Washington is an urban cidery focused on traditional methods. While located in the city, their cider reflects deep agricultural roots. Cider maker and founder Rick Hastings ferments with wi…
495: Cider Barrels Speak | Bâtonnage & Barrel Aging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:24
In this archive episode of Cider Chat, we go in a barrel cellar in Prince Edward County, Ontario, with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider and Lee Baker of Keint-He Winery. Listening to Fermentation What Is Bâtonnage in Cide…
494: Humboldt Cider and the Historic Orchard of Albert Etter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:53
In this episode of Cider Chat, we hear from Tom Hart of Humboldt Cider Company, located in Eureka, California along the rugged Pacific coastline behind what locals call the Redwood Curtain. We also discusses preserving t…
493: Cider as a Sport | Sidra in Asturias (Archive Edition) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:28
What is Asturian cider? Asturian cider (sidra natural) is a traditionally fermented apple cider from Asturias, Spain, served through a high pour (escanciado) and shared socially in small servings called culines. This epi…
492: Absolem Cider Company | Maine Cider Energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:23
This episode of Cider Chat explores the growing Maine cider scene through Absolem Cider Company in Winthrop, a farm-based cidery helping shape New England's evolving cider identity. Located on a 60-acre farm in Winthrop,…
491: Revisiting Randall Grahm | Cider Exploration Without Hesitation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:35
An early conversation that explored possibilities cider was only beginning to consider. As Cider Chat moves toward its 500th episode, we revisit conversations from the earliest seasons, taking a long view of the moments…
490: Let Cider Lead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
An editorial on leadership, scarcity, and why cider no longer needs to borrow authority from beer or wine. In Let Cider Lead, host Ria Windcaller steps back from interviews to offer a clear-eyed reflection on the state o…
489: Natural Cider Production Seminar | CiderCon 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:53
Natural cider is often misunderstood as funky, volatile, or flawed. Recorded live at CiderCon 2025, this seminar reframes natural cider as a philosophy of low intervention, balance, and intentional care, not a free pass…