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
378: The Inner Realm of the Ice Cider Queen | Eden, VT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:19
Nothing Sharp about the "Ice Cider Queen" Eleanor Léger is affectionately dubbed the Ice Cider Queen by many followers, most notably this podcast. She founded Eden Specialty Cider in 2007, the year of the first harvest o…
377: Fable Farm Fermentory's Co-Evolution of Humanity & Apples | VT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:00
Fable Farm Fermentory's Co-Evolution of Humanity & Apples The Apple Calls Us In | Fable Farm, VT started 15 years ago... In this episode hear how brother's Jon and Christopher Piana found their way to Fable Farm and how…
376: Orchard & Cider Variety Research at WHNO | Vermont [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:26
Walden Heights Nursery & Orchard (WHNO) was created in 1997 This 22 acre farm with 8 acres of orchards on a hillside outside of Hardwick, Vermont in the town of Walden was founded by Todd Parlo and Lori Augustyniak. It i…
375: Cider's Low Carbon Footprint | Wildbranch Cider, Vermont [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:51
Cedar Hannan began selling his ciders branded as "Wildbranch" in 2020. He both forages apples and has a small orchard planted that he planted four years ago on his farm based in Craftsbury, Vermont. The ciders are both w…
374: Bonus Episode! CCLive | NY Apple Camp News! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:04
Bonus Cider Chat Live on NY Apple Camp July 28th - 30th at the Ashokan Center in the Hudson River Valley (on the west side of river) is the first ever NY Apple Camp! Elizabeth Ryan of Stone Ridge Orchard who is producing…
373: Orchard Tips for Cold Climates [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:17
Orchardist Ben Applegate on cold climate orchard care Ben is the Orchard Manager at Eden Specialty Cider based in northern Vermont and shares his insight on cold climate apple varieties and orchard tips. This chat took p…
372: The Science Behind Spontaneous Fermentation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:33
Cider and Spontaneous Fermentation The wild "ambient" yeast found on apples, in the air, on cider presses can all contribute to a spontaneous fermentation within the cider must, which is the juice that has been freshly p…
371: Save Your Back! Mechanical Harvesting of Apples [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:52
Small, Medium and Large Scale options for Mechanical Harvesting of Apples Cornell University Associate Professor of Horticulture Gregory Peck Ph.D and Angry Orchard Head Cidermaker Joe Gaynor provide an in depth study of…
370: Innovative Ciders of Domaine Marois | France [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:57
Antoine Marois is Tantalizing the Taste Buds of Cider Fans On a sloping hill on the east side of the picturesque village of Cambremer sits Domaine Marois. The lead up to the home is formidable with a long drive that lead…
369: Baba Yaga & Holistic Orchards | NC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:28
Discover Kordick Family Farm and Baba Yaga Hear from Dorsey and daughter Brittany, the mother and daughter team at Korkdick Family Farm with Baba Yaga as their guide. Dorsey is a long time apple fan and even attended Pet…