083: Charles McGonegal | AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery,  Wisconsin

083: Charles McGonegal | AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery, Wisconsin

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist June 7, 2017 Duration: 1:12:09

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Charles McGonegal is full time cider geek who also happens to have a day job as a petro chemist. He and his wife Melissa founded AEppelTreow Winery in Wisconsin in 2001. Why AEppelTreow? Charles says, "I wanted a name that was a little pretentious and not French"

Charles has a particular fondness for Perry and has what he calls "the country's (US) only Poire collection (meaning perry pear trees)."

He spent years getting permission from the a USDA to plant imported perry pears. "I have what are suppose to be the top three Breton and top three Norman perry pears in a test orchard."

In this chat we find out more about AEppelTreow (pronounce Apple True) and get a bushel of tips on making perry.

The main chat with Charles begins at 7:48 minutes.

The specific chat on Perry begins at 38:20 minutes, with a mini intro by the Talking Pomes. A transcript of this section of the chat on perry making will be transcribed and posted to the Cider Chat Patreon page. Become a patron today and help keep this chat thriving.

"Perry is its own thing. It is mostly like making cider. There are a couple of quirks."

On storaging of perry during its fermentation and conditioning

  • have a good seal - Charles recommended even using electrical tap
  • never let it (the airlock) dry out
  • CO2 blanket it or use Aragon (because it settles more than CO2)
  • know the Ph of the perry and make the right adjustments

Smell every morning during the primary fermentation - when it begins to smell eggy add a 1/4 dose of fermaid  or diammonium phosphate (DAP)

Add a 1/4 at a time - helping to clear us the H2S in time

 

Contact AEppelTreow

website: http://aeppeltreow.com/

telephone: (262) 878-5345

email: cider@appletrue.com

address:

1072 288th Ave

Burlington, WI 53105

Mentions in this Chat

Enter the Giveaway for 2 tickets to Cider Circus August 26, 2017 at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado http://cidercircus.com/  Enter by subscribing to eCiderNews and be automatically entered or become a Patron of Cider Chat and be entered automatically to all Cider Chat contests and giveaways. 2 winners are picked on Juy 1st!

Ask for the following 7 #CiderGoingUP Campaign cider supporters - By supporting these cider makers, you in turn help Ciderville.

  1. Kurant Cider - Pennsylvania : listen to Joe Getz on episode 14
  2. Big Apple Hard Cider - NYC : listen to Danielle von Scheiner on episode 35
  3. Oliver's Cider and Perry - Herefordshire/UK ; listen to Tom Oliver on episode 29
  4. Santa Cruz Cider Company - California : listen to Nicole Todd on episode 60
  5. The Cider Project aka EthicCider- California
  6. Albermale CiderWorks : listen to Chuck Shelton on episode 56
  7. Cider Summit : listen to Alan Shapiro founder of this cider fest on episode 75.

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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

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