109: Ice Cidermaking Tips with Chadd Cook

109: Ice Cidermaking Tips with Chadd Cook

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist December 27, 2017 Duration: 28:21

Ice Cider is made by freezing fresh pressed apple juice. The first element to freeze in the process is the water that is naturally occurring in all apples to a less or greater degree. As the water freezes, the pure liquid apple juice (sans the water) is extracted and then made into what is known as Ice Cider! Canadian cidermakers hold the title for exposing the world to this process. Quebec maker Christian Barthomeuf is the man that we all hail as the ice cider inventor.

Eleanor Ledger co-owner and maker at Eden Specialty Ciders lives across the border from Bathomeuf in Vermont and has become America's go-to voice for ice cider.

Chadd Cook of Cider Hill Cellars, who was on episode 104 of Cider Chat, makes an ice cider that was inspired by Eden's ice cider with northern spy as the base apple.

In this chat, Chadd shares how he "reverse" engineered Eden's ice cider when working on his own ice cider for Cider Hill Cellars.

Listen to his many tips such as,

- the amount of fresh juice that is needed to make one gallon of ice cider

- the best apple to use for making ice cider

- the freezing process for fresh pressed juice,  freezing right above 34 degrees.

- stopping fermentation of ice cider

Contact for Cider Hill Cellars

  Ask for the following 9 #ciderGoingUP Campaign sponsors - By supporting these cider makers, you in turn help Cider Chat

  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.
  8. Ramborn Cider Co. Luxembourg.
  9. Big Fish Cider Co. Virginia

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

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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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