132: Barrels & Bâtonnage

132: Barrels & Bâtonnage

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist June 13, 2018 Duration: 58:25

 

Bâtonnage is a winemaking technique that is also used in Cidermaking. It involves raking the lees or what is seen as the heavy particulars of yeast cells that fall out of solution and down to the bottom of the barrel during primary fermentation. Bâtonnage is all about stirring the lees back into solution. Makers like Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider and Lee Baker of Keint-He Winery and Vineyards discuss and demo this technique in this episode #132

Go to Cider Chat YouTube Channel and view clip Ryan demonstrating the stirring in of the lees - Bâtonnage.

Key topics discussed in this chat

  • What is Malolactic Fermentation:
  • The sounds of cider and what it is telling you during fermentation
  • Barrel Cellar design
  • Comparison between two barrels to manage the barrel
    • One did not go through Malolactic fermentation (MLF) manage the ferment by adding sulfur to stop the MLF from happening.
    • The other did go through malolactic fermentation.
  • Managing the Lees | Lees contact
  • What does lee contact on the cider provide?
  • Bâtonnage
  • What to do when Film Yeast appears in your barrel or carboy

Find the full show notes for Episode 495 at CiderChat.com

Direct Link at: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/132-batonnage/
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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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