174: Beginner Cider Making Q & A | Part 1

174: Beginner Cider Making Q & A | Part 1

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist April 3, 2019 Duration: 47:59

A Question and Answer (Q & A) on Beginner Cider Making

with 5 panelists in the cider industry

Beginner Cider Maker Panel Q & A (ltor), Marcus Robert, Trey Godfrey, Eleanor Leger, Brent Myles, Ben Calvi.[/caption]

Pre-recorded at CiderCon2019 in Chicago

This is Part 1 or a 2 Part series on Beginner Cider Making questions answered by cider industry pros.

Audience Questions at CiderCon2019

Q & A topics:

  • What is cider?

"Fermented fruit juice of apples" says Eleanor Leger

  • Wish I knew then what I know now...
    • Marketing

"You are going to learn to make cider, but to be able to sell it…" Marcus Robert

  • Breweries getting into cider
  • Managing residual sugar in the bottle for packaging.
    • - a huge range of answers on this topic
  • Can you use sulfites?
  • The challenge for small cidermakers
  • The down fall of Potassium Sorbate in the natural market
  • Contract Fermenting to test product
  • Ice Cider - "if I use a freezer am I cheating?"
    • Stabilizing an ice cider
    • Yeast strain for ice ciders
  • Cryo concentration
    • Is using a freezer considered cheating 
      • In the US you can not label it as Ice Cider - it can be called "Iced Cider".

Find the full show notes for Episode 174 at CiderChat.com

Direct Link at: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/174-beginner-cider-making-part-one/
Listen to wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville.

Prefer to watch?
Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture.

💛 If you love what you're hearing, please consider supporting Cider Chat.
Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.


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
238: Cidermaking Chemistry | Pt 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
This is Part 3 featuring chemistry safety tips for cidermakers! Part 1 - How to Make Cider at home, provides a recipe for making a 1 gallon jug of cider Part 2 - Makers Tips for Growth and Cleanliness was the first part…
237: Maker Tips for Growth & Cleanliness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:21
Stormalong Cider scaled up their operations in 2017 when they moved from their cozy barn centered cidery to a shared production facility in Leominster in Massachusetts. We begin with considerations for growth of a cidery…
236: How to make cider at home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:32
Make Cider at home! It is fun and easy to do! In this episode on How-to Make cider: Benefits to you when you make cider at home Where to get your juice, what kind of juice and "what if you have an apple tree in your yard…
235: Maxim Brecht  Russian Cider | Part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:03
Maxim Brecht didn't grow up thinking he wanted to become a cidermaker. Cider in Russia is barely known. Maxim says, "People think of cider as being very acetic and dry." Maxim Brecht His path towards cider began when he…
234: Russia's Knightberg Cider | St Petersburg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:32
Elena V. Tyukina is the Brewmaster and co-owner along with her husband of Knightberg Brewery in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Located in the historical district of this premier European city of distinction, is not small task…
233: "OMG" Russian Cider | Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:08
OMG and the story of two sommeliers! Meet Olga and Micheal Efremov are Russian Sommeliers with two cider brands, OMG and Incider. Michael and Olga Efremov They are based outside of Moscow in a small town, but close enoug…
232: Russia's Cider Party Starts Now | Pt1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:39
Russia is having a party and cider is invited! The first ever Cider Party was held in Moscow this July and over 200 people attended dancing into the night and drinking cider! This episode 232 is Part 1 of a 4 part series…
231: The Big Book of Cidermaking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:02
The Big Book of Cidermaking authors Christopher Shockey and Kristen K. Shockey are this episode's featured guest! The book will be released on September 1, 2020. Go to http://ferment.works/ to pre-order you copy today! M…
230: Ciderville Updates & Coming Attractions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:22
Ciderville Updates & Coming Attractions is a mini episode beginning with info on the England Cider Tour scheduled for September 1-6, 2020. I also discuss Totally Cider Tours that I will be look forwarding to once we get…
229: Orchard Mystery Series [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:28
The Orchard Mystery Series is written by author Sheila Connolly who passed away in April of 2020. This episode 229 is dedicated to her for taking readers on a journey into the orchards of western Massachusetts, where thi…