366:  Acclaimed Cider w/Minimal Intervention Tom Oliver

366: Acclaimed Cider w/Minimal Intervention Tom Oliver

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist April 26, 2023 Duration: 1:02:47

Not only is the cider acclaimed, so too is the Maker

Tom Oliver is just as acclaimed as his cider which makes Oliver's Cider and Perry Co. a global hit on two fronts. He is affable, engaging and knows his way around social media likely due to his work with the Scottish Rock Rock Band, The Proclaimers. Cidermakers are not well known for reposting news stories about themselves and their product, but Tom is a master of this one simple act that keeps Oliver's in the news and endears him to media. That singular step alone is just one of many giveaways that Tom provides to the slow moving cider industry.

This topic is key for makers looking to up level their online presence, but it was not the topic of conversation in this episode. Instead Ria and Tom caught up after the world shut down for the past 2 plus years at CiderCon 2023 held in Chicago.

366 Tom Oliver 200x300 episode 366 Cider Chat

In this chat

  • How minimal intervention is key for Oliver's Cider and Perry
  • What is Farmhouse cider
    • Spontaneously fermented - wild yeast
    • Tannic cider and Perry Pears

At Oliver's there is no measuring of sugar or fiddling with the cider. In fact, Tom can be heard in most interviews saying "Don't fiddle with cider."

What's new for this acclaimed makers and cidery?

  • More c0-ferments and collaborations!
  • Bâtonnage
    • This is a technique used by winemakers, where the lees (yeast cells) are stirred into solution.
      • Nano proteins are the biggest benefit of Bâtonnage
        • They release into the cider providing a perception of sweetness and body with out the sugar
      • Need at least 9 months to a year to get the nano proteins

      There are short term benefits.

      1. Yeast produces less carbon dioxide and bubbles.
        • They slow down after the first primary ferment.
        • Fermentation may have stopped but there is still sugar left.
      2. Lees absorb off aromas, except for H2S rotting egg smell.
      3. Bâtonnage helps to maintain a reductive state.
        • Full reduction - rotting smell is a type of reduction. Which helps protect the cider from oxidization and protect the flavor components.

Find out more about Bâtonnage by going to Episode 233: Ask Ryan Quarantine Quad Series where Ryan Monkman of Fieldbird Cider in Prince Edward County Canada provides an in depth overview of Bâtonnage and Maderisation (where the barrels are cooked).

Contact info for Oliver's Cider and Perry Company

Mentions in this chat

  • Send your questions to info@ciderchat.com about fermentation and yeast for an upcoming Q&A with Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers
  • Subscribe to eCiderNews

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
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…
228: Philadelphia Orchard Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:46
The Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) was founded in 2007 and serves Philadelphia and it surrounding area. This nonprofit organization both plants and supports community orchards in the city of Philadelphia. 2019 Harves…