411: Curative Options for Cider Making Problems | CiderCon 2024

411: Curative Options for Cider Making Problems | CiderCon 2024

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist May 1, 2024 Duration: 1:01:51

Technical Tips for When Things Go Wrong with Cider Making

This episode features two cider professionals and a cider industry consultant, which is exactly who you need a direct line to when your cider has problems. Hear from Megan Faschoway who at the time of this recording was Senior Cider Maker at Sea Cider, Kira Bassingthwaighte Head Cider Maker at Western Cider in Montana and Nick Gunn of BenchGraft a cider consultation service based in Salem Oregon.

This talk took place in Portland Oregon at CiderCon, the annual cider conference hosted by the American Cider Association. The title of the talk was "What to do when things go wrong".

The focus was not on preventive measures, but as the title says – curative steps that one can take to try to mitigate a problem with a particular cider

In this Cider Chat on Cider Problems

  • Dealing with rotten egg smell from your cider
    • Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a negative off-aroma compound that can occur in cider and has a rotten egg smell. It's produced by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae during cider fermentation.
  • Filtering cider
    • Using Reverse Osmosis (RO)
  • Tasting Panels for feedback
    • Dealing with a saturated cider maker's palate
  • Saving samples from each batch to create a library for potential cider problems down the road

Contact for Speakers on this Panel

  • Megan Faschoway

Mentions in this Cider Chat


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
019: Neil MacDonald | Orchard Park Farms, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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018: Darlene Hayes | Cider Cocktails, California [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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017: Got Juice? | Apple Juice Supplier, US to UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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016: John Bunker | Super Chilly Farm, Maine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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015: Chris Jackson | FreedomFarmTV, Georgia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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014: Joe Getz | Kurant Cider, Pennsylvania [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:18
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013: Ryal Schallenberger | Northwest Mobile Juicing, Montana [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:16
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012: Randall Grahm | Bonny Doon Vineyard, California [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:05
Who is Randall Grahm Randall Grahm has been rocking the world of winemaking for over 30 years. He began commercially selling wine under the Bonny Doon Vineyard label in 1983 when he opened the winery's tasting room in th…
011: Cider in a Kvervi at Castle Hill Cider | Virginia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:42
Wooden barrels are so 2014. What is old is new again as Castle Hill Cider has brought to the states an ancient fermenting vessel that was used for over 7000 years. Qvevri or Kvevri, as it is called on this Virginia estat…
010: Margot Sanderse |Het Ciderhuis, Utrecht NL [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:48
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