How Cider Is Made | Lessons from 500 Episodes of Cider Chat

How Cider Is Made | Lessons from 500 Episodes of Cider Chat

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist April 22, 2026 Duration: 30:31

In this milestone Episode 500, we return to a simple question that has come up again and again over the past ten seasons of Cider Chat:
How is cider made?

After hundreds of conversations with cider makers, orchardists, historians, and fermentation experts around the world, this episode brings together the core lessons shared across 500 episodes - from orchard to bottle.

This episode walks through the cider making process step by step, including:

  • Apples and cider apple varieties
  • Milling and pressing
  • Fermentation and yeast
  • Malolactic fermentation
  • Barrel aging and lees aging
  • Blending
  • Bottling and conditioning
  • The science behind cider making

Throughout the episode, listeners are directed to past Cider Chat episodes where these topics are explored in depth with cider makers and experts from around the world.

Episode 500 also reflects on the growth of Cider Chat, the global cider community, and the people who make up Ciderville.

Thank you for listening, supporting, and being part of the journey to 500 episodes.

00:00 Welcome Episode 500

00:36 Season Voices Montage

01:51 Why Cider Chat

06:12 Cider Back To Basics

08:07 Orchard And Apples

11:10 Apple Stories And Resources

13:11 Milling And Pressing

16:57 Fermentation Essentials

18:27 Barrels And Oak Choices

19:30 Blending Art And Science

24:58 Time Bottling And Patience

25:43 Episode 500 Reflections

28:15 Thanks And Season Eleven

29:14 Outro And Bonus Banter


Find the full show notes for Episode 500 at CiderChat.com

Direct Link at: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/500-how-cider-is-made/

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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: 100

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
449: Exploring Hereford's Museum of Cider with Elizabeth Pimblett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:05
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448: Cider Institute: New Name, New Reach, and More Cider Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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446: Monica Cohen, the New CEO of the American Cider Association [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:58
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445: Unspoken Creed | Stories in Ciderville /Denmark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:06
An Unspoken Creed By Sune Kroghansen Enjoy this special Story in Ciderville from Denmark! "Roedding The restart of the cider adventure in Rødding. In the mid-00s, the villagers of Rødding had begun making cider. It faded…
444: Worleys and Honey's: Somerset Cider Makers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:07
A sit down Cider Chat with the makers behind Worleys and Honey's Cider! Neil Worley was last on this podcast back in 2016 on episode 26! He and Ria met up at CiderCon which was being held that year in Portland Oregon. Ne…
442: Bob Cork: 40 Years in Cider | Shepton Mallet, England [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:03
Bob Cork's Cider Career Bob Cork Bob Cork has 40 years of experience in cider making, starting in 1980. Initially an apprentice engineer, he transitioned to cider making, thanks to his engineering background. He now work…
441: Wilding Cider and the Rural Method | Somerset, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:21
Wilding Cider, founded by Sam and Beccy Leach in 2019, uses Regenerative farming practices and a "rural method" to cider making. Based in Somerset the culinary skills of Sam blend with Beccy's Sommelier palate. Their ded…
440: Jane Peyton Keynote |Hereford AppleFest Banquet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:55
Jane Peyton, author of The Philosophy of Cider and founder of the School of Booze, brings her deep knowledge of cider and its cultural history to the forefront in this enlightening conversation. Jane Peyton at Hereford A…