How Cider Is Made | Lessons from 500 Episodes of Cider Chat
From Cider Chat by Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist
April 22, 2026 · 31 min · Season 10 · Episode 500
About this episode
In Episode 500, Ria Windcaller explores the cider making process and reflects on the journey of Cider Chat over 500 episodes.
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…
People in this episode
Host: Ria Windcaller
Topics covered
- cider making process
- cider apple varieties
- fermentation
- barrel aging
- cider community
Keywords
- cider
- fermentation
- barrel aging
- cider apples
- Ciderville
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Cider Chat
Places: Ciderville
More episodes of Cider Chat
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- 505: Cider Senseis: Discipline, Craft, and the Cost · May 27, 2026 · 44 min
- 504: Why Breweries Are Making Cider (and What It Means) · May 20, 2026 · 54 min
- 503: Audio Snapshots from the UK Blossom Time Tour | What Is Proper Cider? · May 13, 2026 · 1h 13m
- 502: Hungary Uncorked / Cider Going UP · May 6, 2026 · 57 min
- 501: How to Taste Cider · April 29, 2026 · 27 min
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