132: Barrels & Bâtonnage

Barrels & Bâtonnage w/FieldBird Cider & Keint-He Winery

Bâtonnage is a winemaking technique that is also used in Cidermaking. It involves raking the lees or what is seen as the heavy particulars of yeast cells that fall out of solution and down to the bottom of the barrel during primary fermentation. Bâtonnage is all about stirring the lees back into solution. Makers like Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider and Lee Baker of Keint-He Winery and Vineyards discuss and demo this technique in this episode #132

In the barrel room w/Lee Baker and Ryan Monkman — Lee Baker and Ryan Monkman

View the YouTube clip below of Ryan demonstrating the stirring in of the lees – Bâtonnage.

Key topics discussed in this chat

What is Malolactic Fermentation:
The sounds of cider and what it is telling you during fermentation
Barrel Cellar design
Comparison between two barrels to manage the barrel
- One did not go through Malolactic fermentation (MLF) manage the ferment by adding sulfur to stop the MLF from happening.
- The other did go through malolactic fermentation.
Managing the Lees | Lees contact
What does lee contact on the cider provide?
Bâtonnage
What to do when Film Yeast appears in your barrel or carboy