“Ask Ryan” features Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Ryan expertise with oak barrel ferments and oak barrels in general inspired this 4 part series. The fact that he also makes mighty fine cider and perry is also a factor. Ryan has been featured in the following Cider … Read more
Meet Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider Ryan is the Founder of FieldBird Cider which is based in Prince Edward County. In this episode he provides an overview of Canada’s response to the Covid-19 crisis gripping the world in this episode. Ryan’s chat begins at approximately 11:49 minutes into this episode. Ryan has worked as an … Read more
Every Tuesday, when Steve was growing up, his Dad would be out that evening drinking cider with friends at the Cider Cellar, at the farm outside of Buffalo. That memory is his first on cider. Years later this professional musician and self taught cidermaker merged his love of the Finger Lakes and quality craftsmanship into … Read more
Using Oak Barrels in Cidermaking – What do you want to know? Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider based in Prince Edward County, Ontario Canada presented an extended seminar on Oak Barrels at CiderCon 2019 in Chicago. The workshop description: It’s like a Choose-Your-Own Adventure book…but with booze. A dozen mini-talks on oak. The crowd decides … Read more
Kees Morsink and Margaret Van Helvoort have traveled the world as United Nations aid workers in Africa where they were fermenting everything from yogurt to mango and even doing some distilling. Cider isn’t new to these two enterprising Canadians. Kees had his first spontaneous ferment forty years ago when he put a gallon of cider in … Read more
Val Steinmann and Brent Klassen moved from the city to the 42 acre farm that is now called Heartwood Farm and Cidery in 2004. In the past 14 years, they created pasture and now have a herd of 20 cows each summer. They have planted an orchard and raised pigs, chickens and have two work … Read more
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 … Read more
Cider Barrel Maintenance The craft of making an oak barrel is called “cooperage” and the person who applies this craft is called a “cooper”. The skills of this trade have been passed down through the centuries. The tree and the wood chosen to become a barrel has to meet specific criteria, such as having a … Read more
Carlo Hein has always loved cider. That cider love and perhaps his work in renovation and sustainable energy spurred him and his friends to start a cidery. Upon noticing the fallen fruit and neglected apples trees in his area of Luxembourg. He realized, “We need to save these orchards” And so he did. Ramborn Cider … Read more
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