Introduction to Cider Making

As a craft beer brewer for almost 20 years, Andy has a great appreciation for both the historical connections of the craft and the satisfaction of creating things that other people enjoy. Andy grew up near Portland, Maine and moved out to Colorado in 1997 to pursue a career in brewing after attending the American Brewers Guild Craft Diploma program. After finishing brewing school, Andy started out working on bottling lines and earned his way up to being head brewer for several large Colorado breweries. With much success in beer brewing and many industry awards, medals and accolades, Andy felt it was time to enter a new phase of my career by owning a business.

 While researching cider making, the rich history of cider in America started to show through the cracks of the pages he was reading. Most Americans have heard of Johnny Appleseed, but many have never tried hard cider! Andy's interest in cider was sparked by the subtle balances of acids, tannins, fermentation and fruit that are required in making great cider; different parameters than the malt, hops and yeast of beer, but equally as interesting. 

In this course, Andy will cover:

• What You’re Looking for In An Apple
• Grinding Apples for Cider Making
• Blending Apples
• Pressing Your Apples
• Cider Yeast
• Cider Fermentation & Filtration
• Increasing Your Ciders Sweetness
• Aging Your Cider
• Clarifying Your Cider
• Serving Your Cider
• and much more!