I’m still buzzing from this cider-making day, and not just from the ABV. 🍎✨ If anyone’s on the fence about attending next time, do it. It’s that rare blend of hands-on learning, real community vibes, and sensory joy—wood presses creaking, apple skins perfuming the air, sticky palms from pomace, and those sparkling glasses catching late-afternoon light. A few highlights and notes for future you:
First off, huge props to the organizers for structuring the flow so well. The intro talk covered the whole arc—harvest, sorting, washing, milling, pressing, yeast choices, sanitation, fermentation temps, and bottling—without getting bogged down. Then we got to rotate through stations: washing crates piled with Jonagold/Kingston Black/Yarlington Mill, the grinder that turned apple chunks into fluffy, fragrant mash, and the old-school rack-and-cloth press that made everyone cheer when that first amber stream appeared. Whoever decided to put the tasting station after pressing deserves a medal; comparing unfermented juice vs. partially fermented vs. finished dry cider made the chemistry click for newcomers.
Shoutout to the fermentation demo—cleanliness really is next to ciderness. The sanitizer bucket and “don’t fear the foam” spiel was perfect, and I liked seeing both approaches: wild ferment (let the native yeasts ride) vs. cultured strains (control and predictability). The side-by-side sniff test made it obvious: wild can be funky and beautiful if your fruit is pristine and your temps are steady; cultured can be crisp and repeatable, great for beginners. The pH/TA quick test and the gravity readings with the hydrometer were a nice touch for data nerds (1.050 OG on the blended juice—chef’s kiss).
For the flavor geeks: the single-varietal booth was a quiet revelation. Cox’s Orange Pippin gave a floral, honeyed juice; Kingston Black brought tannin and structure that you feel on the gums; Stayman had that tart snap you want to stretch into a dry, food-friendly cider. The “blend bar” was the sleeper hit—people scribbling percentages on notepads, arguing whether 60/30/10 (sweet/tart/bittersharp) beats 50/40/10. Pro tip I picked up: don’t chase perfect on day one; shoot for balance and let fermentation add its own complexity.
Food pairings were on point. The grilled cheddar + apple chutney sandwich and the bratwurst with mustard made the flights sing. If the organizers keep the “bring a jar, swap a pickle” table, it’ll be a cult favorite—those rosemary pickled apples with a bone-dry cider were… dangerous. Also, the “kid corner” with apple stamping, leaf rubbings, and a mini hand press kept little hands busy (and sticky). Family-friendly without watering down the craft—nicely done.
Logistics kudos: clear signage, rinsing stations everywhere, and staff who actually hovered in the right way (answering questions, quietly fixing bottlenecks, keeping the crush pad tidy). The “apple triage” sign saved time: dents and windfall? Fine, cut out rot. Browning is cosmetic; mush and mold are not. Loved the sustainability touches—compost bins for pomace, a farmer loading spent pulp for the pigs, refillable water stations, and reusable cups with a deposit. If the weather had turned, there was ample tent coverage, and the mood lighting when dusk fell made it feel like a harvest party instead of a workshop.