Cidermaking 101: Core Concepts

Cidermaking 101: Core Concepts

A beginner-friendly, self-paced online course introducing the basics of cider and perry production. This self-directed online course is designed for home cidermakers, enthusiasts, and non-production ciderery staff to gain an understanding of how cider is made.

Course content:

• Choosing Apples for Cider An introduction to the types of apples and perry pears used in cidermaking, their flavor characteristics, and how tannins and acidity contribute to a balanced cider.
• Turning Apples into Juice A basic overview of harvesting, storing, washing, grinding, and pressing apples to extract juice while preserving quality for fermentation.
• Preparing Juice for Fermentation Learn fundamental steps for settling, racking, measuring density and pH, and making simple adjustments to prepare juice for fermentation.
• Yeasts and Bacteria An introductory look at yeast and bacteria, including their role in fermentation and how they influence cider flavor.
• Fermentation Explore the basic fermentation process where yeast converts sugar to alcohol and aroma, and understand the simple factors that affect results.
• Post-Fermentation and Maturation A beginner’s guide to clarifying, aging, blending, and flavoring cider, preparing it for carbonation and packaging.
• Carbonation, Stabilization, and Packaging Basic techniques for carbonating, stabilizing, and packaging cider to maintain quality and shelf stability.
• Home Cidermaking Equipment Practical, small-scale tips for home cidermaking, including pressing, fermenting, stabilizing, and bottling cider.

Start your cider journey and join a global community of cider lovers and professionals!

Note: If you are - or plan to be - a professional ider producer or want to scale up your home cidermaking, the right course for you is our Cider & Perry Production - A Foundation course, offered both online and in-person. That course provides in-depth, production-focused training, including lab work, sensory evaluation, and industry-recognized certification. Contact us at info@ciderinstitute.com if you have questions about the right course for you!