Technical Skills Share Series 2025

The Cider Institute offers a monthly Technical Skills Share series, where producers, consultants, and researchers come together online to explore specific cider production topics in detail.

The series will occur on the second Thursday of each month from 2-3pm ET, starting March 13. You can buy a ticket for a single session or purchase a subscription for access to all sessions at a 30% discount.

MAY 8 @ 2PM EDT

Topic: Is Co-Packing the Right Fit for Your Cider Business?

Speaker: Yann Fay, Director of Beverage Development, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards (New York)

Yann will guide cide makers through the key considerations of choosing co-packing as a business model and assessing whether it's the right strategy for your cider company's growth.

Join this session to:

• Evaluate if co-packing aligns with your cider company's strengths and goals.
• Understand the financial and operational implications of co-packing, including packaging costs, payment terms, and equipment requirements.
• Learn how to build strong, collaborative relationships with co-packing partners through clear contracts and effective communication.
• Gain practical insights into the end-to-end co-packing process, including timelines, logistics, and troubleshooting challenges.

JUNE 12 @ 2PM EDT

Topic: The Art and Science of Bottle Conditioning

Speaker: Martha Lowry, Co-Owner & Cidermaker, Woodfolk Cider (Ontario, Canada)

Martha will share expert tips and insights on bottle-conditioned cider production. Bottle conditioning is a method where a small amount of sugar and yeast is added to cider before bottling, allowing for secondary fermentation and natural carbonation within the bottle.

Join this session to:

• Learn key production steps for trying bottle conditioning in your cider-making process.
• Hear practical tips to maximize cider clarity and flavor.
• Understand yeast considerations.
• Learn how to properly stabilize your cider to avoid bottle explosions and ensure quality.

JULY 10 @ 2PM EDT

Topic: Optimizing Stone Fruit Fermentation in Cider Production

Speaker: Patrick Chavanelle, Allagash Brewing Company (Portland, ME)

Integrating stone fruits into cider production presents notable challenges, particularly in balancing sugar content, acidity, and aromatic compounds. However, when managed effectively, the resulting cider can exhibit remarkable complexity and depth of flavor. Patrick Chavanelle from Allagash Brewing Company will lead a discussion exploring the fermentation and use of stone fruit in cider.

Join this session to learn:

• Strategies for sourcing and selecting high-quality stone fruits
• Key considerations and best practices during fermentation
• Technical insights and tips for optimizing production processes
• Common challenges in working with stone fruits—and how to overcome them
• Approaches to achieving balance in formulation, flavor, and structure

PAST TOPICS:

• Wild Fermentation: Evolving Approaches in Changing Conditions (Dion Stepanski, Presque Isle Farm Cider MI)
• Barrel Maintenance & Aging Techniques (Matt Holley, Virtue Cider MI)
• Disgorging & Packaging Traditional Method Ciders (Levi Danielson, RAW Cider Co OR)
• Hopped Cider Production (Josh Sejat, Blake's Hard Cider Co MI)
• Grafing & selecting rootstock (Maria Kretschmann, After the Fall Cider PA)
• Facility design for new cideries (Cortni Stahl, Star Cider NY)
• Operating an urban cidery (Brian Wing, Green Bench Cider FL)
• Understanding sugars and acids (Dave Takush, 2 Towns Ciderhouse OR)
• Working with single varietal ciders (Soham Bhatt, Artifact Cider Project MA)
• Using a product library and in-house sensory panel to better understand your products (Kira Bassingthwaighte, Western Cider MT)
• Exploring flavor trends (Ryan Burk, Feel Goods Company NY)
• Understanding free vs. total SO2 (Chris Gerling, Cornell University NY)
• Blending deep dive (Nick Gunn, Benchgraft Consulting OR)
• Pressing tips (Christine Walter, Bauman's Cider OR)