The Big Book of Cidermaking: Expert Techniques for Fermenting and Flavoring Your Favorite Hard Cider

Christopher Shockey · Kirsten K. Shockey

Sep 2020 · Sold by Storey Publishing, LLC

About this ebook

Best-selling authors and acclaimed fermentation teachers Christopher Shockey and Kirsten K. Shockey turn their expertise to the world of fermented beverages in the most comprehensive guide to home cidermaking available. With expert advice and clear, step-by-step instructions, The Big Book of Cidermaking equips readers with the skills they need to make the cider they want: sweet, dry, fruity, farmhouse-style, hopped, barrel-aged, or fortified. The Shockeys’ years of experience cultivating an orchard and their experiments in producing their own ciders have led them to a master formula for cidermaking success, whether starting with apples fresh from the tree or working with store-bought juice. They explore in-depth the different phases of fermentation and the entire spectrum of complex flavor and style possibilities, with cider recipes ranging from cornelian cherry to ginger, and styles including New England, Spanish, and late-season ciders. For those invested in making use of every part of the apple, there’s even a recipe for vinegar made from the skins and cores leftover after pressing. This thorough, thoughtful handbook is an empowering guide for every cidermaker, from the beginner seeking foundational techniques and tips to the intermediate cider crafter who wants to expand their skills.

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Ratings and reviews

The Big Book of Cidermaking by Christopher Shockey and Kirsten K. Shockey Expert Techniques for Fermenting and Flavoring Your Favorite Hard Cider, from Sweet, Bubbly, Botanical, or Hopped to Barrel – Aged Apple Brandy and Pommeau As my husband continues to bring in fruit from the garden, I truly wish that I had this book available to me in my house. Not only are the photographs gorgeous but the information is excellent and instructions easy to follow…well relatively easy to follow. That said, the book is not out till September 1 so perhaps I will be able to find it before next season’s harvest. What I liked: * The gorgeous photographs * The section on making cider and what is needed to do so * Information on the years used in fermentation, the differences in plain, infused, iced, drinking and spirited varieties of beverages * The history portion and mention of the amazing Nick Botner – Ark Keeper of apple varieties * The anecdotes * The details included * Some information on actual cider makers * The inclusion of French, Welsh, Spanish and perhaps other foreign ciders and their makers * Learning the types of wild yeasts that can be used * Finding out that cider is not just made from apples * The information on a few other fermented foods * The Appendix that includes information with photos * Everything except… What I didn’t like: * That the book is not already mine to use with the produce I have on hand :) Did I enjoy this book? Yes Would I recommend/buy this book? Definitely Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars

In-depth Exploration of Home Cidermaking I have enjoyed what we Americans typically call hard cider—by the way, the authors prefer just calling it "cider"—for quite a while. Living in Oregon, I have access to some fantastic local ciders as well as the national brands. Cider even shows up on restaurant menus. I had never considered making my own until I saw this book. If you ever considered making your own small-batch cider, this book is chock-full of techniques, photographs, information, and recipes. While, of course, they advocate working with juice that you press yourself or buy from a local farmer, they have a whole page discussing using apple juice from other sources to make your cider. I think that's a great idea if you want to test out to see if you enjoy doing this before you invest in more expensive equipment or purchase a large number of apples for cider making. Facebook goes into so much detail, completely demystifying the process. As I enjoy flavored ciders as well as straight-up ones, I loved that this book included techniques and recipes for those. Honestly, even if you only just enjoy cider with no interest in making it yourself, this book has so much information about the process that you might just enjoy the book to see how small-batch cider is made. The book is lushly photographed. Some pictures out in the authors’ orchard and of the apples are just beautiful. And, too, I also appreciate the practical photographs that help instruct how to do the different parts of the process. If you love cider or want to make it, I highly recommend this book. I received a free electronic copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

I received a free ARC electronic copy of this How-To from Netgalley, Kirsten K. Shockey, and EBookDigital. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this work of my own volition, and this review reflects my personal, honest opinion of The Big Book of Cidermaking. This Self-Help book is very complete, giving us all the necessary steps to preparing, aging, and storing cider of all sorts. Shockey includes methods of naturally flavoring ciders with companion fruits, making vinegar and alcoholic ciders, Also included are recommendations for on-site computer aids, and sources for the necessary tools required for successfully producing cider of all sorts.

About the author

Christopher Shockey and Kirsten K. Shockey are the coauthors of Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments, Fiery Ferments, and the best-selling Fermented Vegetables. Christopher has years of experience producing ciders from their mountain homestead orchard and is a trained cider maker. The Shockeys got their start fermenting foods more than twenty years ago on their 40-acre hillside smallholding, which grew into their organic food company. When they realized their passion was for the process, they chose to focus on teaching fermentation arts to others. They teach worldwide and host workshops on their homestead in southern Oregon.