The Cider Project

This year-long class will consist of a series of workshops, activities, and field trips over the course of the academic year. The course will be focused on learning all stages of hard cider production from evaluating fruit to fermentation all the way to the final bottling and label design. There will be additional background and contextual readings on the history and culture of cider. The goal will be to produce a hard cider ready in the following year. Working with cider makers from Maine and New England students will learn about how to identify the qualities in apples that make for excellent cider. They will then harvest fruit locally by foraging for high quality fruit to press into cider. With local cider makers students will then begin the fermentation process from monitoring the biochemistry of the juice through racking and secondary fermentation. Finally, in the spring the class will design the final labels, bottle the cider, and, in accordance with state law, evaluate the quality. At each stage participants will have workshops, readings, and projects that are part of the class. All students will be required to participate in a core series of workshops and activities, and then they will choose from among other activities as well. The course is appropriate for those interested in food studies, biochemistry, agricultural history, and botany, among other fields. No previous coursework required, but preference will be given to students who have some relevant academic background or personal experience. Evaluation will be based on engagement with and completion of core shared work, participation in workshops and field trips, and individual projects. There may be an optional two week trip to England to visit and learn from traditional cider makers there. This is a year-long course carrying a single credit. Students must be on campus for all three terms of the academic year.

Always visit the Registrar's Office for the official course catalog and schedules.