Cider and Perry Production - A Foundation (In-Person)

This 5-day, hands-on cidermaking course will take place at various venues in Kent, UK from Monday, 16th March through Friday 20th March, 2026.

About the Course

Step into the world of professional cider making with the Cider Institute’s 5-day intensive hands-on course in Kent, UK. Since 2016, the Cider Institute has set the global standard for cider production education (in collaboration with Peter Mitchell, Cider & Perry Academy), combining leading-edge research with practical industry expertise.

This immersive program gives you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to craft high-quality cider and perry. You’ll work directly with experts, tour orchards and cideries, gain hands-on fermentation and lab experience, and refine your sensory evaluation abilities.

Successful participants will earn the Foundation Certificate in Cider & Perry Production, a prerequisite for advanced-level courses and a key credential for career advancement.

Course Format

This immersive course combines dynamic lectures with orchard and cidery tours, hands-on fermentation and lab work, and guided sensory evaluation for a fully interactive learning experience.

• Hands-On Learning: From fermentation to packaging, you’ll actively engage with the science and art of cider production.
• Expert Guidance: Learn from seasoned instructors and industry leaders, blending academic insight with practical know-how.
• Orchard & Analytical Lab Tours: Visit NIAB’s labs and orchard; including a germplasm collection from the original apple trees in Kazakhstan and a collection of every trellis system ever used.
• Cidery Tours: Explore local commercial cideries to see professional operations up close.
• Sensory Training: Develop your palate with guided tasting sessions and evaluation exercises.
• Certification: Complete the program with the Foundation Certificate exam and gain industry recognition for your new knowledge and skills.

Course Schedule At-a-Glance (subject to change)

Day 1: Monday, 16th March | Getting Started: Foundations & Flavour

• Welcome & introductions
• Cider history, market trends & sustainability
• Cider styles overview
• From apples to juice: milling, pressing & preparation
• Introduction to food safety & GMPs
• Activities: product styles & guided tastings

Day 2: Tuesday, 17th March | The Science of Fermentation

• Cider chemistry: sugars, acids, tannins
• Cider microbiology & fermentation principles
• Lab analysis fundamentals
• Activities: juice testing, additions, inoculation, guided tastings, NIAB lab and orchard tours

Day 3: Wednesday, 18th March | Fermentation Management & Post-Fermentation Decisions

• Fermentation management & monitoring
• Use of SO₂ and protection strategies
• Clarification, carbonation & stability
• Identifying and preventing cider faults
• Activities: density tracking, nutrient assessments, faults exercise, guided tastings, NIAB facility tours

Day 4: Thursday, 19th March | Scaling Up & Running a Cidery

• Production equipment & scale-up considerations
• Business of cider: operations & planning
• Good Manufacturing Practices & cellar hygiene
• Record-keeping & compliance
• Blending & finishing techniques
• Activities: local orchard and cidery tour, equipment demo, blending exercise, guided tastings

Day 5: Friday, 20th March | Bringing It All Together

• Packaging formats, technologies & quality considerations
• Final Q&A and course wrap-up
• Foundation Certification Qualifying Exam

By The End of This Course, You Will Be Able To:

• Comprehend the nature of cider and perry, including essential characteristics, ingredients, and production principles.
• Appreciate the structure, scale, and organization of the modern-day cider market and industry.
• Understand juice chemistry, fermentation management, and finishing processes.
• Implement blending and packaging techniques to achieve consistent, high-quality results.
• Apply lab testing and analytical methods to monitor quality and support production decisions.
• Evaluate cider and perry using sensory analysis, demonstrating a broad understanding of the main types and styles available in the marketplace.
• Identify and address common fermentation issues and other factors affecting quality.
• Discuss production strategies with other small-scale cider producers and technical staff.

Expert Instruction

About the Cider Institute: The Cider Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the science and art of cidermaking through education, technical training, and professional development. Our online and in-person courses equip cidermakers with the tools and knowledge to craft high-quality cider with confidence and creativity. Since our founding in 2016, nearly 2,000 producers from more than 25 countries have strengthened their skills and deepened their expertise through Cider Institute programs.

Your lead instructor will be Steven Trussler from the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Insitute (CCOVI) at Brock University in Niagara, Canada. A former commercial winemaker, Steven has spent the last ten years developing and delivering educational programming for undergraduates and cider professionals in the areas of fermentation, sensory science, and beverage alcohol lab methods. A member of the Cider Institute's curriculum committee and a Cider Institute instructor since 2017, Steven holds a Bachelor in Adult Education, a Masters in Teaching, Learning, and Development, and is currently completing his PhD in Higher Education at the University of Toronto. With a decade of experience teaching cider-specific fermentation, sensory science, and beverage lab methods, Steven combines deep academic insight with hands-on industry expertise.

Guest speakers include:

• Dr. Belinda Kemp, Group Leader, Viticulture & Oenology Research, NIAB. Dr. Belinda Kemp is currently Group Leader for Viticulture and Oenology Research at NIAB’s Wine Innovation Centre in Kent, UK. With a PhD from Lincoln University, New Zealand in Pinot nior grapes, she then spent 10 years working at CCOVI (Brock University) in Canada as Senior Scientist in Oenology, then Principal Scientist in Oenology. She combined scientific viticulture and oenology knowledge with commercial winemaking iexperience in sparkling and still wine to focus on wine aging, phenolics, flavour and aroma and serves as Vice-President for Microbiology International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV). 
• Sigrid Gertsen-Schibbye, Lallemand Oenology. Sigrid started fostering a passion for fermentation early in life, while filling bottles for secondary fermentations in the basement of the family home in Montreal, Canada. After a degree in Microbiology from McGill University, life has taken flight working with Lallemand and living near Niagara Falls, California and onwards to supporting the UK and Scandinavian markets, always guided by the need to speak about the wonderful world of microbes.
• Christine Walter, Owner & Cidermaker, Bauman's Cider. Christine started Bauman's Cider nearly 10 years ago on her family farm in the beautiful Willamette Valley, Oregon. Her team has been recognized as cidermakers of the year in the Northwest and the U.S. many times over. Christine is currently the President of the Board of Directors for the American Cider Association and proudly sits on the Board of the Cider Institute, the leading education arm of the cider industry in the U.S. and beyond. She is driven by an intense passion to move the bar upwards in both supply of and demand for cider, increasing access for makers and consumers to great fruit, fair markets and ever increasing quality of ciders.
• Sam Nightingale, Founder & Cidermaker, Nightingale Cider. Sam began making cider as a hobby under the name Gibbet Oak Cider and selling to local events. His first bottled ciders were released in 2013 and in 2015, he swapped his job in sound recording for muddy boots and overalls, and returned to the family farm to concentrate on doing what he loved.

About the venues:

• Growing Kent & Medway: Located in the heart of Kent at NIAB’s East Malling site, the GreenTech Hub for Advanced Horticulture provides the UK the horticulture and viticulture industry with access to a new state-of-the-art research facility.
• NIAB at East Malling: NIAB is a world-class centre of excellence for applied research and innovation in commercial horticulture, providing scientific research, technical services, and practical advice to improve crop yield, efficiency, and resilience. NIAB has a working winery, analytical lab, and hosts a living demonstration of trellis systems and a remarkable germplasm collection tracing apple genetics back to their origins in Kazakhstan. 
• Nightingale Cider: The Nightingale family farm and orchards are located in Tenterden, Kent, and they’ve been fruit farming in the area since 1948. Kent is called The Garden of England and craft cider in the region is booming. The Nightingales are driven by our passion for the highest quality ciders, bridging tradition with innovation to produce a range of flavoursome offerings for today’s drinker. Their proper Kentish ciders are made from hand-picked fruit grown on our farm and local orchards.

Cancellation & Refund Policy

Early registration is USD $1650 (est. £1250, €1430) + ticketing fees through 31st December 2025. Starting 1st January 2026, registration is USD $1980 (est. £1510, €1700) + ticketing fees. The course registration includes five days of expert training, course materials, cidermaking supplies, tours, cider tastings, and one attempt at the Cider Institute's Foundation Certificate in Cider & Perry Production Qualification Examination. 

Cancellations received on or before December 31st will be refunded 100%, minus service fees. Cancellations received Jan 1st-31st will be refunded 50% minus service fees. Cancellations received on or after February 1st are non-refundable; however, substitutes from the same organization are welcome.

Additional Information

Foundation Certificate in Cider & Perry Production - Syllabus & Standards (pdf)

Course Logistics & Detailed Agenda (pdf)

If you have any questions about this course, contact Brighid O'Keane at info@ciderinstitute.com.

Photo credit: Rio Chantel (Western Cider)