121: Keeving Perry | Tieton Cider Works, WA

Tieton Cider Works was founded by Marcus Roberts and is based in Yakima Washington. Tieton works with Harmony Orchards which has 55 acres of cider apples and perry pears.

Marcus who takes a scientific approach to making cider and perry, is the General Manager of Tieton Cider Works overseeing both a modern and traditional approach to cider making.

In this chat Marcus shares how Tieton using the technique called keeving to make Perry.

Why make Keeved Cider or Perry?

Keeving provide a sweet profile without needing to add sugar (back sweetening) when bottling.

Growing Perry Pears

Tieton has eight different varieties of Perry Pears and uses a trellis system for the pear trees. Marcus is testing the old adage “growing pears for your heirs” finding that by using a trellis system for growing in 4 years, the trees grew 12 feet!

Tieton plants trees 12 feet across and 5 feet between trees - a 12 x 5 trellis system

The limbs are trained down the wire on the trellis system.

Picking Perry Pears

Color pick the pears.

• Pick when green- which Marcus says they develop more aroma when stored.
• Versus picking it “dead ripe” on the tree.
• Marcus monitors the pear to see if the pear turning yellow on the outside.
• Once ripe, they must be pressed within 24 hours to avoid the pears turning to mush.

Tieton Perry Making methods

• Macerate over the course of 24 hours - for the tannin structure.
• Leaves the pulp on the juice.

Marcus says, “Some of the tannins are solvable. By leaving tannins on the juice during the process of Maceration the tannins become more supple. This is what we are going for.”

Once done, Tieton then goes through the keeving process with the perry.

Managing citric acid when making perry.

• Manage the bacterias that produce acetic bacteria by temperature control.
• Tieton manages it by temperature control. around 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
• It took 5 months to drop 5 brixs at that temperature.
• When it the peak time to drink a high tannin Perry.
• Tannin helps the perry or cider age very slowly can cellar for a longer time and will have the tendency to get better over time.

Contact Tieton Cider Works

• Website: https://tietonciderworks.com
• email: [email protected]
• Phone: 509-571-1430
• Address:
  • 619 South J Street
  • Yakima, WA 98902

Mentions in this Chat

• Totally Cider Tour - September 23-29, 2018 - Normandy France
  • Reservations
• 23rd Annual Boston Homebrew Competition May 5, 2018
• Great Lakes International Cider and Perry (GLINTCAP) competition May 16-19, 2018

Ask for the following ciders - By supporting these cidermakers, you in turn help Cider Chat

1. Kurant Cider - Pennsylvania : listen to Joe Getz on episode 14
2. Big Apple Hard Cider - NYC : listen to Danielle von Scheiner on episode 35
3. Oliver’s Cider and Perry - Herefordshire/UK ; listen to Tom Oliver on episode 29
4. Santa Cruz Cider Company - California : listen to Nicole Todd on episode 60
5. The Cider Project aka EthicCider- California
6. Albermale CiderWorks : listen to Chuck Shelton on episode 56
7. Cider Summit : listen to Alan Shapiro founder of this cider fest on episode 75.
8. Ramborn Cider Co. Luxembourg.
9. Big Fish Cider Co. Virginia
10. Tanuki Cider Co. Santa Cruz California episode 103
11. Ross on Wye Cider and Perry, UK
12. Process and Analytical NMR Services - John Edwards provides analytics of cider - stay tuned for his Chemical Fingerprints workshop coming up on Cider Chat

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