Will McMahon
@willmcmahon36.bsky.social
Union organizer, writer, cider-maker.
https://will-mcmahon.com
https://will-mcmahon.com
Well they, burned the Apple Man down in FLX tonight.
And they, burned his barrels too.
And they, burned his barrels too.
October 10, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Well they, burned the Apple Man down in FLX tonight.
And they, burned his barrels too.
And they, burned his barrels too.
Too bad this Asian pear tree lost a limb, but it worked out for me. I’ve heard mixed things about making perry from them, but figure I’ll give it a try.
October 3, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Too bad this Asian pear tree lost a limb, but it worked out for me. I’ve heard mixed things about making perry from them, but figure I’ll give it a try.
Five-ish gallons of last year’s ciderkin (second pressing cider from rehydrated pomace, low ABV). Let it sit because it was bland, but malolactic fermentation has since added a nice tang. Going to bottle some as-is, then do a gallon with sumac and a gallon with goldenrod and aster. All foraged here.
September 30, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Five-ish gallons of last year’s ciderkin (second pressing cider from rehydrated pomace, low ABV). Let it sit because it was bland, but malolactic fermentation has since added a nice tang. Going to bottle some as-is, then do a gallon with sumac and a gallon with goldenrod and aster. All foraged here.
Fastest start I’ve ever had for a wild ferment! Maybe the 24 hours of maceration after grinding sped the process along.
September 22, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Fastest start I’ve ever had for a wild ferment! Maybe the 24 hours of maceration after grinding sped the process along.
My labor was eased by the cider of the day: Stoke Red Pet Nat from Little Pomona (Herefordshire, England). Keeved, meaning a naturally arrested fermentation to preserve some of the juice’s sugar without additions or pasteurization. Perfectly balanced acid, sugar, and tannin. Just a knock-out.
September 22, 2025 at 3:41 AM
My labor was eased by the cider of the day: Stoke Red Pet Nat from Little Pomona (Herefordshire, England). Keeved, meaning a naturally arrested fermentation to preserve some of the juice’s sugar without additions or pasteurization. Perfectly balanced acid, sugar, and tannin. Just a knock-out.
Four gallons from the USDA Geneva Station tour! (Plus another quart or so frozen for a cheater’s pet-nat.)
September 22, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Four gallons from the USDA Geneva Station tour! (Plus another quart or so frozen for a cheater’s pet-nat.)
After a day of letting the pomace macerate (possibly to create acetic acid? who knows), it is now time for pressing.
September 22, 2025 at 12:52 AM
After a day of letting the pomace macerate (possibly to create acetic acid? who knows), it is now time for pressing.
Last step for the night is grinding the chopped apples by hand. We will let the pomace macerate overnight, in the Basque style, before pressing tomorrow. (This wasn’t the original plan but it got late and I’ve been meaning to try that sometime, so why not.)
September 21, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Last step for the night is grinding the chopped apples by hand. We will let the pomace macerate overnight, in the Basque style, before pressing tomorrow. (This wasn’t the original plan but it got late and I’ve been meaning to try that sometime, so why not.)
Intercutting apple processing today has been helping Cailyn build a pen for the quarantined sheep (pink eye outbreak). My arms ache from driving in the T-posts, but it’s good to see these sheep outside after a couple weeks cooped up.
September 20, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Intercutting apple processing today has been helping Cailyn build a pen for the quarantined sheep (pink eye outbreak). My arms ache from driving in the T-posts, but it’s good to see these sheep outside after a couple weeks cooped up.
Appeasing the local biohazard.
September 20, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Appeasing the local biohazard.
First pressing day of the season. The recently foraged apples and pears still need to sweat a while in the barn, but it’s been a week for the ~3 bushels from the USDA Geneva Station, so step one is washing and quartering (or halving for crabs). Cracked a bottle of last year’s cider to ease my way.
September 20, 2025 at 7:34 PM
First pressing day of the season. The recently foraged apples and pears still need to sweat a while in the barn, but it’s been a week for the ~3 bushels from the USDA Geneva Station, so step one is washing and quartering (or halving for crabs). Cracked a bottle of last year’s cider to ease my way.
Some urban foraging over the past few days. Apples, crab apples, and pears. Destined for cider and perry.
September 20, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Some urban foraging over the past few days. Apples, crab apples, and pears. Destined for cider and perry.
Toured the USDA apple and grape germplasm repository in Geneva, NY today. Thousands of varieties each, preserved as a living library. The taking was free, so we gathered about three bushels of apples for a special “Geneva Medley” cider (several species and dozens of varieties). High acid and tannin!
September 13, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Toured the USDA apple and grape germplasm repository in Geneva, NY today. Thousands of varieties each, preserved as a living library. The taking was free, so we gathered about three bushels of apples for a special “Geneva Medley” cider (several species and dozens of varieties). High acid and tannin!
Cider of the day: Kitchen Sink from Rose Hill Farm (Red Hook, NY). A wild ferment, unfiltered and bottled pet-nat with high carbonation, this one has strong acid, good tannin, and a really nice bright flavor with notes of citrus and tropical fruit.
September 7, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Cider of the day: Kitchen Sink from Rose Hill Farm (Red Hook, NY). A wild ferment, unfiltered and bottled pet-nat with high carbonation, this one has strong acid, good tannin, and a really nice bright flavor with notes of citrus and tropical fruit.
Picked up Lester the Border Leicester ram from a farm in Vermont and drove him five hours back to New York! He’s not currently thrilled but I think he’ll be happy when he’s out of quarantine and on pasture. Breeding this fall for spring lambs.
September 1, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Picked up Lester the Border Leicester ram from a farm in Vermont and drove him five hours back to New York! He’s not currently thrilled but I think he’ll be happy when he’s out of quarantine and on pasture. Breeding this fall for spring lambs.
She’s protecting her kill.
August 29, 2025 at 11:21 PM
She’s protecting her kill.
Well, Eloise finally got a woodchuck.
August 29, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Well, Eloise finally got a woodchuck.
Enjoy this vignette about crab apples published in the New York Times on this day in 1946 along with a photo of one of my crab apple trees in Upstate New York today. These are bound for cider this fall.
August 25, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Enjoy this vignette about crab apples published in the New York Times on this day in 1946 along with a photo of one of my crab apple trees in Upstate New York today. These are bound for cider this fall.
The latest issue of McSweeney’s is literally an embroidered book. @kateheartfield.com
August 23, 2025 at 3:22 PM
The latest issue of McSweeney’s is literally an embroidered book. @kateheartfield.com
Perry of the day: Butt Pear (Single Varietal), from Ross-on-Wye Cider and Perry Co. (Herefordshire, England). Floral with surprisingly strong tannins on the finish. Had no idea there was a pear named Butt; the bottle is fun for the novelty, but(t) the perry is legitimately good.
July 27, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Perry of the day: Butt Pear (Single Varietal), from Ross-on-Wye Cider and Perry Co. (Herefordshire, England). Floral with surprisingly strong tannins on the finish. Had no idea there was a pear named Butt; the bottle is fun for the novelty, but(t) the perry is legitimately good.
Cider of the day: Oliver’s Fine Cider – Yarlington Mill, Season 2023 (Herefordshire, England). Single varietal Yarlington Mill, a bittersweet English cider apple. Rich, fruity, with a bit of sugar, but surprisingly low in ABV (5.6%). A great summer sipper.
July 22, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Cider of the day: Oliver’s Fine Cider – Yarlington Mill, Season 2023 (Herefordshire, England). Single varietal Yarlington Mill, a bittersweet English cider apple. Rich, fruity, with a bit of sugar, but surprisingly low in ABV (5.6%). A great summer sipper.
Had a great time at Readercon this weekend! I’ll have to bring more cider next time. Returned home to find all well with the sheep.
July 21, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Had a great time at Readercon this weekend! I’ll have to bring more cider next time. Returned home to find all well with the sheep.
Sorry to miss you this year, but I did get a chance to stop by the table!
July 21, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Sorry to miss you this year, but I did get a chance to stop by the table!
It’s a beautiful day in the Finger Lakes and @swpisciotta.bsky.social came by to try last year’s cider vintage. Still early, but it’s drinking fairly well!
July 5, 2025 at 7:29 PM
It’s a beautiful day in the Finger Lakes and @swpisciotta.bsky.social came by to try last year’s cider vintage. Still early, but it’s drinking fairly well!