Welcome To The NWCA Keeving Blog!
In late May through early June of 2017, ten cider makers from Washington and Oregon had the opportunity to visit cideries in Normandy, Brittany, and the English West Country, to learn about keeving . Keeving, at it’s most basic definition, is a traditional method of fermentation that is used to produce sparkling semi-dry and sweet ciders without back-sweetening. The cideries visited ranged vastly in size and production volume, as did each cider maker’s methods and personal ethos as to how a keeved cider is best produced. Certain aspects of attaining a keeve however, do not vary by producer or region, and are absolutely essential to the process. Here you will find the technical notes and personal observations of the Northwest cider makers who made the trip, as well as the universal aspects of a successful keeve.