American Chemical Society Visits Marist

The local chapter of the West Point American Chemical Society (ACS) visited Marist College to participate in the Mid-Hudson ACS talk concerning the chemistry of fermentation to produce alcoholic apple cider. The talk was presented by Tim Dressel, a graduate of Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Science and owner of Kettleborough Cider House in New Paltz, NY. Mr. Dressel presented information concerning the rapid growth in popularity of hard apple ciders in America along with the chemistry science and art of properly producing a quality product. At the heart of the process of fermentation is proper monitoring and control of the aqueous environment with a focus on the acidity (pH) during the fermentation cycle to ensure the biological components are in an ideal environment for production of ethanol and flavor production. Representatives from West Point included LTC Dan Bahaghighat 'Baha', Cadets Ross Poulin '19, Jared Hudspeth '21, and Rachael Dodson '22.