Pickin cherries.

[Arne]

On July 4th and 5th we picked 50 lbs of pie cherries. All pitted and in the freezer. Going to get em out today and start thawing. About wednesday it will be time to get em into the primary and by Christmas or so will be tasting cherry wine. This is going to give me about 10 gal. or so of wine. Cherry is one of my favorites. The tree was loaded and actually still is. Only problem with them now is they are too high to reach easily. The robins will take care of the high ones for me. Didn't think we would get much of a crop. The wind came up and blew the petals off the blossems. Must of been after the bees had been busy. Bout time to get em out of the freezer. Arne.

 

[Julie]

Lucky you, this is the second year that we had a late freeze and I lost all the cherries on our trees. There was just one lone cherry, lol, and some lucky bird got that one!

 

[Arne]

If you were a bit closer you could come get all you want, Julie. Onlly problem is getting up to them. Our dwarf tree is 25 ft. tall or so. Way higher than I want to go on a ladder and pick cherries. Cherry wine is probably my favorite wine. Hopefully will have enough to make it thru til next year at this time. If I would quit giving it away, I would have plenty, but have to share. Arne.

 

[Turock]

Julie---Do you have an orchard near you? One of our orchards here orders cherries from Michigan every year and that's where we get ours. They come in all pitted, and all you have to do is take them home and get them in the primary. We have little time to spend picking the amount of cherries we need so this works real good for us.

 

[Julie]

I am looking around for cherries, thanks for that tip Turock, I do have a couple orchard's so I'm going to give them a call.

 

[Terry0220]

I am looking around for cherries, thanks for that tip Turock, I do have a couple orchard's so I'm going to give them a call.

Or you could take a road trip to North East,,I heard they have cherries there!! (sigh) wish I could fit that into my schedule.

 

[Julie]

Or you could take a road trip to North East,,I heard they have cherries there!! (sigh) wish I could fit that into my schedule.

Yes, Walker's has cherries and you can pick your own dirt cheap but like you I can't get it to fit into my schedule.

 

[Terry0220]

Yes, Walker's has cherries and you can pick your own dirt cheap but like you I can't get it to fit into my schedule.

Maybe we should just run away together!!

 

[Arne]

Havn't checked them yet this morning, but if they are thawed they are headed for the primary. Will keep ya informed. Arne.

 

[Turock]

Julie--After I posted to you, I thought about Walker's too. Why don't you call them? Might find out if they have any seconds to sell to you--that's how we get a lot of cheap fruit. I'd imagine there's not too many seconds on cherries, tho. But what price are they selling the picked cherries for? Most orchards here use migrant workers to pick.

 

[Arne]

Cherries are thawed, water mixed in, about a third of the sugar addeds, nutrients, tannin, and all that good stuff in. Only half the nutrients, and the yeast has been pitched. Get it going and will add more sugar and the rest of the nutrients. Now, a bit of stirring, in a few days add some more of the ingredients, stir some more, and pretty quick time to rack to the carboys. Be drinkin cherry wine by Christmas. Well, it will be pretty good by then, will probably have to try it long before then. Wouldn't want to keep workin with something that is rotten. LOL, Arne.

 

[UBB]

Your post inspired me to check on my cherry wine that's been tucked away! (was time to rack anyway!)

VERY cherry but very tart. Pour myself a glass and added 1/2 tsp of sugar. Not to shabby!!

Also, would you care to post your recipe for comparisons sake? I'd be interested if I got close to what someone who knows what their doing!!

 

[Arne]

Will fetch the recipe and post it on here. Probably get it tomorrow. The cherry does need a little sugar. Pie cherries do give you a bit of pucker mouth. Arne.

 

[Arne]

Here goes:
20 plus pounds of pie cherries.
5 gal. water
cherries were picked, washed, pitted and put in strainer bag
K-meta, after at least 12 hrs added pectic enzime.
Next day checked s.g. and brought up to 1.090
According to mfg. instructions added nutrient, yeast energizer, tannin,
Used Cotes de blanc yeast
added bentonite after ferment started
Added 16 oz. real lemon juice about 1.060 or so.
Started ferment June 19, Hit secondary July 3.
Let finish ferment
Rack off lees, hit with k-meta.
Sit let clear, rack if needed and add k-meta when needed
When clear, stabalize, sweeten to taste and bottle time.
Make sure there is plenty of tasting as you go along.
Comes out to more than 5 gal. but that leaves some for tasting and topping off.
I do not do a good job with the acid or ph, but this comes out the way I like it with the cherries from our tree. Did a lot of acid testing and did not have much success with it. So do it with the taste method. Some day I will get a meter, but til then adjust by taste. Arne.

 

[Arne]

Wish I had a sky hook. The cherries that are left have turned a dark red. Would like to have enough of them to try a gal. batch. Just curious if the flavor would be any different. The birds have worked them over pretty good, tho. The poor little dwarf tree produced enough cherries for everybody this year. Arne.