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Cider Digest #1393
Subject: Cider Digest #1393, 27 June 2007
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1393 27 June 2007
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
re: Orchard pests (Deer). ("John C. Campbell III")
Re: Orchard Pests (Deer) (Tim Bray)
No word from our guru? (Josh Klatt)
Liquid Fence (Mark Lattanzi)
Hydraulic Cider Press ("forest Roy") ("David Lee")
San Diego competition results (Tim Bray)
Xylitol ("Margevicius, Joe")
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Subject: re: Orchard pests (Deer).
From: "John C. Campbell III" <jccampb@tseassoc.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:44:45 -0400
While it would probably be impractical for a large orchard (we are only
up to about 50 trees now) and is not useful after the weather drops
below freezing, I find that most damage we incur is early spring through
fall. We have the west and north sides of our property backed up by old
growth oak forest where the horned vermin like to hide out. They go over
my 8 foot barbed wire like Sherman went through Georgia.
What we have found successful is this:
http://www.contech-inc.com/products/scarecrow/
they are target-acquiring sprinklers with a motion sensor. You set the
arc you want them to spray and when they sense motion? They fire off a
burst of water in that perimeter.
The deer? Detest it. We were a week late getting them up in orchard
this season (after putting out two nice new little De Sonnavilles) and
the deer were in there giving them a butch the next day (not to mention
trimming anything else convenient. We put the Scarecrows out? And the
damage stopped instantly. We have one on either side of orchard up high
which does the trick. The remaining Scarecrows are stationed protecting
our tomato beds, since corn and tomato vines are their other favorite
treats. (also works handily to douse the neighborhood 'pets' that
people seem delighted to let roam so they can cock their legs over our
herb beds)
Mailman's not too fond of the one by driveway bed though ...
jccampb
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Orchard Pests (Deer)
From: Tim Bray <tbray@mcn.org>
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 13:42:12 -0700
>I mistakenly thought the 8-foot high, 3-string electric
> fence,
Are the deer going over, or through the fence? Apparently you have more
athletic and/or determined deer than I do - a 6-foot square-wire fence
keeps almost all of them out. Only once have I resorted to eliminating
the cleverest 1% from the gene pool... they were delicious, though.
I readily admit that our coastal Mendocino deer are both unathletic and
unmotivated. They are the smallest deer I have ever seen, and they are
surrounded by an abundance of food at all times. This of course does
not keep them from destroying an orchard at any oppportunity, but it
does seem to keep them from putting on fat - the two I shot were the
leanest venison I have ever eaten.
It may be that you have one or two "ringleaders" who have figured out
how to defeat your fence. Put them in the freezer, and the others may
go elsewhere for dinner. Worked for me!
Cheers,
Tim in Albion, CA
------------------------------
Subject: No word from our guru?
From: Josh Klatt <josh@klattcider.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 19:32:35 -0400
No weighing in from you, Andrew, on the "asparagus factor" of
perry?!? I know your expertise is generally with beverages before
they're consumed, but you must be able to take a stab at this one--
if only for our entertainment!! best,
Josh
------------------------------
Subject: Liquid Fence
From: Mark Lattanzi <mark@thealchemystudio.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 23:49:04 -0400
I can indirectly as far as deer are concerned vouch for Liquid Fence.
I had a rabbit problem once a few years ago in our vegetable garden.
One application and they never came back! Thankfully I don't have a
deer problem (fingers crossed) but if I did I would certainly give it
a try given my past success with it.
Of course, the old timer down the street from me recommended a more
'home grown' solution for a woodchuck problem I had. It went
something like... drink a few beers, wait a while, sprinkle the
'processed' beer around your garden border. It worked to repel those
damn woodchucks, who were nibbling the bean plants down to nubs. And
I think night time applications are prudent as far as the neighbors
are concerned.
Perhaps this repellency factor could be included in Ben's perry experiment??
Mark
------------------------------
Subject: Hydraulic Cider Press ("forest Roy")
From: "David Lee" <dave@dleeco.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:23:49 -0400
A couple of thoughts on the racks and the juice tray. My racks were
inspired by the neat plastic ones made by Day, I found on the OESCO website
(www.oescoinc.com/) I used 3/4" High density polyethylene(HDPE) sheet
that you can order from a commercial plastics distributor or McMaster-Carr
(www.mcmaster.com/) cut them to the size of the rack you desire and groove
with a router or table saw dado blade with 3/8" wide by 3/16" deep grooves
about 1" apart. Groove the other side of the rack in the opposite direction,
and clean up the sharp edges with a block plane. With the table saw, start
from the center and work your way out to the edges and you can cut 4 grooves
on each rack with each setting of the fence. Very fast - excellent racks,
easy to use, clean and store. As for the press cloth, buy it in bulk from
OESCO, cut it to size, and melt the edges with a blowtorch. For a pan-
check out a restaurant supply for a suitable stainless baking pan or have
one made out of 20 ga stainless by a tinsmith. Have Fun - Dave Lee
------------------------------
Subject: San Diego competition results
From: Tim Bray <tbray@mcn.org>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:42:33 -0700
On the Homebrewing Digest, someone posted the results of the 2007 San
Diego County Fair - Craft Brewers Competition.
> Cider:
> Gold: Fruit Cider - Fox Barrel Cider Co., Fox Barrel Pear Cider
> Silver: Common Cider - Wyder's Cider, Wyder's Apple Cider
> Bronze: Common Cider - Fox Barrel Cider Co., Fox Barrel Hard Cider
The last time I tried Wyder's it was clearly a glucose wine/alcopop,
with a strong "Jolly Rancher" flavor. Is this some other Wyder's?
Tim in Albion, CA
------------------------------
Subject: Xylitol
From: "Margevicius, Joe" <jmargevicius@walbridge.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:33:53 -0400
Does anyone have any experience using Xylitol as a sweetener in cider? I
understand it is a natural sugar, derived from birch trees, but does not
ferment. If so, would it be suitable for back-sweetening a non-sulphited
cider?
Thanks
------------------------------
End of Cider Digest #1393
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