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Cider Digest #1502
Subject: Cider Digest #1502, 7 May 2009
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #1502 7 May 2009
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
RE: Perry From Pound Pears (chris horn)
Clear v. Amber v. Green (Dan Young)
Porter's Perfection, Major, Stoke Red (Tim Bray)
Oregon varieties (Erin Dumont)
RE: Cider Digest #1501, 4 May 2009 (Davis Koier)
Stoke Red (evan owen)
Grafting questions (Tim Bray)
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Subject: RE: Perry From Pound Pears
From: chris horn <agent_strangelove@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 08:37:28 -0700
I made a batch once from Pound pears.... It was a mixed bag of a bunch
of random varities but it was about 50% pound, 30% Asian pears and 20% of
some other random pears... It was better than 12 years ago and I think it
was the first time I ever fermented pears. And it came out wonderfully.
From what I remember, there was no real acid to it but it had some good
residual sugar to it. I do remember the pears being hard to grind up but
they worked well with the other pears to have a pressable mass, rather
than a big pile of snot...
I have planted two Pound pears in my orchard. Some for an effort to try
that recipe again (I no longer live near the Pound tree I got pears from
before) and some is to try baking them as I have a recipe for stuffed &
baked pears using Pounds.
Chris Horn
Scappoose Oregon
'April hath put a spirit of youth in everything'
-William Shakespeare
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Subject: Clear v. Amber v. Green
From: Dan Young <tandemciders@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 11:44:45 -0400
Hello Everyone in Ciderland.
I haven't searched the archives yet. I should blow the dust off a few
books, but does anyone have any quick comments on cider bottled in clear
bottles versus amber bottles versus green bottles.
My concern is the quality of the cider if it gets exposed to sun, but any
comments would be appreciated.
------------------------------
Subject: Porter's Perfection, Major, Stoke Red
From: Tim Bray <tbray@wildblue.net>
Date: Mon, 04 May 2009 09:30:20 -0700
Porter's is one of the cultivars that does well here (cool summers,
frequent fog). It is not particularly bothered by scab, and it crops
heavily and reliably from small trees of medium vigor. Train as
open-center and head back to encourage branching - it tends to make
leggy growth. As others noted, it frequently twins or triples, very
odd-looking fruit! Apples are small, about like a large crab; hard when
picked; keep very well. I sweat them for weeks before pressing.
Recommended.
Major makes a pretty little tree, very strong trunks and good branching
habit, but slow-growing and slow to produce. Fruit is not scab
susceptible. More tannic than I had expected. Late bloomer - good if
you get late frosts. I'll probably keep mine now that they are
producing, but wouldn't plant more.
I tried growing Stoke Red but it didn't like my climate. Not enough
chill, it wouldn't open up until July. So I dug them out and sold them
to Dick!
Cheers,
Tim in Albion, CA
------------------------------
Subject: Oregon varieties
From: Erin Dumont <erindumont59@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 10:19:34 -0700 (PDT)
Living in Southern Oregon seems to have its challenges in growing good
cider or eating apples. We have heavy clay soils on our farm, so we have
trouble amending the soil enough to make the ground suitable for apple trees.
We generally use chicken manure with straw from our chicken house in the
planting hole, as well as recommended purchased soil amendments, but have
still lost trees to the "tea cup" effect, even with a 2-foot deep hole.
Does anyone, particularly in Oregon, have success in dealing with clay
soils and have advice for the planting process? We usually see the tree
make it through the first year or maybe two, but then die. Though borers
have also been a problem here, we seem to have that issue taken care of. Are
there varieties of cider apples that tend to survive better in heavy soils?
Making cider from apples from other orchards is rewarding, but we'd sure
like to raise our own trees.
Thanks.
Erin Dumont
------------------------------
Subject: RE: Cider Digest #1501, 4 May 2009
From: Davis Koier <davisk@msivt.com>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 14:41:49 -0400
Congratulations on the 1500. I am new to this digest but I've been looking
for it for a long time.
Used brandy and whisky barrels are getting harder to procure. That
being what I use to put up cider in. Our closest source seems to be Atlantc
Horticulture in Quebec. Does anyone know of an alternative source ?
Thank You,
Davis Koier
Human Resource Manager
Manufacturing Solutions Inc.
tele: 802-888-3289
fax: 802- 888-1290
559 Harrel Street
Morrisville Vermont 05661
------------------------------
Subject: Stoke Red
From: evan owen <vanwen@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 20:15:47 -0400
I have one Stoke Red planted in 2000. I would say it is one of the
most susceptable varieties to fireblight planted here. We have over 30
varieties here in massachusetts.
Evan
------------------------------
Subject: Grafting questions
From: Tim Bray <tbray@wildblue.net>
Date: Wed, 06 May 2009 07:02:56 -0700
For the orchardists here, a couple questions about topworking:
1. Can I successfully graft an early-bloomer onto a late-bloomer? I
have Sweet Coppin which breaks bud late, and doesn't produce well here,
and I'd like to rework it over to King David - which blooms early. KD
is in full bloom right now, but SC has just begun bud swell. So if I
graft KD onto the SC scaffold branches, will it work?
2. How late in spring can I successfully cleft-graft? Again with the
KD/SC comparison - if I have dormant scionwood from KD (collected in
January, stored in fridge), can I graft onto the just-budding SC?
3. Is cleft-grafting in spring the only way to rework a tree, or can I
bud- or chip-graft in late summer/fall?
Thanks for any tips. I really want to work half my orchard over to KD,
but fear I missed the window for another year.
Tim in Albion, CA
(USDA Zone 9b)
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End of Cider Digest #1502
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