Our 2008 starter wine

[PolishWineP]

This morning we started a choke cherry wine. First we had to steam the choke cherries that had been in the freezer since summer.

Aren't they pretty?! We're making a 5 gallon batch and used mostly honey as our sugar. (Basswood honey) Bert added some dry, light malt extract and he's already pitched the yeast. It's going to be a good year for wines!

 

[Tomy]

Your cherrys look wounderful, what may I ask is basswood honey, and what does it taste like as opposed to clover honey?

 

[Wade E]

Never heard of basswood honey ether.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Basswood honey is produced in areas where the Linden trees are
plentiful, usually in Northern areas. Light colored, very aromatic. Looks like it will be a great wine PWP!

 

[Bert]

This is the first time I have used Basswood honey....I thought it was a little darker than clover honey, but as JW said a very aromatic honey...maybe it will stand up to the choke cherry flavor......time will tell..

 

[Waldo]

AHHHHH !! Berries Look good Bert. What has your experience been in the outcome of using honey instead of sugar in making wine. I just started a batch of Muscadine doing thusly.

 

[Bert]

This is my first try with useing honey for sugar....but if it is like meads, it will take longer to mature.....the choke cherry is working very strong at this point and smells great...the honey smell is still there..

 

[uavwmn]

OMW, PWP, that looks beautiful!! (I like the pot also!!)

 

[Jack on Rainy]

PWP,

Do you have an apiary over there? Or is there one locally? I'd like to try basswood honey ( on toast not for wine!).


Edited by: Jack on Rainy

 

[PolishWineP]

We know a guy who knows a guy and he's our connection for the stuff, man.

We havea source for our honey, whose business is in Neilsville. He's currently living in Crookston. Bert might actually run into him tonight and will ask if he has any more of the Basswood honey, and if so if he can get you his phone number if you want to get some of it. Did that all make sense?

 

[Waldo]

Make better sense if you just picked up a couple of gallons and send me n ole jack one

Edited by: Waldo

 

[Bert]

Sorry Waldo and Jack, my beeman did not make the party I was at.....He is kind of hard to get ahold of these days...He is busy haulling potatoes and other stuff between here and Illinois....busy guy

 

[joeswine]

PWP,I look at the tutorial on this site about steaming the fruit,my guestion then was and still is the pot used in the showing were can I buy one,or is there anotherway to do the same thing? like to try,I'am listening

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

joeswine I got one of ebay a month or so ago, can find them at places like halfoff.com, amazon , etc. Probably a good time to buy them as not alot of demand for them in winter.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Just type in STEAM JUICER on any Search Site....eBay...etc. I got mine direct from Back to Basics 20 or so years ago...it's Stainless Steel.


If anything every happens to mine...spring a leak or what ever...I would buy another one that day....Mine has had a lot of use.


Right now I am looking for hose...I got the last piece at a Medical Supply, around here they don't have it...so I am asking at car parts stores...will find some sooner or later.

 

[joeswine]

thanks people I'll do just that,I do something like that hen I cook down my fruit slowly allowing the heat to breakdown the berries,always moving them,until they are like a puree but with having matter still in the mix,then I strain the berries through a fine mesh strainer,(french style) very fine,what comes out the other side is pure concentrate juice,this is what I call a (f/pac)and is add as a flavor enhancer to the finished wine ,the other process however interest me

thanks

 

[PolishWineP]

Sorry you got left hanging back there.
We bought our steamer at Home of Economy in Grand Forks, ND. http://www.homeofeconomy.biz/ It's one of those stores that has everything you need for rural life. I bet you could find one at a Fleet Farm store too. The booklet that came with it showed other uses for it, too.
We really like the lack of mess with the steamer method. We don't have to mush things around, trying to crush our fruit. This time, after steaming the choke cherries, we added the pulp to the must in a straining bag for a few days. It's also good b/c we can steam fresh fruits and put up the juice in jars if we don't have time to start a wine.

 

[Guest]

Hey Joe...
What about this site.

http://www.ezjuicers.com/steamers.htm
$65.00
They even sell the tubing for about $5.00


I just plugged it into my browser search and the first one that came up was this one.
I was intreged by the process as well adn wondering about it.


By the by... Thanks to NW for pointing out the obvious. SEARCH ENGINE.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I needed a hose for my steam juicer......We went to the cities today and found some hose....I went to a Restaurant Supply Company and got some hose meant for Espresso machines...It wasn't cheap...but if I order On Line shipping really adds up.


The last hose I got was from a Medical supply, but haven't had luck with them as of late.


Now I am ready for another 10 years of steam juicing....

 

[grapeman]

Be careful with that one Handyman. It is the aluminum model and a lot of folks don't like to use the aluminum for high acid juices. It would probably be safe, but chances are it won't last as long as the stainless model NW uses forever.