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Picked Wickson and Dabinette yesterday (Sunday 06OCT19)

J

Jhoss

5 year old buck +
I intend to scrat and press this coming weekend.
I made a note last year that instead of picking Wickson first of October I should wait till end of October for "super-ripe"... but they were cracking and falling so a pressing in mid-October is what it is going to be this year.
Dabinette's were falling off too.
I'm in SE Michigan. Anybody else come near my ripening times for these two?
 
We are two weeks behind schedule here in Midland, MI. Usually leaves have mostly turned color and started to fall by now but trees are still green. Apple harvest is about 2 weeks late too.
 
Apple harvest started late here, but things rapidly accelerated.

Wickson ‘s are still holding tight. Hard to pull one off to even sample.

Yesterday I picked Kerr crab and the seedling I called Sweet Dog for cider pressing this week.
9f61b9a45fc50f1fee5ba765dd0073f1.jpg


I have some Haralred, Firecracker, and a few odds and ends to add to the mix... a couple of enterprise, liberty, winter redflesh, maybe a haralson.


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Are you brewing or drinking fresh?
 
What yeast do you use? Do you use Campden to knock out the wild yeast?
 
Telemark said:
What yeast do you use? Do you use Campden to knock out the wild yeast?
Click to expand...

Others on this site are more experienced than me. I used Camden and then added some wine yeast.

I have also just kept some cider in the fridge for long periods and let nature take it’s course.


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Wickson is starting to drop.


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@Telemark - brewing, although straight Wickson fresh juice is very good. I'm going straight in (no Campden) with 71B yeast. I hope to keep the ferment slow and cold and rack a couple of times to starve the yeast of nutrients and keep some sugar (sweetness) in my final hard cider...
 
I have read Wickson makes outstanding cider. I grafted a few but lost them last winter.

I think the process you are using is called keeving. I just kill the yeast and back sweeten. But I'm a beginner and a bit limited for options.

How does the Wickson cider turn out? Is it well balanced?
 
Not a keeve - that is where you add a calcium derivative and a "cap" builds up sucking nutrients out and you rack the clear juice before you ferment. Maybe next year - I'm going a bit more rudimentary to see if I can just starve out the ferment before absolute dryness. Keeving is on my bucket list...get it...bucket list..lol.
 
Interesting. I'm very new to all this, so I still find all the nuance a bit mind boggling. I would like to start adding honey soon, but that has its own challenges.
 
sandbur said:
Wickson is starting to drop.


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My Wickson Started to drop about a week ago, I hope it drops through the end of the month which would make it a good bow season Apple for my area.
 
Freeborn said:
sandbur said:
Wickson is starting to drop.


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Click to expand...
My Wickson Started to drop about a week ago, I hope it drops through the end of the month which would make it a good bow season Apple for my area.
Click to expand...

I prefer crabs for deer drops and Wickson might fill the bill for a hardy crab to drop this time of year.
Is it advertised as zone 3 hardy?

I think you are zone 4 and I am also, per the new map.


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sandbur said:
I prefer crabs for deer drops and Wickson might fill the bill for a hardy crab to drop this time of year.
Is it advertised as zone 3 hardy?

I think you are zone 4 and I am also, per the new map.


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Click to expand...
Is there another new Map? Last one I looked at I was 3B and considering the -40 last winter and the resulting dead trees I would think 3B is appropriate. My honeycrisps made it and they are a zone 4 tree but they are established which I think makes a big difference.
 
Freeborn said:
sandbur said:
I prefer crabs for deer drops and Wickson might fill the bill for a hardy crab to drop this time of year.
Is it advertised as zone 3 hardy?

I think you are zone 4 and I am also, per the new map.


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Click to expand...
Is there another new Map? Last one I looked at I was 3B and considering the -40 last winter and the resulting dead trees I would think 3B is appropriate. My honeycrisps made it and they are a zone 4 tree but they are established which I think makes a big difference.
Click to expand...

I haven’t looked at a map for a few years. Do you have a link after last winter?

I have heard read some Canadian discussions where they are grafting 5-6 feet above the ground since temps are lower at ground level. New grafts tend to survive up there.

I wonder if that works only in wooded areas with less wind.


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sandbur said:
I haven’t looked at a map for a few years. Do you have a link after last winter?

I have heard read some Canadian discussions where they are grafting 5-6 feet above the ground since temps are lower at ground level. New grafts tend to survive up there.

I wonder if that works only in wooded areas with less wind.


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Click to expand...
I don't have a map from last year, not sure if they produce one each year.

That would promote the idea of top working crabs. I have allot of Red Splendor as part of my NRCS planting that need top work. Next spring I need to begin that process.
 
Pressed yesterday 12oct19. Dabinette measured 1052. Now this is a measurement taken at about 44 degrees so some correction is missing but last year on 21oct18 Dabinette measured 1060.

Wickson was 1060.
 
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