TOPIC:

"EoinMag":7600b4j5 wrote: The main problem I'm seeing is a source for whole cherries that are suitable, I can get canned from Belgium that only have water added, so I'll see how it pans out. Raspberries will be expensive but as a once off project I think it's an expense I can live with. In the meantime I am building up a collection of pressure bottles for the bottling.[/quote:7600b4j5]


I may have found an option for you, I found out over the past couple of weeks that there was a long term project by a Dr. at the University of Michigan to identify ideal varieties of tart cherries for production; in the end they started cultivating the "Bunched of Újfehértói" cherries from Hungary, and renamed the US transplants to "Balaton" (which is now a registered trade mark of the University of Michigan); this cherry is VERY popular in Hungary and represents 30% of their total crop.

I'd imagine that sourcing this sour cherry would be much easier than getting the much rarer Belgian tart cherry variety. (This variety has more "meat" and a smaller pit than the Belgian sour cherries, too.)

If you're looking for whole cherries, it might represent an attractive option...

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="www.hrt.msu.edu/faculty/Iezzoni/Balaton/HistoryBalaton.html">www.hrt.msu.edu/faculty/Iezzoni/ ... laton.html

Adam

&amp;quot;RichieH&amp;quot;:3m602j0a wrote: I take it those are the figures from wildbrews, I seem to remember the plastic figures being closer to the barrel ones. Oh well we all make mistakes. I wonder how much of a difference this would make if the plastic was twice as thick as the standard youngs tub[/quote:3m602j0a]

I'm not sure the thickness of the plastic has a lot to do with it's permeability. You're talking at a molecular level that plastic simply allows the O2 molecules through it's structure like air through a net curtain, so I'm sure that thickness is a function of permeability but not all that important as it's still the same "tightness" of plastic (for want of a better word).

&amp;quot;EoinMag&amp;quot;:27gvfieu wrote:

&amp;quot;RichieH&amp;quot;:27gvfieu wrote: I take it those are the figures from wildbrews, I seem to remember the plastic figures being closer to the barrel ones. Oh well we all make mistakes. I wonder how much of a difference this would make if the plastic was twice as thick as the standard youngs tub[/quote:27gvfieu]

I'm not sure the thickness of the plastic has a lot to do with it's permeability. You're talking at a molecular level that plastic simply allows the O2 molecules through it's structure like air through a net curtain, so I'm sure that thickness is a function of permeability but not all that important as it's still the same "tightness" of plastic (for want of a better word).[/quote:27gvfieu]

My guess is that it's actually just the seal of the platic buckets that's the majority of the problem. Wild Brews also quotes "Flextank HDPE Fermenter" and estimates that one of these will diffuse only 20 cc/L/year.

-Just BARELY more than a glass carboy. So I think it's all about the size of the openening and the seal.

I'd imagine that a better bottle would be right around that 20 cc/L/year estimate for that reason, but the better bottle's aren't included in the Wild Brews chart...


Adam