Sun Devil

Recipes 

I'm planning on adding sweet cherries in secondary to mead. Is it best to cut and pit the cherries or can they just be added whole? I plan on leaving them in secondary for at least 6 months.

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Primary: Belgian Quad
Secondary: Bourbon Oak Stout

On Tap: Belgian Dubbel,

Up Next: Ed Wort's Pale Ale, RIS

homebrewer_99

Recipes 

I slice mine from the stem side making an X (where the 4 corners meet at the stem recess.

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HB Bill

summersolstice

Recipes 

no need to pit but I don't think you need to keep them in the secondary for six months. A couple should be good enough.

Sun Devil

Recipes 

. So just throw them in whole?

__________________
Primary: Belgian Quad
Secondary: Bourbon Oak Stout

On Tap: Belgian Dubbel,

Up Next: Ed Wort's Pale Ale, RIS

homebrewer_99

Recipes 

I'm not sure tossing them in whole is going to draw any of the sugar, color or flavor out.

Most of us use frozen fruit because the skins and pulp have been weakened by the freezing action.

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HB Bill

fatbloke

Recipes 

There is a potential for the cherry stones to impart some bitterness - not guaranteed, but possible.

If you do want to leave the fruit in there for a whole 6 months, then if it were me, I'd de-stone the fruit.

Plus, that way, the alcohol has some surface area to get to the sugars and flavour of the fruit.

Freeze/thaw has a similar effect (except the stones are buggers to remove once the fruit has been defrosted).......

hey ho!

regards

fatbloke

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