# Pear wine in a 5 gallon bucket.



## Dunebilly (Jul 28, 2011)

2 1/2 gallons of food processed pears, juice alone SG 1.050 then added 2 campden tablets
i had to let it sit for 3 days then SG read 1.035 
Then i added sugar without filling bucket up with water yet, brought it up to 1.090
boiled water enough to fill bucket. added about 6 pounds of sugar and mixed. after it cooled SG read 1.085
Then i pitched the yeast without stirring.
24 hours later i pushed the pulp down and covered and repeated every day..
NOW... the problem. Day 4 of stirring, i take a SG reading and get 1.085.
Should i add more yeast? it smells good, like strong wine.


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## Minnesotamaker (Jul 29, 2011)

I guess I'm not sure I'm following you fully. You say that your SG dropped from 1.050 to 1.035 before adding any yeast? Was this drop due to fermentation?

Then you added sugar to bring it to 1.090. Did you add the water immediately after that? Then you added more sugar after the water addition?

What yeast did you use?


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## Dunebilly (Jul 29, 2011)

yes it dropped in that 3 day period from fermentation. 
then i added sugar to bring it up and yes then immeditaly added the water and sugar again to bring it up to 1.085
i used RED STAR Cote des Blancs. Active Dry Wine Yeast


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## Dunebilly (Jul 30, 2011)

i added 4 packets of high grade yeast and am blasting off.


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## Julie (Jul 31, 2011)

Again, you read up on the basics of winemaking or is not what you are trying to do. Having a sg of 1.050 then adding campdem and the sg is then at 1.035 does not make sense. 

All you are doing is making rocket fuel with a slight pear taste and actually I doubt you are going to taste the pear. 

If you don't want to learn the basics, then go to the recipe section and just follow a recipe.


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## Tom (Jul 31, 2011)

I agree..

BUT,

Since NASA if no longer around we now need to call it JET fuel.... LOL


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## Runningwolf (Jul 31, 2011)

Tom said:


> I agree..
> 
> BUT,
> 
> Since NASA if no longer around we now need to call it JET fuel.... LOL



I read that some where?


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## Dunebilly (Jul 31, 2011)

The campden tablets worked after all. After i added the needed sugar then it sat a couple days with out flux in SG. Everything is working great now and i will stop it when necessary. its not rushing to ferment. 
wtf is rocket fuel? or since NASA is no longer,, Jet fuel..?


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## Flem (Jul 31, 2011)

Rocket fuel is a term we use for wine with an extremely high alcohol content.


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## Tom (Jul 31, 2011)

Flem said:


> Rocket fuel is a term we use for wine with an extremely high alcohol content.



And JET fuel is...?


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## Flem (Jul 31, 2011)

The same thing since we have, essentially, suspended the space program. LOL


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## Dunebilly (Aug 1, 2011)

i think it will have good pear taste, my pears were completely smashed. about to do my next two batches and am using banannas, i would like to add cinimon. i am adding large mangos right now to the first batch we are talking about.
so, you say i should take the airlock off and leave the lid completely off so it has more air to ferment? sounds dangerous, i had the lid on loosely with a folded in half bath towell over top with a large rubber band hoilding that down. so i dont think any bacteria was going to get into that. 
now yes, i have the lid on with an airlock. whats the big deal? 
I dont think 12% alcohol is high for wine. I am stopping the fermentation at about 1.015 so it will be a little sweet. is that cool?


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## Julie (Aug 1, 2011)

if you have the lid locked down and a airlock on you are taking a chance of a stuck fermentation because you are suffocating the wine. During fermentation the must needs air. 

Trying to stop an active fermentation is risky. You just might do it then again you might think you did but didn't. You have better control of how sweet you want your wine by allowing it to ferment dry and then backsweeten.


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## Runningwolf (Aug 1, 2011)

Dunebilly it is possible to do what you're trying to do. Like Julie said it is very difficult and risky. The risk..."bottle bombs". I prefer letting the yeast do its thing, let the wine go dry and then sweeten. Keep us posted and let us know how it works out for you.


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## Tom (Aug 1, 2011)

No way can you stop fermentation. If you want a sweet wine (1.015) then let it go dry, stabilize and backsweeten.


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## Dunebilly (Aug 1, 2011)

i take the airlock and lid off 2-3 times daily and push the cap down. isnt this a good thing for primary fermentation?


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## winemaker_3352 (Aug 1, 2011)

Punching down the cap is a good thing - it helps keep mold and bacteria from forming on the pulp.

Like Julie said above - the must needs O2 initially to aid in the fermentation.

When the SG gets down around 1.005 then you can either snap the lid with an airlock - or rack to a carboy for secondary.

I personally like to leave in the primary until the SG is about 1.005 and then rack to a carboy for secondary.


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## Dunebilly (Aug 1, 2011)

im having a hard time finding a nice carboy.. 5 gal,, so im about to pick up some round plastic water jugs. i read somewhere that if the #1 or 2 is in the recycling triangle they are good, if its any other then not to use.


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## Runningwolf (Aug 1, 2011)

Well like everything else you decide to do, let us know how it works for you.


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