# Pear Wine



## silverbullet07 (Aug 26, 2020)

I am going to attempt to make my first batch of wine. I have a seckel pear tree that I did my first picking last night. I have 30lbs so far, with probable 20 lbs or so more on the tree. seckel pears are super sweet and juicy when ripe. I have read many recipes on the internet. Most of them add water to the pear juice. I have read to get mostly pear juice and very little if any water. I was hoping to get 3 gals at the end. 

How should I go about processing the pears? My plans were to let ripen. Core and cut up pears. Add to primary fermenter and mash them as much as possible with potato masher. Collect as much pulp as possible in mesh bags. Ferment everything for a week, Steering each day. 

Are there better ways to process the pears? 





Thanks


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## salcoco (Aug 26, 2020)

I crushed them and put them thru a bladder press. if really ripe they will be soft cut up and press them in the mesh bags by hand should get juice.


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## silverbullet07 (Aug 26, 2020)

I found this recipe that looks pretty good. However it adds 10lb sugar before knowing what the Specific Gravity is before adding it. Should we take a reading first and see how much sugar the seckel pear produced?



https://eckraus.com/content/pearwine.pdf?_ga=2.188900075.170972832.1598454755-1840056799.1598454755


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## silverbullet07 (Aug 26, 2020)

salcoco said:


> I crushed them and put them thru a bladder press. if really ripe they will be soft cut up and press them in the mesh bags by hand should get juice.


Thanks. I have read some people freeze the fruit after cutting them up. Is this a better process to extract the juice?


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## Johnd (Aug 26, 2020)

silverbullet07 said:


> Thanks. I have read some people freeze the fruit after cutting them up. Is this a better process to extract the juice?



It's probably not better than a press, but it will certainly help the fruit break down much more easily. If you don't have a press, cut the pears up into small chunks with no seeds, put them into bags and freeze them. Thaw them back out in a few days and mush them up with anything that you can find that works well. Even your (sanitized) feet in in a bucket will work, wine grapes are still stomped to this day in some places.


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## silverbullet07 (Aug 26, 2020)

Johnd said:


> It's probably not better than a press, but it will certainly help the fruit break down much more easily. If you don't have a press, cut the pears up into small chunks with no seeds, put them into bags and freeze them. Thaw them back out in a few days and mush them up with anything that you can find that works well. Even your (sanitized) feet in in a bucket will work, wine grapes are still stomped to this day in some places.


Thanks. Seckel pears when ripe are so soft, sweet and juicy. Hoping to get a lot of juice out of them and should be pretty easy to mash them.


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## silverbullet07 (Aug 26, 2020)

Does freezing the pears after cutting them up work good and does not effect the outcome any? I thought it may be a good option as some get ripe while waiting on others to get ripe. Plus it may make juice easier as some suggested.


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## Rice_Guy (Aug 26, 2020)

Peary can be processed like apples, some folks will freeze (for a week) and then press (me) and volume producers will typically grind and press. 
The freezing process results in a cleaner juice. For me the process roughly goes - collect, wash (optional sweat them to ripen more) and freeze, - thaw a day in an ice chest, - score the skin a few times and toss in a nylon press bag, - press tightening the pressure roughly every 15 minutes, when juice slows remove pressure and fluff/ mix contents in bag, - press again, - 
the finished cake is skins with a not sweet, white fiberous flattened material


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## silverbullet07 (Aug 29, 2020)

Finished picking the pears off the tree. I was able to get 45 lbs of pears. I have them siting in the basement To ripen. Temperature is 69F and 59% humidity. Been Checking them for the last couple days pulling any bad ones that come up. Maybe ripen next week. 

I saw this recipe that adds 50/50 sugar and honey along with 2 lemons a gal. Not sure what the honey and lemon adds to it. May be good? I will use a lot more pears and less water. Thinking about using all the pears for a 3 gal batch. After coring and removing seeds I hope to have at least 30 lbs to make a 3 gal batch.

would honey and lemon help the wine?


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## Rice_Guy (Aug 29, 2020)

First ??? do you like the flavor of straight perry ??? I would add lemon zest to round out the finish on the wine, "ZEST" is a more agressive, bitter, longer flavor note. As a test try pulling a cup of juice, add powdered zest from your spice shelf, ,,, also try real lime and real lemon (acid without the bitter) drop by drop to see if it is more interesting. note ,,, After the ferment the sugars will be gone and effect will be greater.


silverbullet07 said:


> would honey and lemon help the wine?


,, honey, I consider myself a novice since it is an expensive ingredient to put in. Honey adds more aroma notes however if you use Cosco $2/ pound filtered it will mainly add residual sweetness. All honey is harder to clear and it is supposed to have more pronounced flavor after 2 years, ,,,, don't have any 2 year old so can't argue that one though.
I am a big fan of testing out a cup of juice or dry white wine with novel ingredients, ex playing with ginger I basically always said YUCK even though I like it in oriental mixes


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## silverbullet07 (Aug 29, 2020)

Rice_Guy said:


> First ??? do you like the flavor of straight perry ???



I am researching this pear and a blackberry. So depends on which goes on first that will be my first I guess. 

I have the pears so I thought I would give it a shot. I’ve had a light pear before And enjoyed it in the summer Not sure if it was blended with anything or pear straight. We have a great fruit winery near by that has a great selection.

so I will skip the honey For my first try. don’t want to cause any issues.


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## salcoco (Aug 29, 2020)

I would assume the honey and zest are flavor components. also the honey will increase the specific gravity. I would go all sugar them post fermentation take out a gallon batch once cleared and add lemon zest. keep tasting until reaching flavor desired.


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## Mead Maker (Aug 30, 2020)

I have no idea of the variety of the old pear trees in my area, but the pears go from rock hard to rotten without that “juicy” stage. 

You can crush the hard ones if you have a motorized unit, or if you’re the “incredible hulk.”

I gather the pears over a 2 to 3 week period, putting each days harvest in the freezer. When you’re ready to crush let them thaw for about a day and run them through your crusher. They pretty much turn to mush. 

Other than a quick rinse, the pears get no special treatment - grind them whole, stems and seeds and everything. 

That may seem like sacrilege, but that’s the way it was done when there were large pear orchards around here, and they all produced pear cider (unfermented.)

I use Red Star Premier Couvee yeast. If you want some “perry” just let it ferment for only 2 or 3 days then kill the yeast at that stage with sulfites. 

Or let it ferment completely for pear wine. I add sugar to get the must to 23.5 percent sugar content (I have no idea what that is using a “specific gravity” hydrometer). The result is kick-ass wine with a 18%+ ABV.


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## silverbullet07 (Sep 1, 2020)

These Seckel pears get super juicy and are super sweet. I’ve been keeping my eye on them as they are ripening. They are starting to turn now. May have to start cutting up some today and freezping them.


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## Rice_Guy (Sep 1, 2020)

A next step question, what other hardware do you have for juicing? A press?


if you are a “toy” fabricator like me, I will be interested in how you finish. 45 pounds will give a decent size batch.


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## silverbullet07 (Sep 1, 2020)

I'm hoping after freezing them and with them cut up, I can mash with my masher and hands for now. I'll have to see how many pounds I end up with but I plan to use all for t 3 gal batch.

What is in that container?


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## Ignatz (Sep 1, 2020)

For the yield I use 18#/gal as a rule of thumb. I use a steam juicer similar to this one to get the juice (see below) I just clean and quarter them. It's very efficient and easy and also prevents the oxidation that can make your wine look brown. Be sure to add pectic enzyme from the beginning of the fermentation to reduce the hazing. I had a very stubborn batched of pear wine that would not clear no matter what I did (filter, bentonite, etc.). Of course you should use your yeast nutrient and add sugar to achieve your targeted potential alcohol. I shoot for about 12.5%. I never adjust the sweetness or pH until after fermentation is complete so I check the pH and add acid blend, otherwise the wine will taste pretty thin. To adjust the sweetness I use corn sugar but honey would also work well. I also add about 1/4 tsp tannin to 5 gal but you can adjust to your taste.

https://www.amazon.com/Giantex-Vegetables-Steamers-Stainless-Multipots/dp/B084KNWFZ3/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImeTR_ZbI6wIVkuDICh12sw54EAAYASAAEgJ3u_D_BwE&hvadid=410014238849&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9067609&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=12392690370885708842&hvtargid=kwd-304865316384&hydadcr=4694_11139759&keywords=steam+juicer+victorio&qid=1598970971&sr=8-8&tag=googhydr-20


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## Rice_Guy (Sep 1, 2020)

*Time is a key ingredient in pressing, high pressure will cause soft fruit to flow/ it is possible to push sideways, you can put more pressure on fruit as some of the juice is removed. Hand pressing will be tiring, ,,,, less efficient
* thickness/ diameter is a key ingredient in efficiency, if I had no equipment I would consider ways to do a bag press with 100 lbs of concrete block / butt bucket press (@Ajmassa posted some photos are in one of the WMT threads)
* ”The New Cider Makers Handbook” is interesting if you are doing perry year after year.
* the photo is several weeks of wind fall, HoneyGold which was cleared out of the freezer this weekend, and pressed in a basket press (also in above thread)


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## silverbullet07 (Sep 1, 2020)

I just cored and chopped up most of the pears. Added them to a bucket with a little water a couple qts of water and 3 tbls of Lemon juice, Mixing them in the water as I chopped them up. Then poured into vacuum bags and and removed some of the air and placed in freezer. Seckel pears are really soft so I feel I will not have an issue pressing them. Once I thaw, maybe I can mash them some what in the bag. maybe place in pot and then a pot on top. Add a little sugar to help break down. I'll just have to do what I can. 

So far I have 21 lbs in the freezer. I'm thinking I'll have at least 30lbs. I have been hearing to use at least #10 per gal I see you use #18. I bet that is some good pear wine. Do you back sweeten it to a semi or sweet wine? We have a fruit winery near by. They make great fruit wines. Their pear is a little to sweet but it is good.


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## Ignatz (Sep 2, 2020)

I meant that I usually get about 1 gallon of juice for each 18# of fruit. I try to get a least 3 gallons of juice and add another 2-3 gallons of water. I like it a little less sweet but my wife likes it sweet so that is usually how it ends up. It sounds like you've got a good start.


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## silverbullet07 (Sep 3, 2020)

Finished coring and chopping up all my pears. I now have #32 pounds in the freezer. Going to keep them in the freezer and next week start working on this batch. 3 gal batch using the #32 pounds


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## Daboyleroy (Sep 5, 2020)

I pick, wash,peel,cut off to the core......run thru juicer
3 gallons pure juice
in bucket as I type this


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## Daboyleroy (Sep 5, 2020)

Working away


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## Kentuckyhomebrewer (Sep 5, 2020)

Personally, I'm a fan of the "cut into small chunks, sprinkle with sugar, refrigerate for 2 days, freeze for 2 days, thaw for 1 day, then mash with potato masher in must bag" method.... but that's just me but I find that method helps break down the cellular structure well and produces a lot of juice.


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## silverbullet07 (Sep 5, 2020)

Looks Like good juice. how many pounds for all that juice? 

Mine are in the freezer for a week and I should thraw and start fermenting next week. I heard while thawing them to but pectin enzymes and sprinkle with sugar to help break them down more. I may do that unless advised other wise. They are chopped up now so should break down pretty quick.


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## Daboyleroy (Sep 6, 2020)

silverbullet07 said:


> Looks Like good juice. how many pounds for all that juice?
> 
> Mine are in the freezer for a week and I should thraw and start fermenting next week. I heard while thawing them to but pectin enzymes and sprinkle with sugar to help break them down more. I may do that unless advised other wise. They are chopped up now so should break down pretty quick.


I actually did not weigh them this time. I know that it would take around a 13 gallon trash can full. I usually do this at the end of the season and pick all the pears left on the tree.....gives extras if needed. Estimate about 70 est. if memory serves. Left overs are eaten or baked.


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## Daboyleroy (Sep 6, 2020)

I had to use 12 from the box.


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## silverbullet07 (Sep 8, 2020)

I have my 32lbs of chopped up pears in vacuum sealed bags thawing. While that is happening I have a question on pectin enzyme and when to add to fruit. 

I have read some people add some pectin enzyme to the fruit while it is thawing. This is to start the breakdown Of the fibers faster. Is there any benefit to this? It looks like the optimum temperature for pectin enzyme to increase enzyme activity is 40c. With a good range of 20c - 55c. So it seems better to just wait until it is at least to room temperatures. 

Would thawing the vacuum sealed packs in a hot water bath be alright to thaw fruit and get up to room temperature? Or should I let it thaw at room temperatur?


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## silverbullet07 (Sep 9, 2020)

I am going to ferment with the skins on. Should I add tannins or add golden raisins for body?


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## HighD (Dec 17, 2020)

How did the pear wine turn out?


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## silverbullet07 (Dec 17, 2020)

HighD said:


> How did the pear wine turn out?


Turned out beautiful. I still have it in carboy but the taste is dry and nice. I will back sweeten it some.


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## HighD (Dec 18, 2020)

Looks great! Does it have a nice pear flavor? I have an old seckel pear tree that's at least 75 years old. I want to try it. I also want to back sweeten. I have access to Maple syrup but am afraid that might overpower it.


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## silverbullet07 (Dec 18, 2020)

Yes you can taste the pear. When I backsweeten I am going to try using some pear concentrate to sweeten it. See if I can infuse some more pear flavor.


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## toadie (Dec 18, 2020)

I did this with bartlett pears this year. I posted on another forum but I juiced some of the pears (which was a real pain) and put them through a garburator and pressed the majority. It was a bit of a mushy mess. It is now ageing nicely in the carboy waiting to be bottled in late jan/early feb. The taste is a little thin so I might cheat and add some concentrate. I also have a bit of mold/whitish film at the neck which I sprinkled with some broken up campden tablet. As I intend to bottle carb I'm trying not to over sulfite though the one tab didn't really do much.


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## Raptor99 (Dec 18, 2020)

I have done Bartletts the last 3 years. I wash and core them, then put them in the freezer. That helps to break them down and also lets me wait until I have time to start the brew. I thaw them and mash with a potato masher. I don't have a juicer or a press, but this works fine for soft pears like Bartletts. Then I put them in a mesh bag in the primary for 3-4 days.

Pears have a delicate flavor, so I've been working on getting more pear flavor. What I've come up with so far:

Use more pears. Currently I am up to 7.5 lbs. per gallon, but I may try 10 lbs.
I usually add golden raisins to help with flavor and body
Pear skins have a little bit of tannin, but I add just a little more
Use a yeast that does not destroy all the flavors. I have used EC-1118 but want to try something else on my next batch
Keeping the ABS below 12% helps the flavor
Back-sweetening helps to bring out the pear flavor
I have been experimenting with oaking


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## toadie (Dec 18, 2020)

Thanks for the advice! I think freezing is a good idea. I used EC 1118 too but keep reading that D 47 is a good choice. Cheers.


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## Ivywoods (Aug 25, 2021)

There is a pear tree up the road from me that is absolutely loaded with pears. I asked the lady if I can pick some and she said I could have all I want. I'm going to pick some to can and I want to pick enough to make at least a 3 gallon batch of wine. I can freeze them until I'm ready to start fermentation and in the meantime I want to get everything I need. It sounds like I need to get some white raisins. What is the consensus as to the best yeast for pear wine. I have EC-1118 but perhaps its not the best for this.

Oh-in return I'm going to take this lady some canned peaches, pears and applesauce. She is elderly and has trouble getting around.


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## silverbullet07 (Aug 25, 2021)

I would use the EC-1118. Are you going to freeze whole or cut up and freeze?


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## Ivywoods (Aug 25, 2021)

I plan to cut up and freeze, but if I run out of time I might freeze whole. We plan to go pick them in about an hour or so. I will store any that aren't quite ripe in the basement and try to pick and freeze from the bunch as they ripen. Many are pretty ripe right now.


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## silverbullet07 (Aug 25, 2021)

As you cut up, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the bowl to keep them from turning brown as you cut them up. Stir as you go In it.


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## Ivywoods (Aug 25, 2021)

silverbullet07 said:


> As you cut up, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the bowl to keep them from turning brown as you cut them up. Stir as you go In it.


Yes. I always do this when I can (preserve) fruit. I can a lot of peaches, pears and apples.


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## Ivywoods (Aug 25, 2021)

I just got in from picking pears. There are a lot of blemishes. I have no idea what kind of pears they are. I picked up a couple that
appeared to be ripe but they aren't as sweet as I had hoped. Anyway they are in my basement and as they ripen I will get them cleaned up and freeze them. I'm not sure how many pounds I picked. I'll just have to wait to see how much juice I can get.


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## DizzyIzzy (Aug 26, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> There is a pear tree up the road from me that is absolutely loaded with pears. I asked the lady if I can pick some and she said I could have all I want. I'm going to pick some to can and I want to pick enough to make at least a 3 gallon batch of wine. I can freeze them until I'm ready to start fermentation and in the meantime I want to get everything I need. It sounds like I need to get some white raisins. What is the consensus as to the best yeast for pear wine. I have EC-1118 but perhaps its not the best for this.
> 
> Oh-in return I'm going to take this lady some canned peaches, pears and applesauce. She is elderly and has trouble getting around.


That will be a kind and wonderful barter...........................DizzyIzzy


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## Daboyleroy (Aug 26, 2021)

takes time to clear…….but well worth the wait
gallon was the left over juice 
yes I added to them to about 1” below airlocks
been tasting along the way…….oh my goodness……great


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## Ivywoods (Aug 26, 2021)

Daboyleroy that looks good!


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## franc1969 (Aug 26, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> I just got in from picking pears. There are a lot of blemishes. I have no idea what kind of pears they are. I picked up a couple thatView attachment 77941
> appeared to be ripe but they aren't as sweet as I had hoped. Anyway they are in my basement and as they ripen I will get them cleaned up and freeze them. I'm not sure how many pounds I picked. I'll just have to wait to see how much juice I can get.


Those look beautiful, and tasty. I keep Cotes des blanc and 71b on hand for things like this, with other yeasts for darker fruits. The 1118 will be very neutral, if you don't know what you have or are looking to keep it mild.


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## Ivywoods (Aug 26, 2021)

franc1969 said:


> Those look beautiful, and tasty. I keep Cotes des blanc and 71b on hand for things like this, with other yeasts for darker fruits. The 1118 will be very neutral, if you don't know what you have or are looking to keep it mild.


I don't know what I have and have no idea how they will turn out. I've read a lot of posts that their pear wine has turned out weak tasting so I want to try to use as much juice as possible and little if any water.


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## Ivywoods (Aug 26, 2021)

"Cotes des blanc and 71b" I am wondering what advantages these are for pear wine.


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## Raptor99 (Aug 26, 2021)

Pear wine can turn out weak tasting because pears don't have a really strong flavor. I've tried a few things to enhance the pear flavor:
* Use lots of pears and little or no water
* Add acid blend to bring the pH to around 3.4 or 3.5
* Add some powdered grape tannin to the primary (depending on the pear variety)
* Consider using a yeast that ferments more slowly. EC-1118 ferments vigorously, which drives off some of the fruit flavor. Cotes des blanc is on my list of yeasts that I eventually want to try. Look at a yeast chart for one that "enhances varietal flavor."
* Fermenting at a lower temperature is supposed to preserve more of the fruit flavor. I do that by freezing my pears and then starting fermentation during the winter when my kitchen is cooler.
* Consider aging on oak chips (if you add tannins or oak, you need to age it for at least 6 months)
* Back sweeten before bottling


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## Ivywoods (Aug 26, 2021)

Raptor99 said:


> Pear wine can turn out weak tasting because pears don't have a really strong flavor. I've tried a few things to enhance the pear flavor:
> * Use lots of pears and little or no water
> * Add acid blend to bring the pH to around 3.4 or 3.5
> * Add some powdered grape tannin to the primary (depending on the pear variety)
> ...


Wow! Great suggestions. I plan to freeze the pears as they ripen and use as little water as possible. I have some grapes (a small amount) that I was thinking of adding to it. I have acid blend and will look into getting some yeast as you suggested. Thank you!


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## franc1969 (Aug 26, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> "Cotes des blanc and 71b" I am wondering what advantages these are for pear wine.


Cotes des blanc is fruitier, has less alcohol tolerance than EC1118 or KV1116. Slower, less vigorous as mentioned. Mentioned as better for country -type wines. 71b (and MA33 if you can get that) metabolize a larger portion of malic acid than other yeasts. Important if you have high malic (as do lots of fruits) and don't want to go though MLF. Also much less vigourous, I had trouble seeing that it was alive at first. Just a quiet fizz until finished. I get both dead cheap <$1, and can keep them on hand, along with yeast nutrients and DAP.


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## mikewatkins727 (Aug 27, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> I just got in from picking pears. There are a lot of blemishes. I have no idea what kind of pears they are. I picked up a couple thatView attachment 77941
> appeared to be ripe but they aren't as sweet as I had hoped. Anyway they are in my basement and as they ripen I will get them cleaned up and freeze them. I'm not sure how many pounds I picked. I'll just have to wait to see how much juice I can get.


From the shape and color they would be Barlett pears. I would recommend _Côte des Blancs _ yeast and ferment at a cool temperature.


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## Ivywoods (Aug 28, 2021)

mikewatkins727 said:


> From the shape and color they would be Barlett pears. I would recommend _Côte des Blancs _ yeast and ferment at a cool temperature.


That was my guess but I wasn't sure. I just ordered some 71B yeast. Do you think the cote des blancs would be much of an advantage over that? The area when I will be fermenting stays 68-72 degrees. It's in my basement.


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## Venatorscribe (Aug 28, 2021)

Yes they are Bartlett pears. In countries outside of the US they are know as Williams Pears or their correct name ' Williams Bon Chretien'. I have a large tree out back and harvest over 80 kg of pears from them each year. The pear by itself is quite neutral in flavour so i normally blend in a kilo or two of blueberries or as I did this year I comingled with 1.2 kg of guavas. As regards yeasts - I’ve tried them all. First work out how many bottles of still wine vs a sparkling cuvee then use different yeasts that will enhance flavours. If you are making a sparkling then there are a number of champagne styled yeasts - the normal being EC1118 is ok but then there are some very good cider yeasts. Although approx three yeasts ago I shifted my focus to using Belgian Tripel beer yeast. This yeast does amazing things which subtly enhances the mouthfeel and overall profile.. But I do encourage you to make some still versions. I like making a Rosé blend by adding a very small quantity of Pinot noir or Sangiovese that I fermented three or four years ago.
Any questions feel free to ask.


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## Ivywoods (Aug 28, 2021)

Venatorscribe said:


> Yes they are Bartlett pears. In countries outside of the US they are know as Williams Pears or their correct name ' Williams Bon Chretien'. I have a large tree out back and harvest over 80 kg of pears from them each year. The pear by itself is quite neutral in flavour so i normally blend in a kilo or two of blueberries or as I did this year I comingled with 1.2 kg of guavas. As regards yeasts - I’ve tried them all. First work out how many bottles of still wine vs a sparkling cuvee then use different yeasts that will enhance flavours. If you are making a sparkling then there are a number of champagne styled yeasts - the normal being EC1118 is ok but then there are some very good cider yeasts. Although approx three yeasts ago I shifted my focus to using Belgian Tripel beer yeast. This yeast does amazing things which subtly enhances the mouthfeel and overall profile.. But I do encourage you to make some still versions. I like making a Rosé blend by adding a very small quantity of Pinot noir or Sangiovese that I fermented three or four years ago.
> Any questions feel free to ask.


Wow! Thank you! There's more information there than I am prepared to try. I'm a beginner and I'm not looking to make a sparkling wine. I've used the EC 1118 with success on all my fruit wines but shied away this time due to several people saying it removes a lot of flavor and I didn't want to use it on an already light flavored fruit. I'm planning to combine my pears with some grapes I just harvested today and am freezing until the pears are ripe. They are still quite green.


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## Venatorscribe (Aug 28, 2021)

Hi, re the ripeness of the pears. Just one thing you need to be aware is that pears ( and in particular this type) ripen from the inside. So it is very easy to miss the exact moment of ripeness. And you can end up with a pear that looks perfect on the outside but is brown and mushy in the middle. Once they are off the tree I give mine a max of two weeks. Even two weeks can be too long for some of them. Cut out the core and any bad spots then add k-meta, pectinase and freeze until you have all the fruit processed and you are setup and ready. You’ll need to add sugar, tannin and acid. I only use tartaric. Don’t bother with oak. If you have a pH meter then your pre-ferment is best configured to pH 3.3 to pH 3.5. It makes a big difference with final mouth feel. I understand your reservation with EC1118. However in the scheme of things it does an ok job if there a problems with a stuck fermentation. The MA33 that somebody mention is also very good. The yeast options are endless and offer a lot of fun when thinking through the issues. As I mentioned earlier - I use a beer yeast for my cider type sparkling cuvee and a standard AW4 white wine yeast for the still. Also before bottling fermentation you will need to back sweeten the pear wine and I can give you some indications when you get to that point. Pears provide you with an excellent base wine to experiment with in terms of blending and co-fermenting, as you are doing with the grapes. All the best.


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## Ivywoods (Aug 28, 2021)

Venatorscribe-thank you so much. I will keep all this in mind and will be able to refer back to it as I get this going.


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## Venatorscribe (Aug 29, 2021)

I forgot - I also cut up a round of dried figs and add that to the fermentation. Pre- soaking the cut figs In some boiling water and add that on top of the pears ( that are thawing ) in the fermentation bucket. It adds a goodly amount of nutrition for the yeast and helps with colour development. BTW I live in the Southern Hemisphere so my pear picking and fermentation happens in Feb. The nice thing about a soft pear wine is that you are able to start drinking it around six months after development. So I like to vary my pear wine drinkS by having a fresh vintage, and a few nights latter having an older one. Like all well made wines - pear matures beautifully. In my glass tonight is my Feb 2021 Pear Rosé. Nicely chilled despite the fact that it is Winter in NZ at present. enjoy the hard work in front of you.


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## Ivywoods (Aug 29, 2021)

It looks very nice! New Zealand-It's on my bucket list to visit someday!


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## DizzyIzzy (Aug 29, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> I don't know what I have and have no idea how they will turn out. I've read a lot of posts that their pear wine has turned out weak tasting so I want to try to use as much juice as possible and little if any water.


I like to enhance the fruit flavors of most of my wines by adding some 100% fruit concentrate, and reducing the quantity of water used.............................DizzyIzzy


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## Ivywoods (Sep 24, 2021)

Well my pear harvest did not go well. Unfortunately I picked these pears a little too early and they did not ripen before they started to spoil. It might have to be a project for next year.


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## Jovimaple (Sep 25, 2021)

@alexsnow555 Many of us ferment in an open food grade bucket with a thin towel over it to keep out bugs and dust. Yeast need oxygen during the initial ferment.

Do you have a hydrometer? That is the only accurate way to determine if the fermentation happened and is complete.

If it were me, I would use a hydrometer to measure the s.g. If the fermentation isn't complete, I would try putting the must into a bucket covered by a towel, and maybe even add some commercial wine yeast like Lalvin EC 1118. Then I would stir the must and also take the s.g. every day.

When the hydrometer shows the s.g. is below 1.010, THEN I would rack the must to a glass jar or carboy and add an airlock. That's when you need to start worrying about oxygen exposure, so I would make sure the jar is filled almost to the top before adding the airlock. The fermentation should finish and then the wine starts offgassing the CO2, which is a byproduct of the yeast.

Unless the wine tastes spoiled, it might just need time.

You can check out the beginner wine making forums here for info on equipment and techniques. Also, the country wine making forum has a lot of information on wine from non-grape fruits.

Good luck!


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## Ivywoods (Sep 25, 2021)

My chickens made short work of those rotten pears.


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## Jal5 (Sep 28, 2021)

I love the Bartlett pear wine we made two years ago. I found it needed some backsweetening to bring out the flavor and a little acid blend provided a bit of crispness. We are planning to start another 5 gallons using 44# of chopped and cleaned pears we have in the freezer. I may try some of it as rose as suggested here mixing with Sangiovese.


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## Ivywoods (Sep 28, 2021)

Jal5 said:


> I love the Bartlett pear wine we made two years ago. I found it needed some backsweetening to bring out the flavor and a little acid blend provided a bit of crispness. We are planning to start another 5 gallons using 44# of chopped and cleaned pears we have in the freezer. I may try some of it as rose as suggested here mixing with Sangiovese.


That sounds really good!


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