Pear - pulpy

WI_Wino · Oct 21, 2013

I got a bunch of pears from a co worker. I cut them and up froze for a couple of weeks. I pulled them out last Friday and let them thaw some. I mashed/crushed by hand best I could (no press/crusher). Layered in my pectin enzyme and k-meta, sugar to SG 1.090 from 1.055 (measured by refractometer) and wrapped it with a couple of heating belts. Stirring a couple times a day and it finally got up past 70 degrees last night. I really thought it would liquefy more but it's just a big goopy, pulpy mess. I have a 20 gallon brute filled to about the 15 gallon mark. Pitched a couple packets of 71B last night and have a vigorous ferment going when I got home tonight, must (if you can call it that) temp is up to 75.

So my question is, if I let this pulp ferment as is, should I expect it to actually get some liquid wine out of this? Or am I going to end up with alcoholic baby food?

My other thought is to get a couple gallons of apple juice, sugar up to 1.090 and dump it in the next day or so. Not enough to really alter the pear flavor but enough to get some liquid in there.

jamesngalveston · Oct 22, 2013

you could always get some large cans of pears and drain the juice into the fermenter......just enough to liguify your puree.

Runningwolf · Oct 22, 2013

Thats the reason many of us use paint strainer bags to put the fruit in first. Near the end of fermentation we either press the bags or squeeze them dry.

WI_Wino · Oct 22, 2013

I seriously underestimated how many bags it would take to hold all these pears. I had two 5 gallons strainer bags but since the pears weren't completely thawed those filled up mighty quick. I am planning on pressing the "pulp" but even so, it seems like there is little actual juice.

Time is also my enemy, I don't know if I'll have enough time in a single night after work to press the whole thing. Can I press some each night? Say pull of the cap, press that in a strainer bag, and discard the pulp?

Sorry for the newb questions, the wife was bugging me to free up freezer space and I did not think this all the way through...

salcoco · Oct 22, 2013

as fermentation progresses the pulp will rise to the top and liquid will be available below. rack off this free run once fermentation is compete. Press off over two night s will not affect anything keep must covered.

As for adding the apple juice do it slowly. a large influx of sugar at one time will shock the yeast. I would add two to three cups each day,. fermentation will continue during this time.

WI_Wino · Oct 22, 2013

Got home from work and there was a nice, thick cap on the pears. Punched my spoon through it and it was liquid underneath. Not nearly as thick and goopy as before. So hopefully it continues to thin out. Thinking of adding some bentonite tomorrow, SG down to 1.062 today.

WI_Wino · Oct 23, 2013

Ok, so planning on adding bentonite tonight. Question - with the big, thick cap I have, should I push the cap down and mix it up, then add the bentonite to that and stir in?

Or do I want to try to remove teh cap before adding bentonite?

iVivid · Oct 23, 2013

I'll be interested in an answer to this also; I think I've only used Bentonite in the kits; so not very familiar with using it.

michjen · Oct 23, 2013

I just added mine in.... Give it a real good stir and keep stirring as you pour in the bentonite. I heat up some water and mix the bentonite in the hot water, let the bentonite water come to room temp before adding to the must.

WI_Wino · Oct 24, 2013

Mixed in the bentonite last night. Mixed up per directions, 4 teaspoons to 1 1/3 cups water (for 5 gallons of wine). Doubled that and slowly stirred into the must.

SG down to 1.041. Ferment temp is 70-72. Looking to press this weekend I think.

michjen · Oct 24, 2013

Sounds good! Just watch it now.... My pear took 2 weeks for the fermentation to slow down enough for me to rack into a carboy.... Don't rush

This is my pear on first rack added glass marbles to bring the juice to the top of the carboy the other carboys are grapes

salcoco · Oct 24, 2013

you should be pushing down the cap twice a day. it keeps the must wet preventing bacteria build up and also increase flavor into the wine. cap will reform after each punch down.

WI_Wino · Oct 24, 2013

sal said:
you should be pushing down the cap twice a day. it keeps the must wet preventing bacteria build up and also increase flavor into the wine. cap will reform after each punch down.

Yep, punching 3 times a day actually. Also monitoring temp and flipping heating belts on/off as needed.

wood1954 · Oct 24, 2013

once you're ready to strain the must you can scoop out the cap with a spoon and put it into a strainer bag and squeeze it out and then when you get most of the floaters out you can pour the rest through a bag and it's a lot less messy. i do that with all my fruit wines now.

WI_Wino · Oct 24, 2013

Since threads are worthless w/o pictures. Here's one while the pears were thawing. Note the condensation on the outside, they were COLD.

WI_Wino · Oct 27, 2013

SG down to 1.010 tonight, pressing tomorrow.

WI_Wino · Oct 27, 2013

Pressed this afternoon, what a massive pita. So much pulp and skins it took forever to press and rack to carboys. I told my wife to hit me upside of the head if I ever throw a bunch of fruit into a trash can without bagging it first again.

Looks to be about 10 gallons but still very thick.

WVMountaineerJack · Oct 27, 2013

Cidersupply.com sells a pectinase specific for pears, it also degrades the arabinose that is missed by most standard pectinases, we are using it on our pear mead and pear cider.

I never put the fruit in strainer bags anymore, PIA. We put the strainer bag over another bucket and just dip out the cap and let it drain and strain the rest of the must through the bag, lift out the bag, give it a gentle squeeze and toss it out, nothing to clean up bag wise.

WVMJ

mainecr · Nov 4, 2013

Shoulder surgery this year, so my neighbor helped me crush and ferment 1200 pounds of pears into wine and cider on pulp in 55 gallon drums.
Stir for 3 days, skim every day, and rack. We always strain the last 10 gallons through a straining bag....although it is good for 25 gallons of wine or cider for the effort!

michjen · Nov 5, 2013

WOW!!!! That's a lot of pears!!! Good luck with your surgery

Pear - pulpy

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Veteran Wine Maker

Senior Member

Senior Member

Junior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Veteran Wine Maker

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Member

Senior Member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!