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Twinbearer

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I am making pear wine as my first try... I think I did everything right so far except I think I might have blown everything by adding Camden tablets to the initial soaking of the pears in sugar/acid blend water. I think the Camden tablets should be added after or during the yeast/fermentation process.... Is this correct and have I blown it by adding them too soon?
 
I am making pear wine as my first try... I think I did everything right so far except I think I might have blown everything by adding Camden tablets to the initial soaking of the pears in sugar/acid blend water. I think the Camden tablets should be added after or during the yeast/fermentation process.... Is this correct and have I blown it by adding them too soon?

How many gallons are you making and how many tablets did you put in -
typically 1 tablet per gallon to kill off any wild yeast -

Then wait 24 hours and start your yeast culture and add it to it - once the temperature is around 74 ish
 
Welcome to the forum!

Started an apple wine yesterday and recipe called for 1 crushed tablet for each gallon. Add it and the other stuff except wait 24 hours before pitching the yeast.

BTW, does your pear recipe call for Ascorbic Acid in the primary?
 
Well, I was having trouble getting back here due to a pop up that kept me from posting. Problem solved I hope.
Anyway, soaked pears in the primary with ingredients above. I think my mistake was that I didn't "wake up" the yeast properly. The concoction never foamed up. I soaked it as is for five days stirring everyday, still no visible fermentation. I siphoned liquid into the glass carboy and removed pears. I have put on the gizmo (can't think of the name right now) on top of the bottle and am hoping it turns to wine somehow. My hydrometer broke somehow too in the process. Live and learn...
 
Some ferments don't foam much, if at all. It depends on the must and what yeast you are using. You might be ok, but a hydrometer is the only way to tell. If it's still fermenting, it will probably erupt thru your airlock (gizmo) unless you left enough headspace. I've learned to always have 2 hydrometers on hand. They're easy to break. Good luck with it.
 
So.. A couple things;

Pears, when ripe, go soft and basically turn into Pear Sauce once we start to make wine with them. They can also brown/oxidize, from exposure of the flesh of the fruit to oxygen. The campden tablets, added like you did, keep the pears from oxidizing and turning brown. So that step, saved your 'color'. That's a pretty necessary step, for Pear. Someone asked about Ascorbic Acid, which serves the same purpose of keeping the fruit from oxidizing, but doesnt give off the K-meta vapors that would hinder fermentation for ~12 hours.

When it comes to the yeast starter, 5 days is about 4 days too long. The longest that I've left a yeast in starter-form, was for about ~18 hours, but that was to build up a big yeast culture for a rather difficult fermentation. Most yeasts can be started in 4-6 hours, even making a 'Starter'.

They come in a dried form, the yeast, and once they get their feet wet, they begin with the intake of water - similar to a seed, per say - and the water entering the yeast cells begins the 'living' and reproductive systems; so they begin to bud asexually, dividing in half and by doing so, multiplying in numbers. 1 turns to 2, 2 turns to 4, by splitting in half. This begins in the 'yeast starter', continues when we pitch it into the 'must' (wine, before yeast are added and alcohol is made), and through the 'lag phase' (a period of time with little to no signs of fermentation). The end of the 'lag phase', is when the 'cap' forms; the yeast begin to eat the sugars, creating alcohol and CO2 - the CO2 begins to rise, attaching to particulate and carrying those solids to the liquid's surface, forming a cap of solids over the wine.

Hopefully your carboy isnt more than about 2/3-full. If the yeast take off, they'll generate the a small cap - pears dont have many solids, its more sauce like I mentioned - but it'll also begin to foam, and that foam can be generated faster than the airlock/gizmo wants to let it dissipate.

A hydrometer will be pretty essential to seeing this batch through to the end though, and like was previously mentioned, they prefer company - so I have two, myself. Had 3, but..
 
I was confused when you mentioned your concoction. I thought you were talking about your must not foaming, not your yeast starter. Sorry.
 
Thanks for getting back to me! Very interesting and welcomed info from you! At least for next time maybe, I dunno... I am still hoping some sort of a ferment will materialize eventually.
The original concoction may have been on track, but I just stirred the yeast in some warm water for about a minute and threw it in... Erg. Really didn't give it a chance to "wake up", so I guess it didn't.
As it sits now, I've swirled it around a couple times to no avail, it smells slightly yeasty but not bad, it tastes sweet and unremarkable. There is a very thin layer of white foam like bubbles on the top and an inch or so of pear mush on the bottom of the carboy.
It hasn't seemed to have gone bad in anyway so I am just hoping it will turn to wine despite my mistakes. Thanks for your input and information. It gives me inspiration and courage to try, try again.
I have bunches of frozen pears at the ready for future attempts. I couldn't bear to see them fall of the tree and go to waste. I've made and eaten all the pear cobbler I can tolerate, and canned enough for the next generation!
 
You do not need to make a yeast starter, just throwing the yeast on top of the must will work as well. The yeast "wakeup" when they have something to eat like the must. You need to take hydrometer readings to know if your must is fermenting.
 
Yep, I've almost quit "starting" my yeast. Sprinkle it right on top.

LOL, that is the only way I add my yeast, I never made a starter and I have never had an issue with a must no starting.
 
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