Pear wine ideas - Please!

[Rice_Guy]

I hear yuh.
My wine from last year used 9 lbs ripe/over ripe pears in 1 gallon. It's definitely identifiable as pear. I think using 4-5 lbs/gallon like many recipes suggest is laughable.
This year so far I think I'm better at 1/3 water and 2/3 pear. When my last tree comes online I'm going to shoot for 100% pear.
I like the crab apple idea but my crabs aren't growing much. Other years they were about the size of a quarter. This year they're smaller than a dime. VERY tart. I'll keep an eye on them.

I would rather put in white grape or apple than water.
I don’t own any crabs, . . one tree I picked from was at church, another was on a fence line at the edge of town and my normal/ favorite is under power lines (the city plants PrairieFire under power lines)
71B will consume some of the malic acid and cut the tart, tart helps magnify any tannin (bitters) in the fruit. If a crab isn’t tannic it isn’t worth the effort adding them.

 

[Rojoguio]

Fantastic read and pursuit of Pear wine BigDaveK! I have 3 pear trees ordered for January delivery and never realized the combinations that pear allows. Looking forward to the future development of this thread.

 

[BigDaveK]

Fantastic read and pursuit of Pear wine BigDaveK! I have 3 pear trees ordered for January delivery and never realized the combinations that pear allows. Looking forward to the future development of this thread.

My Bosc finally started to release a couple days ago. I have almost 60 lbs in trays to ripen and I may have double that still on the tree. A pear wine year for sure.
Two years ago I didn't have ANY pears because of a very late frost. I'm going to milk this for every gallon I can!

 

[vinny]

After reading through it all, my first thought was 'make a big batch'. I know you have tons of single gallons and lots of variety. I would aim for something that will be "safe" and enjoyable and make at least 6 gallons so you can see how it develops over time. I really like that I have more of my kits coming together now. I can enjoy a few bottles over the months and still evaluate the flavor changes as time goes on because I have enough of one type to continue sampling. There is SO much to learn.

The one thing I have recently learned and been surprised about is how young my favorite store bought wines are. My first kit is at 6 months. @winemaker81 suggested how to make the kit, reducing oak so it will blend faster and be ready, now (Sept). Well I split it a couple months ago and bottled half. It was good, but now it is really good. Put next to all our common choices, including what guests bring, it is better. I still have more to sample as it develops. It is endlessly interesting.

I have split 2 others and I can compare, blend, and make further aging notes because I have enough to "patienty" work through. Even having an open bottle, opening another, sampling, and aerating a third sample to taste side by side is incredibly enlightening. 3 very notable differences from the same wine.

I haven't had time to make much lately, but I have been learning just as much through tasting. Take advantage of the bounty and make enough to really run out the progression.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

. Even having an open bottle, opening another, sampling, and aerating a third sample to taste side by side is incredibly enlightening. 3 very notable differences from the same wine.

I haven't had time to make much lately, but I have been learning just as much through tasting. Take advantage of the bounty .

Awful lot of tasting going on

but that’s one of the main reasons to make it.

 

[BigDaveK]

After reading through it all, my first thought was 'make a big batch'. I know you have tons of single gallons and lots of variety. I would aim for something that will be "safe" and enjoyable and make at least 6 gallons so you can see how it develops over time. I really like that I have more of my kits coming together now. I can enjoy a few bottles over the months and still evaluate the flavor changes as time goes on because I have enough of one type to continue sampling. There is SO much to learn.

The latest bounty will be 3 gallon batches for sure. Fortunately last week I got my mom's chest freezer out of storage so there won't be a time/storage issue. Though it will be a minor pain in the butt to check every pear every day until everything is processed.

Yes, there is SO much to learn. And I have to agree with what you implied in your post - finding the WMT community has been a godsend. The amount of experience, knowledge, and support is priceless. The people here have certainly accelerated my wine making journey.

 

[vinny]

Awful lot of tasting going on

but that’s one of the main reasons to make it.

Well... I didn't inhale!

 

[HillPeople]

Pears make some very nice wine without any secondary fruits added.
We make around 18 gallons/yr using approx. 220 lbs of pears.
Crushed and pressed with a bladder press.
We us K1-V1116 plus Opti-White fermented at 65 degrees.
Starting SG- 1.092, ending .992.

 

[Raptor99]

Pears make some very nice wine without any secondary fruits added.

I agree. The only extra ingredient that I add is a few oak chips in the secondary. Pear wine is very nice on its own.

 

[kidder]

Last year I back sweetened a 3 gallon batch of pear wine with 2 12 oz. frozen concentrate apple juice. It turned out pretty good and was very easy. Tom

 

[HillPeople]

I agree. The only extra ingredient that I add is a few oak chips in the secondary. Pear wine is very nice on its own.

I used to oak it, but now only add Opti-White at the beginning of ferment. It is in the top 3 of our most requested wines. Bone dry.

 

[hounddawg]

My pear trees have gone crazy this year and I need to take advantage of the harvest. (On the other hand, my apples are pathetic - no wine this year.)

What I have so far:
3 gallon basic pear - 2 1/2 gallon pear with1 gallon water, in secondary now.
3 gallon pear - 2 1/2 gallon pear with 1 gallon water, some brown sugar and ginger, in secondary now.
3 gallon dessert pear, starting on Sunday, same ratios of pear and water (probably), step feed, star anise in secondary.

My dilemma - my Bosc pears haven't started releasing yet. Far from it, hard as a rock. I REALLY need some ideas. I think I covered the obvious. I could do variations of the first three but I'd really like something else. If it helps my freezers have raspberries, mulberries, blackberries, lavender, ground cherries, lychee tomatoes, and I'm adding an assortment of peppers.

Who knows what next year's harvest will be like? I'm prepared and willing to go crazy this year. Help! Ideas!

Oh, unusual ideas are always appreciated!

on my pears i like using apple juice instead of water, to me, i get a much richer flavor,
Dawg

 

[Stressbaby]

I'm just here to second (third? fourth?) the recommendation against adding water.

 

[BigDaveK]

Totally agree about no water.
Well, I did six 3-gallon batches this year. First two had some water, last four no water. All the batches are a little different and still in secondary. Why different? Personally I don't want 90 bottles of the same wine. Fifteen is a good limit for me. Once they're all racked into bulk I'll share what I did and my thoughts.

 

[hounddawg]

I used to oak it, but now only add Opti-White at the beginning of ferment. It is in the top 3 of our most requested wines. Bone dry.

BONE DRY ?
how do you get your wine to that evaporated state, lol
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

my most wanted wine is 40 lbs pear, 20 lbs granny smith, 20 lbs red de[ious and 4 lbs sergeants yellow crabapple, that makes a finish 6.5 gallon wine,
Dawg