Pear Wine

[Poni]

Thanks! I am torn between 71-b and d-47. Which one do you folks suggest? I am leaning toward d-47 for the mouth feel, but im not sure

 

[Turock]

I totally agree with extracts---that's how we do the cinammon pear--and cinammon apple.

poni---Pear really needs the malic acid management that 71B provides. Otherwise, pear can be very harsh and it will take 2 years of bottle aging for it to smooth out. So use the 71B, and also use some opti-white for the mouthfeel.

 

[Poni]

Thanks turock,
The plan is to try to replicate mr. Wolfs' method (with the help of others) and see how it comes out. Ive made plenty of pear but always fermented on the pulp with water added to some degree. I really look forward to all pear, but it has always been a work vs. Reward battle as for adding water. But ive got enough in the cellar aged and aging to try this.

Thanks folks, this should be a good one!

 

[Poni]

I also plan to put 10-20% granny smith apples n with this batch too , just for the heck of it, yessss

 

[Runningwolf]

Hey Poni I think thats a great idea. I did pear because my sister had an over abundance of them and offered to pick them all for me. I couldn't pass that deal up. I was at Tractor Supply earlier this week and they had fruit trees for $20 so I picked up two pears, an apple and two peach. I planted them all behind my house on the neighbors property. I asked earlier and he had no problem with it. Not a bad deal, I buy the trees and get the fruit, he pays the taxes and gets the bees on the fallen fruit. LOL

 

[Poni]

oh and a pear mead is in order too, i was just waiting for the pears to soften up to do this. That should also be a good one too!

 

[Hokapsig]

I used D-47 and will do a cinnamon with liquid extract. Lot's of movement of the juice on the third day from the fermentation. I will add the hot water/bentonite solution tonight to aid in clearing. The pre-fermentation juice tasted Great and I don't even like pears....

 

[Runningwolf]

WOW, I just went to the basement to shake my extract jars and peaked over at the pear. I couldn't believe my eyes. It is the most beautiful color and crystal clear. Thank you Turock on the 3rd day plan. I will post pictures maybe tomorrow . Too tired to bother right now.

 

[Poni]

I used D-47 and will do a cinnamon with liquid extract. Lot's of movement of the juice on the third day from the fermentation. I will add the hot water/bentonite solution tonight to aid in clearing. The pre-fermentation juice tasted Great and I don't even like pears....

dont like pears? yer crazy! there i said it! ha! nah man, fruit of the GODS those things are!

 

[Turock]

You're welcome, Dan. Always happy to share what has worked very well for us.

 

[michjen]

My pear is still fermenting day 8 SG is now 0.030 starting SG was 0.085!

 

[Runningwolf]

Ok here is the picture I promised of my nearly clear Pear Wine.

 

[michjen]

Oooooooh that looks awesome!!!! Good job!

 

[Deezil]

That's what my pear did too, before I blended with the apple... Crystal clear about 2-3 days after fermentation ended; still dropped some more fine sediment, so expect that, but it was amazing

That was sans Bentonite as well

Looking good, Dan!

 

[Poni]

Nice! Looks tasty!

 

[Runningwolf]

Thanks. Yes I am getting some fine lees. Manley, how soon was it before yours was ready to drink? I have another 25 pounds or so in the freezer cored and sliced to put through the steam juicer for additional flavor. My thoughts are to figure out exactly how much sugar I'll need for back sweetening. Since the juice will be so hot at that point it would be the ideal time to add sugar that I'll need for the entire batch.

 

[Tess]

Ok here is the picture I promised of my nearly clear Pear Wine.

wow, that really looks good!

 

[Turock]

Dan---I would not bottle until about the 9 month mark. Many times, a wine looks perfectly clear and you think early bottling is OK. But there are a number of micro-fine sediments in wine---proteins, potassium---and it takes time for these to fall free. Otherwise, you might find that the wine clouds up again under storage and refrigeration conditions. Plus, pear needs some bulk aging time for the flavor to come forward. And the CO2 needs to come out of the wine--sometimes CO2 is still remaining at the 6 month mark, which is another reason to wait at least 9 months. As you know--I am not a fan of manual degassing because of oxidation risk.

We sweeten our pear to about 1.014 SG

Michjen--I don't understand the SG readings. You can't start with such a low brix!! Did you make a mistake in what you said????

 

[Turock]

Deezil---SOMETIMES you get clear wine without bentonite. Then you do it the next year and your hobby becomes trying to clarify it. Sometimes large doses of pectic enzyme or Lallzyme C-Max will work very well to aid in clarification with no bentonite.

For years, we went back and forth with whites clearing just fine, and then---using the same techniques---- the following year was a disaster! So we just got smart and started bentoniting everything except red wines. Bentonite is so cheap--and easy to use in the primary. So we do it ALWAYS--just as a safeguard.

 

[Deezil]

Thanks. Yes I am getting some fine lees. Manley, how soon was it before yours was ready to drink? I have another 25 pounds or so in the freezer cored and sliced to put through the steam juicer for additional flavor. My thoughts are to figure out exactly how much sugar I'll need for back sweetening. Since the juice will be so hot at that point it would be the ideal time to add sugar that I'll need for the entire batch.

Well, I dont like young wines at all.. The MLF'd Apple-Pear was hard to stay out of at 7-8 months.. Just keeps getting better and better though

Dan---I would not bottle until about the 9 month mark. Many times, a wine looks perfectly clear and you think early bottling is OK. But there are a number of micro-fine sediments in wine---proteins, potassium---and it takes time for these to fall free. Otherwise, you might find that the wine clouds up again under storage and refrigeration conditions. Plus, pear needs some bulk aging time for the flavor to come forward. And the CO2 needs to come out of the wine--sometimes CO2 is still remaining at the 6 month mark, which is another reason to wait at least 9 months. As you know--I am not a fan of manual degassing because of oxidation risk.

We sweeten our pear to about 1.014 SG

But like Turock said - wait 9 months - mine's still not bottled, although will be soon; just got bottles yesterday. If you think it's pretty now, wait until it's clear enough that it shimmers

Deezil---SOMETIMES you get clear wine without bentonite. Then you do it the next year and your hobby becomes trying to clarify it. Sometimes large doses of pectic enzyme or Lallzyme C-Max will work very well to aid in clarification with no bentonite.

For years, we went back and forth with whites clearing just fine, and then---using the same techniques---- the following year was a disaster! So we just got smart and started bentoniting everything except red wines. Bentonite is so cheap--and easy to use in the primary. So we do it ALWAYS--just as a safeguard.

I know this is all too-true. My first batch of peach cleared right up, second batch still isn't clear ~13 months later.

Very aware, I got lucky