Start SG for Pear wine

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Cincincy

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I have added more sugar than I need. SG is 1.150. Should I use more yeast.? Or just wait a week or so.. Just added yeast today.

My total volume is 4 gal so I could add more water.

I am using Vintners harvest pear fruit wine base. And have followed the instructions on the can .
 
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How many and what size cans? Vintner's Harvest is good stuff but for 4 gallons a single 96 oz can is going to be pretty thin wine. If you used two then you should be ok.

But WOW ! 1.150 for a starting SG - THAT's more sugar than any yeast can handle - at least the ones I've seen. They top out at 18% ABV and your SG if fermented down to .990 would hit 21% Even down to and SG of 1.100 it would be more than common yeasts can handle. Normally we figure the wine should ferment down to .990. If you get that SG down to 1.100 and it ferments dry your ABV would be 14.4 and that's higher than most folks like. Starting at 1.090 and fermenting dry to .990 would put your ABV at 13.13. High but not rocket fuel.

SO if you used two cans, you can add water or pear juice to thin it down some. Increasing your volume to 5 gallons or perhaps 4.5 if that gets the SG down enough. I personally like a higher ABV, but pears.... I think you want a starting SG of somewhere below 1.100.
 
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I followed instructions on the 96 oz can. I tasted the stock can to make sure it was not a concentrate.
 
I agree with Scooter68, on getting more to add to it, and getting the sg. down.
 
Add a second can an make a six gallon batch, as for yeast afteru0ing a second can then water to six gallons ii would pitch a yeast of either EC 1118 or k,1v,1116; b9th of them yeasts will run up close to 20%,,, then come t8me to bottle back sweeten using grandular honey, not 9owdered and not liquidm,,,,, try it what you got to lose, I make bunches offpear/apple blend and use grandular honey t9hide the taste of alcohol, I can't keep it around here, people kövwee it! Using granular honey to back sweeten I r7n my SG up to 1.030. Let it age a few months,,, you should not be disapointed unless you like your wine to taste like dirt! , chalk, old leather AN so on,,,,
Dawg



QUOTE=Scooter68;635883]How many and what size cans? Vintner's Harvest is good stuff but for 4 gallons a single 96 oz can is going to be pretty thin wine. If you used two then you should be ok.

But WOW ! 1.150 for a starting SG - THAT's more sugar than any yeast can handle - at least the ones I've seen. They top out at 18% ABV and your SG if fermented down to .990 would hit 21% Even down to and SG of 1.100 it would be more than common yeasts can handle. Normally we figure the wine should ferment down to .990. If you get that SG down to 1.100 and it ferments dry your ABV would be 14.4 and that's higher than most folks like. Starting at 1.090 and fermenting dry to .990 would put your ABV at 13.13. High but not rocket fuel.

SO if you used two cans, you can add water or pear juice to thin it down some. Increasing your volume to 5 gallons or perhaps 4.5 if that gets the SG down enough. I personally like a higher ABV, but pears.... I think you want a starting SG of somewhere below 1.100.[/QUOTE]
 
This can was a xmas gift and I ve never heard of it before now. The can has instructions for either a 3 gal or 5 gal batch.
 
I don't have a local source for purchasing another can. This one came from Ashville, NC. I am going to add a little more water tomorrow AM.
 
You might also find a local source like Walmart or any supermarket that has 100% pear juice most likely in a bottle but you might find a frozen concentrate. Only things to watch are:
1) Buy the clear variety not the ones that are cloudy with pulp
2) Be sure it doesn't have any preservatives in it such as Benzoate or or Sulfites don't buy it. Citric Acid or Ascorbic Acid are fine.
You have plenty of sugar so what you want to add is more fruit. If you have 4 gallons and a 6.5 gallon fermentation bucket you should be fine.

Just looked and Walmart seems to carry a clear Pear Juice 32oz (Item Number 553043301) made from only Pears so that should work and it looks like about $2.78/32 oz so that would be a quick and less expensive way to get the SG down without pushing your cost or push your volume up beyond 5 gallons. I would really avoid adding straight water to what you have now.
 
Just to close this thread, here is what I did.

Diluted up 5 gal
Checked SG now 1.125 from 1.150
Fermentation started full speed on Monday. 1 bubble about every 3 seconds.
Thanks for the suggestions
 
Just to close this thread, here is what I did.

Diluted up 5 gal
Checked SG now 1.125 from 1.150
Fermentation started full speed on Monday. 1 bubble about every 3 seconds.
Thanks for the suggestions

Depending upon your yeast, alcohol could hit 18%. That, coupled with a VH product thinned from 3 gallons to 5 gallons, is concerning. Hate to see you end up with a thin, poorly flavored rocket fuel.
 
Actually the VH container had directions for a 5 or 3 gallon batch. And my fermentation bucket and carboys are 5-6 gallon.
 
I don't have a local source for purchasing another can. This one came from Ashville, NC. I am going to add a little more water tomorrow AM.


If you can by can buy some canned pears, Delmonte or whatever you can make an f-pac to flavor and back sweeten. I do not think you will need much back sweetening. But anyway, this sounds like you are in a "Super Sugar Method" situation. Do not panic you will be fine. Just let that wine ferment out, it should be down to probably around 1.020 0r 1.030. plenty sweet. It should clear fast also, because the yeast is all spent. So just let it get down til it is done. and then rack to a carboy. you can go lite on the k-meta, sorbate, and finings. Oak it if you want. let it be for a month. rack again. you should be clear at this point. age it for at least 3 months but to your liking, oak it to your liking. then make your f-pac out of the canned pears, flavor mostly. then let it clear with sorbate and k-meta, I'd give it an extra month. Then bottle it, label it. Store it and you will be surprised.
That is my recommendation. stay calm and don't dilute it any more. You shouldn't have to worry about renewed fermentation.
 
You don't mention what you used to dilute the wine. ??? If you used water only to go to 5 gallon - JohnD's comment is very appropriate. If you used water you will need to get more flavor back into the wine or the flavor will be very weak.

1) Check the spec's on your yeast. What's the max alcohol level it will tolerate - that number is under ideal conditions. You may need to add a different yeast to take over for the first yeast you used. At present IF you wine fermented dry you'd have a 17.7ABV percent wine - not likely to happen so you will probably see fermentation stop witht he SG around 1.000 to 1.010 even with a high tolerance yeast so Flavor is what you will need to add at the end with a little sweetness.
2) F-pack can only do so much but it will help a) Bring back some flavor, b) sweeten and cover some of the intense alcohol
3) Use standard amounts of K-meta but don't add Sorbate until you back-sweeten. You need to use the appropriate amount of K-meta for the gallons of wine must so that there is an adequate concentration of SO2 in the entire bucket.
4) DO NOT use canned pears - unless you want to spend several more months waiting for your wine clear. If you add a cloudy liquid (the result of using canned pears) your wine will have to go through the clearing process all over again.
5) Pears are a light, delicate flavor Oaking could easily overwhelm the pear flavor - I'd advise against that for this batch.
 
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It's done Son as my Daddy would say, make the best of it. I would not add a dadgum thing except the yeast. Let it run and see where she goes. AFTER you have killed all the yeast with alcohol...I bet you are still sweet and you may like it just fine. You can always add water, flavorings, oak...whatever...you can do that on the back end.

"Stuff" is easier to put in than it is to take out....be it too much sugar or water in your case.
 
You can add some pure apple juice to it with no perzervitives in it, apple is a light flavor that goes great with pear, I make using fresh fruit every year a pear/apple blend that is very well received and I love. A pear/apple blend, you can get some always save or other dollar store 100% juice, I'd add at least four gallon, that venters harvest says 3 to 5 gallon but that's bull 3gallon at best, if you want a top of the line concentrate try.
homewinery.com
Dawg
 

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