Getting Creative with a PEAR Wine

[Just-a-Guy]

(No, not peach. ).

So, I have this Vintner's Harvest can of pears. While my Dragon's Blood and grape juice wines are fermenting, I figured I'd whip up another batch (I have five fermenting buckets, may as well use them).

So here's what I was thinking.

I got some "Pear Cider" from Trader Joes - appears to be pear juice from concentrate, with some apple, and a little cinnamon. I got some organic dried apricots from Mrs. Greens. I got some white seedless grapes, and some golden raisins. And a pound of frozen (sliced) strawberries.

I was thinking I would take the grapes and freeze them, then add some of the grapes, some of the strawberries, some of the golden raisins and some of the apricots to a pot and dump some boiling water on it (EDIT: in a sparging bag). Let it cool and add some water with some pectin on top of it. That should clean it up?

Let the above sit for a while (overnite). Then add it to the bucket, with some k-meta, some tannin and some acid blend (which I would mix in some water) and some bentonite. Put in a gallon of the pear cider, and top up with roughly three gallons of water. Add sugar to about 170 (assuming the fruit will slowly yield more sugar). Let it sit overnite.

Pull off a half gallon for topping up, put it in the fridge. Add some yeast nutrient (small syrup of it) to the balance, then pitch the yeast (I got some 71B).

Let it ferment to dry in the bucket.

Rack to a 3 gal carboy, and take the excess into a 1 gallon (the idea being not to try to make 5 out of this... but I don't have a 4 gal carboy, so breaking it up into two). Let it sit for a month or so to clear.

Rack it (probably back into a bucket, then clean the carboys and back into the carboys same day). Add some sorbate to end the fermentation. Let it sit again.

Then filter (I just order an allinone and all the filter stuff). Rack off again to the carboy, let it sit again.

Bottle.

... So... what do you think? Suggestions? Am I nuts?

Mark

 

[Kraffty]

Sounds interesting, I'd suggest skipping the water and use all juice. I've done 3 gallons of the trader joe's cinnamon pear cider in the past and thought it came out great. I don't think it would have been very good watered down that much.
Seems to me I picked them up on sale at around 3.00/half gallon.
Mike

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Thanks, Kraffty. Does that same suggestion apply knowing that I'm also using a 96 oz fruit wine base of pear?

 

[cintipam]

Most wines are better with less water. Pear especially.

Also, be sure it's pectic enzyme, not pectin. you are trying to break down the pectin.

I don't ever put boiling water over my fruit. It can change the taste. Sometimes it is necessary when making an flavorpac at the end to enhance flavor, but in general if I am just starting basic fermentation no boiling water.

You seem to really be jumping into this! I bet your family gatherings will start getting bigger and bigger the more you supply. Make the wine to your taste and don't worry so much about the others. I like dry, but I do provide squirt bottles of simple sugar water folks can squirt into their wine if they like it sweeter.

Pam in cinti

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Thanks, Pam. LOL, my "gatherings" have been... enthusiastic for some time. Due largely to my beer brewing and my general maintenance of a good bar in my house (small but quality!). Ha!

On the boiling water thing, I keep reading that with fruit, dumping some boiling water on it at the outset kills natural yeasts or something? Is that wrong?

And yes, I meant pectic enzyme, I have some in a bottle thing. I guess my biggest concern is the dried apricot? I think a lot of what I do is overkill, but I've never had a bad batch of anything I brewed (well, I've had mediocre quality, but I mean, not an infected batch or anything)....

 

[cintipam]

When using real fruit (meaning fruit from the garden, not necessary with purchased frozen fruit but please ask someone else with experience to verify if you need it with this canned fruit) the general procedure is with fruit and juice in primary add 1/4 tsp kmeta, stir well to mix, cover, wait at least 12 up to 24 hrs, add pectic enzyme, stir well, wait 12-24 hrs then add yeast. The Kmeta kills the wild yeast on fruit. The logic is that purchased frozen fruit will already be treated to kill yeasties, bacteria, etc. I"m guessing canned stuff also treated, but again it's a guess. Get confirmation. Once the kmeta has time to work add pectic enzyme. The PE is inactivated by both Kmeta and heat, which is why you need to separate out the treatments. The yeast will slowly take off, and it is (at least my figuring from my reading) the heat the building fermentation causes that will also inactivate the PE. Also per my reading when you actually want to make a flavor pak (called fpak) to add at the end you need to gently simmer the fruit for 20 minutes to kill off any odd yeast or bacteria. I really don't think the boiling water will do much of anything.

Hope this helps

Pam in cinti

 

[Arne]

I used to do the boiling water thing sometimes. Now I pretty much do as Pam says. Seems like the boiling water stuff is harder to clear. Also, I don't miss carrying a hot pot of water across the house. The cold water is much safer. The vinters harvest concentrate is going to help with your flavor, but the one time I have used it I made a 3 gal. batch with it and it was still a little weak onflavor. You are adding some extra ingredients so I would say give it a shot. Arne.

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Thank you. Very helpful. I'll pick up some more of the Trader Joe's pear cider, and yeah, it's $2.99 a half gallon, not bad. I'll do it with the fruit first and some k-meta, then next day add the pectic enzyme, then go from there with the cider, sugar, etc.

Very much enjoying this, wine has a lot more room for creativity than beer, least in my experience.

Thanks!

Mark