Pear Wine

[Turock]

Just as another idea Bud. In the future, you might want to get some campden tabs. We like using these instead of powdered meta in the PRIMARY. All recipes mention campden tabs---I think one tab is about 75 PPM and you dose the primary with one tab PER GALLON. The only time you use little or no meta in the primary is if you're going to MLF.

The problem with thawing fruit--and large quantities present even bigger problems--is that you have to control bacterial growth because the fruit is going to sit around for several days!!!! You don't want the bacterial growth because it competes with the yeast and can actually ruin the ferment.

Your question on the old pectic enzyme----well, you should use fresh chems. I think we all know this. It's never a problem using a lot of it to get fruit breakdown. We double our dose--sometimes triple it when faced with 100# of pulpy fruit. We like the powdered--it's easier to see where it's at as we layer it into the fruit. I think your must needs some more of it, tho. The must shouldn't be real thick. Not a problem to get some more in there now. Stir and incorporate it in there.

For Xmas, you should ask for a mortor and pestel-----this how we crush the campden tabs before adding them.

 

[Ernest T Bass]

SpGr

After removing all the pulp from my must on 11/28, I had a Sp
Gr or 1.020. On the 29th it was 1.020, now tonite it is 1.024????
I added 2 tsp of pectic enzyme tonite.
I haven't got the go-ferm or fermaid k yet. I will order it tonite from midwest. It says to add 1 gram per gallon of must, is that about a tsp? And do you use both or just one or the other in each must? I'm about ready to "Shot" that bucket, This is batch number 87 and have only lost one, that was a watermelon. Not a complete loss, a friend turned it and some crab apple that was too sour into brandy.
The must smell strong of yeast and is doing nothing. I have some pumpkin that I started a few days later and it is doing good, down to 1.046.
Semper Fi
Bud

 

[Turock]

Read my reply about the go-ferm and fermaid K---it was right out of the Scott Labs book. Yes 1 gram is about 1 tsp.

I want you to get this pear in a carboy under airlock until you get the go-ferm and fermaid K in order to protect it. Without an active fermment, you don't have the CO2 to protect it out in the open.

When the stuff arrives, rack off what has settled out, get it in an open vat and dose it.

Pear can be a bastard to work with. You've got to have biological control over a vat of fruit that sits out to thaw. How does this smell?? If it smells good, we might be OK.

 

[Ernest T Bass]

I can't detect any smell now, a couple of days ago it smelled strong of yeast. Tasted it today and it doesn't taste like it has gone bad, maybe a little sour. I will put it in a carboy with a air lock on it now. SpGr drifts from 1.020 to 1.022, with a new hydrometer I just purchased.
Thanks for your time and help
Semper Fi
Bud

 

[Ernest T Bass]

2" krud

Transferred to 3 gallon carboy and 1 gallon jug. Already have about 2 inches of krud on the bottom of the carboy. The air lock is bubbling every once in a while, filled to within 1 inch of bottom of air lock stopper, had to add about a half pint of water to the 1 gallon jug. Go-ferm and fermaid k are suspose to be here by Friday.
Semper Fi
Bud

 

[dralarms]

How about a picture?

 

[Ernest T Bass]

Pears and Pictures

If my pears live thru all this, it ought be good.

 

[dralarms]

Whats the pabel on picture 2, cant read that one.

 

[Turock]

Bud---Your pumpkin has too much airspace in it. Why don't you get in jugs?

The headspace in the pear should be OK until you get the chems. It looks good--that's how ours looks with the bentonite. Be sure to rack it back into your vat----not dump it in----before you add the go-ferm and fermaid K. Good luck--let me know if the ferment takes off then--fingers crossed that this will turn out just fine.

 

[Ernest T Bass]

Picture #2 is the Peach, three different pictures of the peach and all three are different colors. I am going to vacuum rack and degas and add sparkolloid to em all todayThe Pumpkin will get sparkolloid today and I will add something to top it off. There is nothing close to pumpkin, so I will add whatever is handy.
Semper Fi
Bud

 

[Turock]

Use jugs or get some marbles to take up the space. Get the liquid up in the collar of the jug or carboy.

 

[Ernest T Bass]

Krud & Floaters

Now I have more krud floating on top than on the bottom

 

[dralarms]

Thats pretty nasty looking. Not sure what to tell you on that.

 

[Ernest T Bass]

I think it may be down the drain time for it. Wish I'd have made a gallon batch now, instead of using 50 lbs of pears?
Semper Fi
Bud

 

[dralarms]

I'd rack that off, through a 5 micron filter and then see what happens.

 

[dralarms]

What ever you do , don't dump it yet.

 

[Ernest T Bass]

Foam in air/lock

Tonite I noticed some foam in the air lock, when I took it off the carbaoy was full to the rim, but what surprised me was that above the foam it was clear liquid. So, what I have is fine settlement on the bottom, then clearing pear wine(?), then foam and then crystal clear liquid on top of all that. Does that help in solving the problem? I didn't taste it, but it doesn't smell bad, kinda smells good.
Semper Fi
Bud

 

[dralarms]

I'd still rack it off. But that's just me. While racking if you don't have a filter then get a cheesecloth folded double. That will keep some of that out of your next carboy..

 

[jensmith]

Taste it. If it is good then just wait, filter, or rack. If bad then maybe think about dumping or some other drastic plan. Dumping should be the last plan! My only guess as to what is going on would be a referment compleat with a cap. You used a lot of pulpy fruit. More pulp then you thought may have gone into the carboy. Have you taken a sg reading?

 

[Turock]

Bud---as we've been talking--the ferment hasn't finished because it's a compromised ferment. The reason for the problems is the lack of meta in a must that is thawing. You've got to have biological control over a vat of fruit thawing for days so you don't get microbial growth that competes for the yeast. Take a hydrometer reading of it, if you wish so we can see where it is.

You will have a lot of debris because of the bentonite----and you will begin to see the top of it clear because of the bentonite, But I'm fairly sure you'll still have the stuck ferment.