making pear wine

shoud i filter all the juices be 4 frem....

roboman42186 said:

shoud i filter all the juices be 4 frem....

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you're asking. I usually smash up fruit, and keep it in a big mesh bag for the first 5 days or so of fermentation. Then I lift up the bag and sqeeze the remaining juice out. Pectic enzyme really helps, if you add it at the very beginning when you mix up the must. It helps break down the cell walls and gets more juice out of the fruit, as well as an aid in clearing.

Seems like, once again, I have stumbled on the sagest of all, Yooperbrew.
My neighbor has 2 old, gnarly pear trees. Normally the fruit is hard and dry. This year has been very very wet and the fruit is wonderful! I want to make a wine.
Problem 1, I have never made wine. I have been brewing for about 12 to 15 years so have some knowledge under my belt.
So, I have three questions:
1. Who much fruit should I mash?
2. What should I use for yeast?
3. Is there anything else I need?

Thanks Yooper!

YooperBrew said:

I'm not sure what you're asking. I usually smash up fruit, and keep it in a big mesh bag for the first 5 days or so of fermentation. Then I lift up the bag and sqeeze the remaining juice out. Pectic enzyme really helps, if you add it at the very beginning when you mix up the must. It helps break down the cell walls and gets more juice out of the fruit, as well as an aid in clearing.

Click to expand...

I've never made pear wine, but I've done it with apples so I assume it's very similar. The hardest thing, if you don't have a press, will be extracting the juice from the fruit. What I do is wash, destem, and then freeze the fruit in a big plastic bag. Then, to make the must, I allow it to partially thaw and smoosh it really well. I then pour that in a very large grain bag, that lines the primary bucket fermenter. Add the recipe ingredients, and then tie up that bag. You'll continue to stir up and smoosh that bag over the next five days or so, and then lift it out and squeeze as much as you can out of it, and let it drain (a big strainer over the top of the fermenter is great for this) into the must. (That works for apples- don't squeeze the pear must- I just actually finished reading Jack Keller's recipe and he says if you squeeze, it will never clear)

I think a good recipe is crucial, and I found this one on Jack Keller's website: winemaking: requested recipes (Pear Wine)

I would do exactly what he instructs, except I'd freeze the fruit. Not because I'm an expert at pear wine, though- just because I always freeze the fruit. In the case, most people should probably listen to Jack Keller- he's the expert.

Thanks for the advice Yooper. I wish I could freeze em but, with the hops and veggies in there, I have no room in my freezer. I do have ways of mashing though.
I have taken the recipe you suggested and a couple others. Will talk to my LHBS/LHWS guy to get his take and give 'er a go this weekend. I need to rack my weizen any hows.