Perry from store bought juice?

[KyleinMN]

I recently discovered that Walmart sells 100% bottled pear juice and was curious if anyone had tried making a perry cider from it. I checked the ingredients to see if it was blending with apple juice but it was not so it go me curious and I think I might give it a try.

I imagine that true perry pears are probably quite a bit different to those used to make a juice like this as with comparing apple juice to cider apples but I'm thinking that with the addition of wine tannin and adjusting the acids it might be an interesting base.

Anyone tried a perry with this Great value pear juice or other store bought pear juice and how was it different from a commerical perry? fyi: i've never had a perry before so I don't know what sort of difference to look for or expect.

 

[Drewch]

I've never tried it, but I've got another entry on my to-brew list now.

 

[Chalkyt]

My experience with Perry (from juicing pears) is that it was somewhat bland without any complexity. It is interesting to note that Pears have about five times more sorbitol (a non fermentable sweetener, and also a bit of a laxative) than apples (2.2g/100g vs 0.5g/100g) so my Perry did have some residual sweetness. An apple/pear cider seemed to work O.K. although I wouldn't bother again, mainly because juicing pears is a pain (you can easily get mush if they aren't firm enough)... maybe juice would work better.

 

[DBhomebrew]

All I know is I'm not a huge fan of pears, but I have enjoyed commercial perries. Maybe it's the elevated levels of naturally existing sorbitol. I absolutely hate any and all artificial (even naturally derived) sweeteners, making many commercial ciders unpalatable.

 

[DBhomebrew]

It is interesting to note that Pears have about five times more sorbitol (a non fermentable sweetener, and also a bit of a laxative) than apples (2.2g/100g vs 0.5g/100g) so my Perry did have some residual sweetness.

SWMBP(leased) tells me I should give this a try. She's been wanting me to make cider, but my bottle conditioning and aversion to artificial sweeteners doesn't do much good for her wish of a semi-sweet sparkling cider.

@KyleinMN, keep us posted!

 

[KyleinMN]

Sounds good, I'll give it a try with a 5 gallon batch and report back.

 

[Ty520]

I've had a good Perry (as well as country wines, melomels etc) made with RW Knudsen juices.

Assuming you're buying from a good, reputable source, juices (and frozen fruits, as well) can actually be a very good ingredient source, as they process fruits picked at optimal ripeness that meet certain standards...wheras if you opt to buy from a store or farm, you'll have to spend a ton of time weeding through fruits, which were probably harvested up to 2 weeks earlier, before they reach ripeness

 

[MaxStout]

I might have to look for that next time I'm at WallyWorld. I'd probably add 1/4 to 1/3 apple juice to give it a little bite.

 

[bushpilot]

Hmm, what about the pear juice reinforced with Old Orchard frozen apple juice concentrate to achieve a target OG of 1.070-1.075? Would that ferment out a little sweet (from the sorbitol in the pears), but with apple notes, and 9-10% abv?