This was a test batch as i am not sure how these pears do making hard cider. they are delicious but not overly sweet and very juicy. (not sure what kind of pears) I just bottled 5 gallons and it fermented well. nice strong ferment from wild yeast. i was totally unprepared so i didnt have much to go off of. i pressed the pears and got about 5 gallons of juice. i added 4 cups sugar (didnt take og) 1 cup of strong black tea and 1 lemon cut in half, but not squeezed. I fermented in primary for 3 weeks and then bottled in wine bottles. problem is when i tasted it it was very sour. like a lemon sour (maybe from the lemon) . i am going to let sit in the bottle for some time and then i will taste. i did make a wine from the scraps when i canned some and used white sugar and that turned out really well. very delicate refreshing wine. but this is not so good. i was thinking maybe using apple juice and do 50/50 and maybe next time i will have more supplies to add tannin and acid. Any thoughts or suggestions on what went wrong here?
1st pear cider from our tree.
- Thread starter Krausen89
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RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
Yeah, the lemon made it too sour. Citric acid is very sharp and lemons have lots of it. Pears have plenty of acid naturally.
Next time, try this:
Let the pear juice ferment.
If it tastes a little flabby like it needs acid, then add some acid to a sample to determine how much is needed. Then add enough for the whole batch.
I recommend against adding sugar as well, unless you really want it above it's natural 5-7% ABV and are willing to sacrifice flavor.
Cheers
so i tasted the product floating above the trub on my last bottle. i am hoping that after aging for 6-12 months it will mellow out significantly and this is just a product of it being new and dry. going to start another batch soon with the remainder on the tree. i would like to use campden tabs and pitch an with a nice ale yeast. hopefully i will be a bit more prepared with the next batch. if i can find some time i am going to cut and freeze the pears which will buy me time to get everything together.
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
That's possible! Good luck!
Campden (sulfite) may be more trouble than it's worth if you don't have a pH meter. It's not one-size-fits-all; the proper amount depends on pH.
Campden (sulfite) may be more trouble than it's worth if you don't have a pH meter. It's not one-size-fits-all; the proper amount depends on pH.[/QUOTE]
That is a great point. i was just trying to avoid pasteurizing. simmering about 185 for 30-45 mins which is what i have done in the past. i like cider with wild yeast alot better than anything else i have tried but its pretty inconsistent. no ph meter. I lost all my equipment at my last place. thought i had everything when i moved and my years and years of recipes and all my brewing supplies and equipment were left behind unfortunately. i have bought a few new things but havnt had the extra $ to re-invest in all of it. been trying to get by in the mean time.
That is a great point. i was just trying to avoid pasteurizing. simmering about 185 for 30-45 mins which is what i have done in the past. i like cider with wild yeast alot better than anything else i have tried but its pretty inconsistent. no ph meter. I lost all my equipment at my last place. thought i had everything when i moved and my years and years of recipes and all my brewing supplies and equipment were left behind unfortunately. i have bought a few new things but havnt had the extra $ to re-invest in all of it. been trying to get by in the mean time.
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
Hmm...
Other options:
Other options:
- Pasteurize at 150°F for 10 minutes. That's over 60 PUs; no need for overkill.
- Pitch your preferred yeast without pasteurizing. It will dominate the fermentation, providing much more consistency/predictability than straight wild microbes.
- Let it wild ferment and then add a Brettanomyces culture. A good Brett strain will significantly improve and clean up the flavor profile.
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