Bartlett Pear

[StoneArcher]

Started on: 9.27.13


9.5# Grapes - Unknown variety.
106# Cleaned Bartlett Pears.
2/3 c. Acid Blend
14 tsp Pectic Enzyme
2.5 tsp Tannin
1/2 c Yeast Nutrient
4.5 Gallons Water
Sugar to 1.09 (In this case I used 20#)
3 cans of frozen white grape juice
3 jugs of white grape juice
3 packs of Red Star Montrachet
20 Campten tablets

Started out with 130# pears. But took all week to clean. After tossing out some and cleaning, ended up with 106#. By the time I was done, some natural fermentation started.

For cleaning the pears, I cut off the stem and bottom belly button looking deal, slice in half to gut out the core then toss in a pail for mass chopping.

For the grapes, nothing special. Destem and toss out bad ones. Then crush and add to fermenting pail.

Add white grape cans and jugs.

Add PE.

Let sit for a few days to let the sugars mix. And crush by hand any large chunks of pear.

Take a reading then calculate the sugar to add. Then add sugar. Stir like a crazy fella while adding remaining ingredients less the yeast. Pitch Yeast on top. Over the next few hours or day slowly stir in the yeast, just on the surface at first. As the yeast starts to grow, stir it in deeper.

Continue to punch down and stir the mash.

After 7 days, transferred. Be careful as to not stir up the bottom fruit pulp. Try to transfer the wine first. After transferring, I got 6 gallons of pulp and 9.75 gallons of wine.

 

[buzzerj]

I'm surprised you only got 9.75 gallons of wine from that many pears. I did a batch on Sept. 9 and used 32 lbs. of Bartlett pears with white grape concentrate and 10 lbs. of sugar and yielded about 7 gallons of wine. I had nowhere near that much pulp although I retained all the mashed pears in a nylon bag but I don't think that the wine plus pulp was much more than 10 gallons total if that. I used Lalvin ICV-D47 yeast for my batch and racked out of the primary after a week. At five weeks out, the wine is still slowly bubbling but is much more clear and should be ready to rack again soon. Sounds like you got a real dense perry juice to start out with and I will be interested in how your batch turns out. Keep us posted on the progress and your final result.

 

[StoneArcher]

I only added 4.5 gallons of water, but I am still surprised at the low yield. The was too much for me to use a mesh bag I think. But I am probably going to strain it soon. I think that I may be able to get another gallon and a half of the settling mush.

It's quite perry. So far it tastes great.

I will update with each step.

 

[buzzerj]

My batch is clearing up well. I've got my fermenter in the basement and it's at 58 degrees.