Hard Cider with Pear wine base

[Mr2sday]

I have been making coder for years but wanted to try something different this year and add pear to it. As it is near impossible to find raw pear juice I am going to try a pear fruit wine base. Has anyone done this?

I know the wine base is a very concentrated juice and is designed to mix with 3-4 gallons of water for wine so I am wondering if I should wait and back sweeten it to taste with the pear concentrate or put it in after initial fermentation when I rack it?

 

[Pizombie]

I did just this about three years ago for the same reason. Added a whole can of Vintner's Pear Base (96oz) to a 3 gallon carboy and filled the rest with treetop apple juice, a couple of whole vanilla beans, and some English cider yeast. I didn't take SG readings back then so I don't know exactly how strong it was but did ferment until it was finished. End result was hardly drinkable. The flavor was way too intense and condensed. Thinking about it afterwards, the ratio of juice to base was pretty close to 2:1. My advise is to make sure the ratio is much higher.

I did a Rhubarb one as well at the same time the same was and it turned out to be one of my best ciders even today. That base had chunks of Rhubarb in it though where as the Pear was all liquid.

 

[cidergoats]

I have been making coder for years but wanted to try something different this year and add pear to it. As it is near impossible to find raw pear juice I am going to try a pear fruit wine base. Has anyone done this?

I know the wine base is a very concentrated juice and is designed to mix with 3-4 gallons of water for wine so I am wondering if I should wait and back sweeten it to taste with the pear concentrate or put it in after initial fermentation when I rack it?

I have used RW Knudsen organic pear juice although that can be a bit pricey and hard to find. I've also used Gerber and Parent's Choice pear juice and for being inexpensive, off-the-shelf juice the results have been pretty good. This has all been in primary fermentation, I don't generally back sweeten.

 

[Mr2sday]

Great Fermentations recommended that I use half of the can or less.

I did just this about three years ago for the same reason. Added a whole can of Vintner's Pear Base (96oz) to a 3 gallon carboy and filled the rest with treetop apple juice, a couple of whole vanilla beans, and some English cider yeast. I didn't take SG readings back then so I don't know exactly how strong it was but did ferment until it was finished. End result was hardly drinkable. The flavor was way too intense and condensed. Thinking about it afterwards, the ratio of juice to base was pretty close to 2:1. My advise is to make sure the ratio is much higher.

I did a Rhubarb one as well at the same time the same was and it turned out to be one of my best ciders even today. That base had chunks of Rhubarb in it though where as the Pear was all liquid.