Pear cider fermentation

[jhespe]

So the past couple of years I have had the luck of having some pear juice to ferment. I have been fermenting Apple Juice for about 5 years.
All made straight from the tree.
For apple cider, I have just pitched the yeast and let it bubble happily. Both years, I have tried to do the same thing with the pear juice and it is really slow in fermenting. What is the secret to fermenting Pear Cider?
Thanks

 

[mredge73]

With any whole fruit wine/cider the hardest part is picking the fruit at the right time.
Pears start with more unfermentable sugars (starches) than apples, picking them ripe and soft will will yield better results.
A refractometer will help, pick one and squeeze a little juice on the slide and log the result in a tally book.
A ripe pear on average is sweeter than an apple and should ferment better; on average a ripe pear should be at 15.4 brix compared to an apple at 13.3.
This is also the secret on making great wines from grapes, the best gardeners pick at the right time and cut down vines that yield below average grapes.

 

[madscientist451]

Actually with pears, you are supposed to pick them before they are ripe and let them ripen before use. For cider/juice, ripe pears are almost impossible to press. They turn into a goo that won't yield any juice, so you have to press them before they are fully ripe. Last year, I got a few bushels of small pears as "seconds" and I got busy and couldn't press them right away. After a week they were really soft. My solution was to put them in the press whole, without milling and it worked!
But your original question was about fermentation. I just used some out of date D-47 with some pear juice and it took right off and seems to be almost done after only a few days. But your juice may be different. What kind of yeast are you using?

 

[jhespe]

Safale S04 ale yeast.
Just added some QA23 wine yeast. The juice is at 1.088 so plenty sweet

 

[gratus fermentatio]

So the past couple of years I have had the luck of having some pear juice to ferment. I have been fermenting Apple Juice for about 5 years.
All made straight from the tree.
For apple cider, I have just pitched the yeast and let it bubble happily. Both years, I have tried to do the same thing with the pear juice and it is really slow in fermenting. What is the secret to fermenting Pear Cider?
Thanks

Have you tried using yeast nutrient/energizer? Maybe a 1/2 dose of Diammonium Phosphate (D.A.P.)? I've only made pear cider once & that was from store bought juice (Knudsen's Just Juice), but mine had no problems fermenting; I used yeast nutrient/energizer & DAP though. Mine turned out OK, but needed acid & tannin additions.
Regards, GF.