Worried - pear cider recipe

[DrPizza]

I haven't had much luck finding a recipe that sounds like it's going to work for my pear cider.

Here's what I have: 4 1/2 gallons of freshly pressed pear cider, mixed with just under 2 gallons of apple cider (a blend of 6 types of apple, including some tart apples). The flavor is really good - your mouth screams "pear! No, apple! No pear!" Both flavors are coming through really strong.

And, on top of that 6 1/2 gallon blend sitting in my primary (I already put in campden tablets about 46 hours ago), I have 3 types of yeast that I had earlier purchased for apple cider: safale s04, saflager s-23, and Nottingham, based on the stickied cider yeast thread.

I also have yeast nutrient; was going to add some, and acid blend - was also going to add some. I don't have a way to measure the pH at the present time, but pear seems to be fairly low in acid.


So, if you were me, which yeast would you use? I can also add either table sugar, or dextrose; any recommended SG to start at?

And finally, I have about 1 1/3 gallons of pear cider left over, in the fridge. My wife loves the stuff, but I can still probably do something to concentrate it, and use it to back sweeten the cider after it's done. (Should I try to partially freeze it & remove the ice, leaving a thicker juice behind? Or should I cook it down - but heat kills the flavor.)

Any advice on this is greatly appreciated. Just a few more months and I can begin tasting all these wines and ciders I'm creating.

 

[ilxfauno]

Honestly, and this is just me but I would use Nottingham and start with an OG of 1.16 or something nice and high. I use table sugar.

 

[gregbathurst]

I don't think fermenting at a higher sg would improve the flavour. Freeze concentrating should work for the juice. As for the yeast, just choose one and go for it. You may end up with some residual unfermented sugars because of the natural sorbitol in pears. The down side of this is the production of intestinal gas.

 

[Wayneh]

I would use the Nottingham and dextrose. I would only go as high as 1.056 for SG unless you are looking to get a wine taste.

 

[DrPizza]

Thank you, Nottingham it is. Pitching it right now.

 

[thecidergrove]

If you need a laxative a pint of perry is the way to go. Its called a perry poo in our house as sorbitol is a natural laxative.

 

[DrPizza]

If you need a laxative a pint of perry is the way to go. Its called a perry poo in our house as sorbitol is a natural laxative.

Thank you very much! I'll definitely keep that in mind. No Perry for guests during my first wine tasting party.