Pears - lots and lots of pears.... and more wine

There is a couple of pear trees at the end of my road, and already there is loads of windfall pears under them; they are basically free for the taking, although nobody ever bothers with them, but I am tempted to try and make something alcoholic with them...

I don't have a press, but I do have an industrial juicer (the sort used in smoothie bars) - any recipe ideas and advice to try them?

I take it that it would be a case of cutting off any rough bits from the windfall ones?

 

Where is the fun in that - fruit was made to turn into alcohol

@Scrungee - our freezer is full to the brim, so there is no opportunity to freeze them. So far, I have been starting any fermentation in a food grade bucket which leaves half a bucket's worth of headroom above the mixture; would this free space be enough to cope with the initial ferment and then transfer it to demijohns once it has calmed down a bit?

 

I've got a long reach plastic spoon (although I have been cleaning and sterilising it daily rather than leaving it in the bucket - never thought to leave it in there); I've just bought a 25 litre fermenter, so that will compliment the 25 litre food grade bucket I have and should allow for plenty of room

I've just had a look in my CJJ Berry book, and there is a pear wine recipe in there that looks pretty good - - very similar to the link posted by WeeTam. I am happy to post the recipe if anyone wants it.

 

We got quite a haul of pears today, some windfall and some off the trees whilst we were there - a couple of them even fell on my head as I was pulling the branches down to reach low hanging fruit



There were loads around the bottom of the trees in various states of decomposition, and the air had a decidedly alcoholic whiff to it, so they were clearly already beginning to ferment.

These were all washed, chopped up (any manky bad bits removed) and then simmered for 20 mins as per the recipe, then strained over the awaiting sugar in the washed and sterilised bucket - - three and a half gallons in all, so pretty good. I am just waiting for it to cool sufficiently then I can put the yeast in and start the fun

The strawberry jam wine was transferred into the demi johns yesterday - loads of sludge left at the bottom of the bucket, so it had cleared quite a bit - and it smelled properly alcoholic too, so it seems that the yeast I am using is quite vigorous; fermentation has slowed down now, but I will give it another week or so before I chuck a campden tablet into them before racking them off into the interim storage bottles (the recipe states that it needs to sit for six months before bottling).

 

I'm a tad confused as there is no foaming going on at all. Fermentation is definitely underway (I added the yeast just before going to bed last night, and have had to open the bucket to release the CO2 this morning, and it looks like it is needing released again), but there is no sign of any foam?

Should I be adding pectolase to this lot too? The recipe doesn't mention it, and I know that pears are low in pectin, but they still have some, don't they?

 

I spoke too soon - just had to vent the bucket again, and there is a fair old bit of froth now - smells cider-ish now, and appears to be clearing really quickly. I am now wondering if this yeast that I have been using is some sort of turbo yeast?

The strawberry jam wine appears to have fully stopped now, which seems mega-quick (just over a week) - is there any way to know if it has fermented out completely?

 

I have no idea what type of pears they are - other than they are freebie pears

It is fermenting away good style now (I am having to vent the bucket frequently so there is loads of CO2 being produced), and I will transfer it to demijohns or possibly my new fermenting vessel if it arrives in time.

I will go and add Pectolase now, thanks @Scrungee

 

Ah, just as I have gone to reorder yeast, it is the high alcohol super yeast that I have been using, and I have been adding yeast nutrient to it too (apparently it already has nutrient in alongside the yeast) - no wonder fermentation is fast.