2018 Wines - Chapter 9 - Pear Batch #2

The first batch of pear wine came from Seckel and Bartlett pears. I think the Seckel added some needed acid to the first batch, which didn't go dry. We've already bottled a portion of the first batch on a trial basis, and it seems pretty darn good. So I had high hopes for this second batch, which is much larger. I may be disappointed.

I didn't weigh the pears but they were well over 100#. They weren't even fully thawed when I pressed, so I left lots of juice behind. Nonetheless I got 8 gallons of straight juice. I was disappointed in the brown color, I think maybe the longer time in the freezer and lower acidity contributed to some early oxidation. But must which starts brown can clear, so we forged ahead. Initial numbers not quite as good as the first batch: TA 5.4g/L, pH 3.75, SG 1.060. After a total of 44g of tartaric acid (1.47g/L), the pH was 3.25. I chaptalized to 1.080, and used the usual 15g Opti White, 1.3g Lallzyme EX, and a heavy dose of pectic. Also added 2t tannin, then rehydrated QA 23 with GoFerm and pitched. Fermaid K was step-fed.

Because the first batch didn't go dry, and it remains pretty cool in the basement, I didn't put the 10 gallon fermenter in the chiller. Still, this was (is) a very slow ferment. It took 7 days to get to 1.055. Six days later it was 1.026 with possibly a little off odor. I dosed with 1/2 dose of Fermaid O. At 21 days it was down to 1.014 and odor-free. At this point I moved it to carboy, added EC-1118, and moved the carboys upstairs into the warm pantry. There is has continued to bubble very slowly, but dropped only to 1.012 after another 7 days. That's still about 3.1% residual sugar. I'd really like this wine under 2%. And I'd really like it less brown.